July 31, 2012

Lakes Stakes 31 st July 2012

Run in good pleasant, but cool and slightly windy  conditions today, with Peter Foster, Lloyd Edwards, Rad Leovic, David Low, Garry Morris, Tim Craig and Ross Paine making up the numbers, with Rad being the first to start, followed by Peter Foster,and Tim Craig missing his start time but aterting from 14:14, and nearly making up the leeway.


Lloyd brought along numerous photos today, taken at the Anniversary run and handed a copy to each participant.

Runners talked about their participation in the Bush Capital events over the weekend.

Peter Foster ran the marathon and Ross Payme ran the half marathon.

Others ran early while others ran as a group.

Dan Buckley ran the Gold Coast Half Marathon a few weeks previously, as did Ursula Hewat, both in about 2 and a half hours.

July 25, 2012

Thea runs at Broulee with Broulee Runners

Broulee run
It has often been said to me that when you travel, you should try to fit in a run. Back when I was running better, now what seems like a long time ago, I only travelled for runs, like the sunny Melbourne Marathon and Fitzroy Falls trail run. I was upset, when I got to London, to discover that a 10k fun run was on that I didn't know about until I was walking past everyone on my way to the Thames.

I haven't been on a holiday for a year. Last year I went to the Great Barrier Reef and learnt how to snorkel, and saw the most amazing giant clams and even a turtle. I was overdue for a holiday, and on discovering I would be going to the coast (Broulee), I remembered seeing a link on Geoff's blog called the Broulee runners. I'm not in form, but regardless, I looked them up, then straight after arriving at the coast, I started searching for this anchor in my running gear, sure that I would work out where this mysterious object was that wasn't on google maps.

I took a turn near Mossy Point, which to my great amusement had some moss covering rocks, and realised I was on my way to Tomakin, so I asked some tourists on skateboards where the anchor was. They pointed up a nearby hill, and sure enough I found my destination. The view from up there was amazing! I took all this in while I eagerly waited for others to arrive.

Everyone was friendly, and helpfully offered some advise on nearby fishing spots too, and some things I should see that were nearby. It wasn't long until we were off, and I found another female runner who ran 'about 28 minutes' to run with for the 5k.

I soon realised I was no match for a 28 minute 5k. :( I let her run off ahead, and hoped against hope I wouldn't lose sight of the runners around me, as I had no idea where we were running towards. I was puffed quite early, and had a stitch, and surprised about the log we had to hurdle, but I was happily looking down the cliff face to my left at a great view, and looking at magnificent beach side properties to my right. (and mentally hoping I wouldn't fall over).

We descended the point down to the beach via a tricky tree rooted dirt trail. I had to slow right up here in order to avoid falling over, and walked a few strides, jumped over a tiny gully, then ran onto a concrete path. (grrr, I so don't like concrete). From that point, it was concrete all the way with the beach hidden by shrubs. However, this run took me past the local takeaway, shops, petrol station and bait shop, which I was happy to discover as I ran along.

Runners eventually turned back at some stage, I could see them all zoom by, some with a friendly wave as they went. (particularly from the slower runners). I hung on to the person in front of me, and discovered the turn around point was a give way sign near Broulee Island. I happily turned and followed the exact course back. On the way back, the course was more challenging, because I was tired, I'm no longer fit, and I had to go up the hill right near the end, including the tree root path. The hill kept going and going, or at least it seemed to. The big log we had to hurdle was so much harder when returning, and I managed to finish in a blistering time of 29.29. Ha! Funny time, I like that! I wish I was faster though.

This run was preceded by a nasty cold (yet again!) and followed by my worst bout of food poisoning ever, and no, it was not caused by the take away shop. I was so sick on my holiday it was crazy! I found vomiting in the rainforest to be much more pleasant than vomiting in the bathroom, however. :) What a beautiful place to be sick! I also played minigolf and got to see around 80 dolphins off one of the lookouts, they were travelling and in search for food, so obviously, fishing wasn't so good, lol.

BBQ Stakes 25 th July 2012

Katherine Butler, had a girlfriend's birthday party to attend,  and  could not do the timekeeping for today's event.  Terry Dixon found himself able to volunteer for the job.  Today's event attracted 70 competitors, with the Wright family (Tim and Gabrielle) running together all the way, and rounding up the finishing numbers. Anne Young, Judy Kuleas and John Busteed were the early starters with Anne saying she would not be running due to a long run yesterday, but I think Anne had a bit of a run today.  John Hall rode his bike to the run today, and participated, but hasn't run for a while now.   Kevin Chapman was having a day off work and arrived a little late today.  Rad had a cold for the past few days and didn't run.

Dennis Smith attended today as a spectator to his son's particaipation.

Denis is famous for the Smithy course in Stromlo Forest.  It was a square course with a tight turn at each corner and a regular event on the Cross Country Club Calendar.
Marc Wilson had a win today, on 39:32, he started from 0:15, and has 41 wins.  Second was Damien Kennedy across the line at 39:47,  third was Sam ?? at 39:58.

July 24, 2012

Magnets Arrived quickly

A previous post indicated my search for magnets.

I ordered from the internet this past Monday, and the magnets arrived early on Tuesday.

So now my search is over and I am more than happy with magnets from


amfgeneral@amfmagnetics.com.au

AMF Magnetics.

The magnets are much stronger than any I found in shops around Canberra.

I am willing to supply further information to others who wish to know more.

July 18, 2012

BBQ Stakes 18 th July 2012

Winner today was Catherine Butler, now with her 2nd win, after 32 runs, and with a P.B. of 30:22 on 16th November 2011.Roger Pilkington, over the line at 40:13. was second and third was Michael Trevelle.

Julie Quinn was the timekeeper, now experienced at holding the clock and timekeeping duties, her next long event is a 24 hour Rogaine, in an overseas country.
She was rehandicapped at 16:15, from 15:15, so escaped from any harsher penalty for next week.
57 ran today, in 13 degree maximun, and Matthew Murphy rolled up to the start when the baggage was being placed in the trolleys.  Ian Hore, who who has a cracked rib failed to run today, nearing a milestone, but Caroline Campbell who is approaching 200 runs put her usual stalwart performance to finish 50th place. Rad finished towards the back of the runners , and is looking forward to the Ginninderra handicap next tuesday.

Terry and Phil Levings both ran, but due to different handicaps, did not start or finish together.
Kevin wore a bright yellow shirt endowed from his daughter, and stood out from other finishers.

Robert Ey taking advantage of the school holidays, took his son to Broken Hill.

Gary Bowen is back from holidays and Nathan Smythe having his 5 th run for the year, finished the course by walking the closing distance, it being his 5th or 6th Stakes for the year.

July 16, 2012

January 2012 Jogalong


JANUARY 2012 JOGALONG

With the first event in 2012 conducted on New Year’s Day, it was not surprising that numbers were down
quite a bit. However, for those who did make the effort to get there, it was a good day to pick up somepoints.
In the 6 kilometre handicap event, the placings went to three of the most experienced entrants in the
event. Indeed, between them they have participated in 474 Jogalongs. A great achievement. The winner was Norma Lindnn in 35 mins 17 secs. Norma was competing in her 214
th event and last won in
January 2005 proving that she is a bit of a January specialist. Caroline Campbell was second in 31 mins 56 secs and, again, the last time she was placed was in January 2006. Third place went to Rosemary Parker in 44 mins 43 secs in her 189
th Jogalong and follows her win in August 2011. Rosemary has now
been placed on 8 occasions.

The fastest time of the day of 26 mins 46 secs was recorded by Susannah Hiron in her 100 th event.

The winner of the
Minijog was Lachlan Priddle in 9 mins 34 secs. Morgan Greaves was second in 10
mins 05 secs and Michael Hannigan came in third in 9 mins 27 secs.


July 09, 2012

SBS to rest Letters and Numbers

SBS has made a decision to rest Letters and Numbers and develop other programs so we can continue to offer new, great content to our audiences. The last episode will be transmitted on June 27.

Following Tour de France, Countdown - the UK version of Letters and Numbers - will air at 5:45pm weekdays.

Lily Serna, one of the shows stars is working on a new show with SBS, Destination Flavour. SBS hopes the appetite for Letters and Numbers will be satisfied with the very popular UK series Countdown.   

July 08, 2012

The Friar Trot

The Friar Trot 10-K, 5-K, & 1-Mile Fun Run/Walk
Sherwood OR
Sat 05/19/2012
10-K
5-K, 1 Mile
1000 Participants
Online Entry Available,
Chip Timing

EventDistanceStart Date/Time
Recreational/Fun Walk/Run 10-K Sat 05/19/2012 - 8:00 AM
Recreational/Fun Walk/Run 5-K Sat 05/19/2012 - 8:00 AM
Recreational/Fun Walk/Run 1 Mile Sat 05/19/2012 - 10:00 AM
The Friar Trot and KINK.fm are teaming up this year to present the 7th annual 5-K, 10-K, & 1-Mile Fun Run/Walk on Saturday, May 19th! This run/walk winds through the beautiful Historic Old Town Sherwood and its own beautiful Stella Olsen Park and will end with an after party celebration with a family fun atmosphere, raffle prizes, prizes for top runners, food, drinks, beer and live music! *Most economical run in the area *Chip timed for accuracy 100% of profits are donated back to the school Food drive to support the BackPack Lunch Program. For more information and to register, go to: www.thefriartrot.com! Together, we can make a difference! http://www.thefriartrot.com

July 05, 2012

Bob and Carolyne write of their adventure.

Canberra friends

 We've now been in Italy 2 weeks and it has been superb. Everything that we've seen, experienced, eaten and drunk has exceeded my expectations. We have Italian phone numbers: mine is +39 366 501 7311, and Carolyne's +39 366 501 7310. We would always welcome a call (please remember that we are 8 hours behind, so call after 4pm Australian time). You can also try skype, but as we need to be at or near our computers, you'll need to be patient.

The travel from Canberra to Rome all went smoothly, though extremely tiring. We drove a hire car to Sydney and flew from there 2 weeks ago on Monday, via Bangkok and Dubai, to Rome. We collected our brand new, medium-sized Renault Scenic car, fitted with all gizmos you can imagine. It has a diesel motor that’s very efficient.

We drove straight out of Rome, north to a town called Rieti, that Carolyne had identified on the Internet. The town is not connected by train to Rome, and there are no freeways nearby. As a result there were only a few Italian tourists, and none from elsewhere. It is quite stunning, with the old town surrounded by 12th century walls. The hotel we stayed in was built on a Roman tower, with the original stonework still evident. There are several great museums, and the Roman streets and villas can be explored along an underground alleyway. The hotel was a good, and the food in restaurants superb and not expensive.

After we settled into the hotel we drove to a town nearby and picked up Carolyne's sister, Robin, who had been attending conferences in Roma and Milano. We had a pleasant 3 days together exploring all the town had to offer, although Carolyne and I didn't have a chance to recover from our tiredness. Robin flew out after 3 nights to Ireland for another conference (the life of an academic)!

The same day I cycled north to the town of Cascia, 71km through the Sibilline Mountains, in 37 degree heat. It was stunning countryside but hard work. Carolyne drove and we met up at our hotel. To our surprise the town had many tourists, nearly all Italian, visiting religious sites. The town was the birthplace (and burial place) of St Benedict, founder of Benedictine monks and patron saint of Europe.

My plan had been to compete in a duathlon nearby at Norcia on the Sunday (24 June), but after welcoming my entry when we were making our plans, the organisers advised me 48 hours before the race that it was for Italians only. I soon recovered from my disappointment when we visited Norcia on Saturday and Sunday. It is a small town, surrounded by mountains, enclosed by town walls still in perfect condition, and it was like entering a town from the middle ages, with many grand buildings. It is the truffle centre of Europe, and on the Saturday we had a great lunch of regional specialties for my birthday. We also bought some wonderful food to take to our apartment.

It was a 2 hour drive (76km) from Norcia through rugged mountains to our apartment here in Acquasparta, where we arrived on the Sunday evening, 24 June. The apartment is on the ground floor of a 19th century villa built into the medieval town walls. The walls are built of thick stone, the ceilings more than 3 metres high and there are tiled floors throughout. The rooms are large and there are 2 bathrooms but no air-conditioning (rare in Italy). The owner and his wife, an Irish couple in the early 30s, with 2 young children, live on the 2nd floor. The 1st floor is a B&B that the owners use when there are no guests (none so far).

As well as exploring the region I've been swimming, cycling and running. I've bought a summer pass to the swimming centre, an outdoor 25m pool with 2 other pools and much grass and sunbathing chairs! So far, after 5 visits, I haven't seen one other lap swimmer!

Umbria is a region of farms, rolling hills and ancient towns. We’ve already explored several of the hill towns that dot the area. The pre Romans selected the steepest hills they could find, then built their towns on top. They make for steep, narrow alleys, many steps and stunning vistas. I’ve attached a photo of one such town, Todi, that we explored last week and that I rode to this morning.

Last weekend we drove north east to the village of Fiastra, buried in a valley in the Monte Sibillini National Park, surrounded by thick forest and high mountains. We stayed in a small hotel near shore of the lake and on Sunday I competed in an Olympic distance triathlon. It was superb. The lake is a clear, light blue colour, and pleasant to swim in. The cycle course wound up the side of the mountain, then rocketed down a twisting, narrow road with no side barriers, to the lake. We repeated the course 3 times, for a total ascent of 750m: the toughest course of that distance I’ve ever ridden. I had a surprisingly good ride, passing many younger blokes on the climbs (not on the descents!). Despite a temperature of 39 degrees, I felt good, but the moment I tried to run my left calf gave up. My choice was to pull out or walk the entire 10km course: I decided to stick it out, even though I was passed by all those behind me. The second last person to finish caught me a km from the finish line.

The Italians whom we’ve encountered have been unfailingly friendly. The restaurant food has been even better than I’d expected, and Carolyne has enjoyed buying high quality, inexpensive local produce to cook at home. The coffee is also surprisingly good, as good as the better places in Canberra, and better than we’ remembered from previous trips to the country: it costs €0.80, about AUD$1!

I can’t finish without a brief report on “calcio”, or soccer as we know it. The Euro2012 competition – the second in significance only to the World Cup - concluded on Sunday night with Italy being thrashed 4-0 by Spain. Seeing it from the Italian perspective was enlightening for us. We watched the semi-final last week in a local bar: the locals went crazy. This small, quiet town had cars honking, horns blowing, kids roaming the streets with whistles. We were concerned what might happen on Sunday night, but as Italy went down 2-0, the town went deadly quiet. At the end of the match the Italian players were crying. At the café the next morning we could hardly raise a “buongiorno” from the friendliest people in the world. Everyone stayed at home to contemplate the meaning of life, and whether it was worth going on. Last night, Monday, the President had the team to the National Palace: we watched it live (it displaced all other programs), and a more sombre occasion you can’t imagine. More tears. The players presented the President with a football signed by the team, with everyone looking at their boots. The first 8 pages of today’s paper was devoted to the aftermath, recriminations etc (about 10 pages fewer than yesterday). What would Italians do about a serious matter?

There is more to tell, but I'll leave that to my next email. I look forward to hearing all your news.

Best wishes to all, Bob & Carolyne

Magnets for use at home

You know when the box of  pins, falls on the floor, and it used to be easy to pick them up from the floor with a magnet in order to replace them in the box  or container.

Well, I lost my magnet a few years ago and wanted to replace it for when the next occasion accidentally occurs, I tried to find a new magnet in the shops.

That was difficult as I tried all likely shops in Woden Plaza.

I even went to Pauls Hardware shop in Phillip, and bought a magnet on a long pole, together with a light at its extremity.

Not entirely contented with this purchase, I went to the yellow pages, and found an entry  for magnets.

I made a phone call and found that Howard Carew, of Apple graphics at applegrapics.com.au had a supply of magnets, went to his house yesterday, and bought some magnets which are very strong, and will do the job if I ever  need to pick up some dropped nails or pins, he even gave me a free magnet on top of the bought ones, small cost but well worth it.  I am willing to supply further information to any person in need of the information.  I have his business card.

July 04, 2012

Mt Ainsli Run Up tuesday 3 July 2012

Mt Ainslie Run Up
2.3 kms, ACT
Tuesday 3 July 2012


Males: 1 Brad Hetharia 12.18, Tumas Krajca 12.50, 3 Anthony Scott 12.52, 4 Simon Claringbold 13.36, 5 Todd Hayward 14.01, 6 Peter James 14.24, 7 Sellwyn Snell 14.31, 8 Matthew Hole 15.32, 9 Norak Theam 15.55, 10 Otto Benda 16.54, 11 Brendon McKinley 16.56, 12 Craig Wurtz 17.26, 13 George Mason 17.35, 14 Chris Withington 18.48, 15 Geoff Sims 19.33, 16 Andrew Sutcliffe 19.40, 17 Mick Horan 19.56, 18 Tony Beasley 19.57, 19 Balinder Khillan 20.22, 20 Michael Burt 20.27, 21 Geoff Barker 21.03, 22 Nick Blackaby 22.55, 23 Rad Leovic 25.44.

Females: 1 Louise Sharp 16.23, 2 Jessica Robson 16.39, 3 Caroline Campbell 20.54, 4 Monika Short 24.00.
Doug Fry adds;- And a footnote that Peter James had a bad fall, with plenty of blood evident, we have noe been able to establish how he is now, since contacts are either unavailable or do not know his current contact details.  It looks like Geoff Sims also completed the Run Up,  possibly for the first time.

July 01, 2012

Ginninderra Handicap 26 th June 2012






 
Ginninderra Handicap No 346 on Tue 26/06/2012



Great conditions again this month with little wind.

The traditional start and finish line were once again
disrupted by construction activity
which required some minor course changes.
Andrew Daley was victorious and broke the
4 minute km barrier
 for the first time in the handicap
 with a sub 28 minute PB. It was
 Andrew's third victory
from 27 starts.
 Despite another PB, Grant Arnold was
 unable to repeat
 last month's victory and finished in
second place with back-marker
Alistair Rogers in third place
 with the fastest time of the
day in 23.39.

Four runners completed their second start and will
 now all be eligible
for the main prize next month which should make
 things very competitive.
A big thanks to John Curnow who ran early
and helped out at the end.

The completion of June handicap signals the half way point
 in the year and also
means that Armstrong Trophy for January to June can be awarded.
The Armstrong Trophy is awarded to the runner that has run at least
4 times in the 6 month period
and has shown consistent improvement over that time.
The formula is complex and involves a performance score
which is calculated by the ratio of an improvement score
 and a consistency score.
 The higher the overall performance score the better.

Grant Arnold was the winner of the Armstrong Trophy for the
first half of the year
with times of 34.34 33.02 32.00 31.32 at his first 4 starts
 which translated into a score of 27.4.
Mark Boddy was second and Ross Gregg was third.

Some previous winners of the Armstrong Trophy.

July to December 1999 Richard Grant,
January to June 2000 Rick McGee,
July to December 2000 Ross Gregg,
January to June 2001 Alistair Rogers,
 July to December 2001 Simon Duke,
 January to June 2002 Neil Hamilton,
July to December 2002 Alistair Rogers,
January to June 2003 Karen Daniels,
July to December 2003 Jeff Grey,
January to June 2004 Michael Trotter,
July to December 2004 Maurie Daley,
January to June 2005 Simon Wall,
  July to December 2005 Michael Trotter,
 January to June 2006 Alistair Rogers,
July to December 2006 Michael Trotter,
January to June 2007 Simon Wall,
July to December 2007 Simon Wall,
 January to June 2008 Michael Trotter,
July to December 2008 Simon Wall,
January to June 2009 John Douglas,
July to December 2009 Gerard Wildie,
January to June 2010 Stuart Reay,
July to December 2010 Simon Wall,
January to June 2011 Darren Hitchman,
July to December 2011 Matt Hirzel,
January to June 2012 Grant Arnold.