Swandives

Still blistered. Tried to run 8 km last weekend and only got halfway before I got another one. At this rate, I’m not even going to get the Bridge Run. Sigh. 

…is the moment when you find yourself completely unable to relate to ‘kids these days’ and start sounding like your grandma or pop. I’m utterly devasted to report that it happened to me today, thanks to an album by the English chav chic called Lily Allen. She’s the new hot thing apparently; the story goes she did a promotional tour in Australia, one performance in Sydney, one in Melbourne only, and thousands of people queued for hours to get in an see her.

Well my interest is piqued, so I have a listen to the album. And I’m completely unable to understand what’s so darned special. Try as I may, I’m unable to relate to it on any level, not musical, not lyrical, nothing. I’ve completely missed it.

My husband has smugly informed me that I’ve just experienced generational disconnect and that I should get used to it. He’s taking far too much glee in the whole situation, if you ask me. I don’t want to be generationally disconnected! I *want* to get it…I just don’t. Notice the graphic below…there’s no naughties pop influences listed.

Bugger. It’s all downhill from here. Next thing I know I’ll be complaining that music isn’t what it once was because I can’t understand what people are singing. And I don’t want to be that person.

You know your day is going to be bad when the first thing you see when you get in the office is a erroneous complaint that you’ve been asked to deal with.

That happened to me today. It went downhill from there. I am going home now in the hope it will get better. Erk.

hehe…that’s got your attention didn’t it!

This is just utterly classic - WoW meets the Muppets:

Despite the name, there isn’t actually much explicit about it…except that it’s about porn. It’s just laugh out loud funny.

No, I haven’t written anything about the City to Surf. In part because I didn’t complete my goal of running the entire way - I got a blister 10km in and made the mistake of drinking the Gatorade and had to walk for a bit. To say I’m disappointed is somewhat of an understatement, and I must admit that I’ve considered not writing anything about it at all. But that would be silly. I’d been working towards it for months.

In the end my time was 107:24 and I came in 24,202 out of a field of 63,562. That’s only a minute and a half outside my best time so I must have been motoring along before the blister got me! It’s still the size of a 20 cent piece. I’d done so much running that my trainers had worn and the stitching rubs on the inside of my foot. So this weekend we’re off to spend yet more money on trainers. I reckon Asics owes me some moula - I only bought those shoes about eight months ago!

It was a simply glorious day - clear blue skies and sunshine. And organisers gave out red caps so they could take a photo from space. Unfortunately, it didn’t really work that well, but it was a good idea, and that sea of red was certainly incredible to be a part of.

It was as if the entire run was some weird movie where everything was in fast motion. I don’t remember a lot of it but here’s some things that stuck in my mind:

* How quickly the race got under way once the starting gun went  off (somebody told me it would take about 10 minutes to get to the actual start, but it seemed like 10 seconds).

* Running through the tunnel at Kings Cross with thousands of people
* All the men stopping for a pee on the other side of the tunnel!
* The metal band playing on the awning of the pub in Double Bay
* All the people walking up Heartbreak Hill (something I did NOT do..woohoo!)
* The pain of the 10 km mark (after which it all becomes a bit of a blur)
* The thousands and thousands of people waiting for buses afterwards
* People passing me, and passing me and passing me, and passing me. People everywhere.

But enough about me - let’s hear it for the man of the day - my beloved MIKEY, who managed to cross the finish line in 78:16 and place 8785. Awesome! That’s pretty darned amazing. We loves ya babe.

The best pic I’ve seen is a series of shots that’s been stitched together into a panorama QuickTime shot:

http://www.mediavr.com/citytosurf2006.htm

Wonderful!

until the City to Surf.

Just as well too, as I’ve put on 2 kg this week alone because I haven’t been running. Good news is I think my leg is on the mend. And my blister has gone down also. So we’re all systems go.

Going to the gym tonight because I’m beginning to feel like a lard-ass. This isn’t so much to do with a lack of exercise as an overabundance of food - it’s been birthday week so I’ve eaten lamb shanks and eggs benedict and chocolate and cake and all the things you aren’t supposed to have when you’re about to embark on 14 km of hell. I think it’s because I’ve completely given up on getting there in under 100 minutes. With all those people (they reckon there’ll be 60,000+), I haven’t got much chance so I may as well concentrate on enjoying the day.

It’s the beloved’s birthday today. So I’m sending him virtual kisses.

I ran a cracking 56mins for 8km (ok, so it’s cracking for me, anyway). Trouble is, I’ve strained a muscle or something in my leg and six days out from the City to Surf I’m wondering if it’s going to get better. Been putting cream in it and stuff but in doesn’t seem to be helping.