Pat Fitzgerald

6.00PM Track Session at Nudgee.

Was going to be 16 X 400m with 100m jog recovery, however, on interval No.9 my left calf muscle knotted up and that was the end of that! Its happened a few times before and is something I just have to manage. I self massage the calf muscles regularly and perhaps I should not have attempted the session in spikes (showing off my Gooner Red Spikes to the two or three other athletes there this afternoon [it was crowded!]).

I was pretty pleased with the work that I did as I was running 70's for the 400m with interval No.8 @ 68.5 ! as I was 'racing' a young female sprinter doing 200's who started just behind me!!

Just a little moan about the track at Nudgee. It has never been vacuumed - there is bird crap and vegetation strewn around the track, the curbs are hanging off, and the track itself is becoming bare. I can understand that a school track will not get relayed on a regular basis but the grounds men need to take care of it. The photo above must have been taken when the track was first laid which was in 2000, for the Sydney Olympics. It got Federal and State funding and was used as an acclimatisation base for the USA team.

Even this half session tells me that I'm not in too bad shape though the 9m21 will hang around my mind until I can expunge it by my next performance!

I was up at 3.00am this morning to watch my other love - The Arsenal. Today we were away to Villa. After going 1 -0 down we played some beautiful football and came back to 1-2 up by half time. In the second half Villa were playing really well and were unlucky not to draw level when their big Norwegian Centre Forward John Carew headed onto the bar. I get rather nervy watching these games and end up flicking through the channels - bizarre behaviour from someone who gets up at 3.00am to watch the game ! Arsenal are five points clear of Chelsea (and we have played one game less than them), and six points in front of ManU on same games played.

I'm in Cairns for two days on business ,Monday and Tuesday. I have an early flight 7.00am so no run tomorrow morning but I'll pack my kit and run along the esplanade - something I haven't done since 1988 when I was back packing my way around Australia. I vividly remember watching the Seoul Olympics 100m final ( Ben Johnson & Linford Christie?? !!! ). It was Sept 28th , my birthday, and I had one can of warm Fosters by myself to celebrate!