Pete Bracken told me he was running his 200th parkrun on my home course and I thought it was a good opportunity to see if my flu vaccination theory was right from last week (that it had a detrimental effect on running performance). Ordinarily North Lakes is a fast 3, 'circular' laps around a lake course, but super fast times are made more difficult by lapping large numbers from midway. I thought Bracko would act like a bulldozer, clearing the course of runners but it didn't really turn out like that! Sure Bracko started conservatively for a change (niggle in his hammy) but he was gapping me by a km and gone by lap 1. He ran 5:15 and I was 5:18 with Benny Merlin in 3rd making it 3 ex Pat poms!
With Pete away, the gaps on the path closed up as soon as he was through and I was left to find my own path. Unusually for me I shouted "RUNNER BEHIND" a few times to try and get a gap but I did still come a cropper, crashing into an open top Wiggles car being carried along by about six runners celebrating someone's 💯 parkrun! On this tight circuit honestly what were they thinking?
No harm done but it would have cost me a second or two!
Through the 2nd lap in 10:50 and I worked out another 5:30 lap would bring me home in 16:20, comfortably inside Keith Bateman's M55 Australian best parkrun time (16:27) [KB would have been jogging].
Bracko ran 15:58 easy and Benny ran 16:45.
I was happy because my time was a goal and it was a respectable time compared to recent 16:30's performances and last week's abberation.
Still 93.99% age grading was not good enough to beat the awesome Louisa Abrams 95.6%.
I asked Mike Trees to look out for Louisa in Auckland at World Masters Games where she won a gold in the 10km road race last week.
Turns out he knew the family anyhow as daughter (Felecity ~ a pro triathlete) was former girlfriend of Alistair Brownlee and the family had set up a 2XU outlet in Brisbane (when Mike still had a 2XU interest).
Mike finished 4th in the 5000m and won the Sprint Triathlon and 1500m open water swim. He was 2nd in the 5000m open water swim an hour later, missing a third Gold by 0.8seconds! Not bad for a runner who had an operation on a prolapsed disc in his back in November!
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| Bracko and I searching for post race salvation. |
6 comments:
Bhabua Bihar is as far from North Lakes as any two places on a Garmined Earth can possibly be but this weekend they became indelibly linked when David Dumbbiriyani dedicated his win at the village's inaugural park run to his family's hero the Garmin Lama . David Dumbbiriyani is the third of Naidu Dumbbiriyani's seven sons ,all named David as well , in honour of the Deccan's most famous Scotsman , David McSweeney . Naidu has a shrine next to that of Shiva in the family's modest mud thatched hut dedicated to the GL , who in this part of Indian sub continent is considered a reincarnation of the Buddha of divine endurance . His photo takes pride of place next to the Cobra basket that was home to the family's reptilian serpentine pet aptly named Keith . In a twist of synchronicity that defies logic or even common sense , these seemingly disparent events constellated in a cosmic dance that would have done the Upanishads proud when Keith was found lifeless in his basket and not even the playing of Naidu's flute could breath life back into the obviously deceased serpent . Despair turned to joy however when Naidu's wife checked the Australian park run results to discover that their hero , the GL , had climbed the Everest of all records and broken Keith Bateman's park run age record that very same day . The family cobra had been named in Keith Bateman's honour when he had singlehandedly dismantled the world age group record book so many harvests ago . The Cobran dragon had seemingly expired at the very moment the record had fallen . The village declared a week of celebration and fireworks ( for the record not the deceased )and they echoed through the hills silenced only by the drenching rains of the monsoons that broke early as if even the Hindu gods were crying joyous tears of delight on such an auspicious day . However the most miraculous event was when Naidu took his weathered and aged Cobra flute and played a haunting rendition of Flower of Scotland that was as moving a tribute as there could be to a cherished but departed family pet whereupon another Cobra slivered into the hut and swayed in rhythm to the melody and then took up permanent residency in the hitherto recently vacant basket . The King Cobra may have died but long live the new King ! His name ? King David of course !!
Peter you are so funny! I love your reports and the themes you continue. Your imagination and creativity is outstanding. Love it but point of fact the Sweeney family is Irish. 💯% Irish, no Scottish blood whatsoever. Now if Nadu can just learn to play Sweet Molly Malone on his flute we can all rest easy! Nice 92% yesterday!!
I sometimes think that you fast runners need a special parkrun course without all the mobile chicanes. Even at my slower pace, I have been sent into the land of dodgy footing and crippling hazards. I suppose...
I doubt KB was "jogging" when he ran his time. Granted it was probably in the middle of solid training. Nevertheless, you are in his league...to be sure :).
And, of course, my greatest bugbear when going to parkruns is I put my gear down and forget to collect it afterwards. Yes, Nadu has let his fascination for men in skirts cloud his judgement. So when "Nadu" has mastered Sweet Molly Malone would you please ask him to learn a more relevant Irish song. (No offence mate but the Irish do have an interesting take on the more serious aspects of life. Nothing worse than losing precious things that identifies you with your mob.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxmZZBJQAKM
By coincidence Ronnie I am currently watching this series on Netflix, loosely adapted from my early childhood !https://youtu.be/U6bzxkl_8eQ
I thought everyone had imaginary friends. Oh wait a minute...that's Facebook. Chris O'Dowd in IT Crowd is good for a laugh too.
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