"It's a treat being a runner, out in the world by yourself with not a soul to make you bad-tempered or tell you what to do." - Allan Sillitoe


Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Ramblings about Le Tour

How good was the Tour de France last night? The big mountain stages are sorting out the strong riders from the sprinters (who are a bit like sit and kick track runners and let's face it, no one really likes them ... ). Thankfully, Phil Ligget and Paul Sherwen can now stop feeling like every third sentence has to include the words "Mark Cavendish".

Watching Armstrong get back onto the group with Contador and the Schleck brothers up the mountain was awesome. Rox had just gone to bed but I called out to her when Lance took off. I was literally sitting on the edge of my seat (actually a very comfy couch). I hope people don't think less of me when I say that although Contador looks like he is the best rider in the race, I sort of hope he comes a cropper in the individual time trial so that Lance has a chance to win.

Not a good day for Cadel Evans again. I know this is probably sacrilegious for an Aussie, but I can't really get excited about Cadel Evans, it's like he has had a charisma bypass (plus I can't help thinking how much he looks like Virgil Tracy from the Thunderbirds every time I see him).

I have to say though that the commentators are giving me the sh!ts a bit especially Paul Sherwen. I know maths isn't my strong point but listening to him stumble about with simple addition and subtraction as he tries to work out relative placings on the road is painful.

Worse than that though is that he has taken this whole affectation about calling each of the teams "Team this" and "Team that" to a completely new level. Never mind the stupidity of it in the first place which doesn't occur in any other major sport (although I am really looking forward to seeing "Team Reading" get promoted back to the English Premier League alongside "Team Manchester United" and "Team Chelsea". The football should be good this week with my team "Team Western Bulldogs" playing "Team St Kilda") .

Sherwen can't help himself though. "Team Cervelo Test Team?" - Paul, they've gone to the trouble of putting "Team" in their name, you don't have to insert another one - "Cervelo Test Team" will suffice, you plonker.

Although it seems easy, I think the job they are doing might actually be quite complicated as they are commentating for a number of different networks across the world. In a few of the earlier stages, I was sure I could hear Phil commentating in the background while Paul was talking and I am assuming that he was providing comments for another network at that time - I guess so they can tailor their comments for their audience. As a result, it can seem a bit disjointed at times as if they are not really listening to one another or can't remember if they have already said something before. On the other hand perhaps they are married ...

Michael Tomalaris isn't any better especially since he has started talking to that wally Rupert Guinness after every stage. Never mind that Guinness seems to know as much as the average armchair critic, (apparently he is a journalist from the Fairfax Media Group - well whoop de doo),what is going on with those shirts? Tomalaris seems vaguely disinterested and I know he is looking down at a monitor when Rupert is talking so that he can see if we need to cut back to the other cyclists finishing or an interview with the winner, but he looks like he is averting his eyes from the shirt or avoiding Rupert's bad breath. Why can't they put the monitor up higher on the other side? On the other hand, those shirts of Rupert's look like they are made of polyester so they are probably a bit stinky at the end of a warm summer's day.

Why does he wear them? Is it to rub it in to the rest of us that he is on holiday in France in summer while we are back in Australia in winter? Or is it his "thing" in the same way as some eccentric academics wear bow ties? I guess some people find something they like and stick to it. My Dad has an unusual liking for the skivvy and waist coat combination and my friend Bolty always wears Adidas Sambas (he had a pair when we were in Germany that squeaked whenever he walked - I think he relieved his problem with vaseline in the end but that's probably a story for another time). Rupert could hardly look more ridiculous unless he was wearing a beret. Actually that could be quite funny in an ironic sort of way, especially if he had "Rupert" embroidered on the front of it a la the Griswalds in European Vacation. ("A la" this French stuff is really catchy isn't it?).

I wonder where Mike Tomalaris gets his SBS body shirts from? More importantly, are they available to buy, especially the nice brown one?

Isn't this supposed to be a running blog? I guess I'll try to remember what I did this week.

Monday - felt quite fresh after Saturday's 32km run so headed out for my 16.2km general aerobic run as scheduled. Very windy so not great time wise 72 minutes from memory but felt very comfortable even when running into the wind apart from the big blustery gusts from time to time.

Tuesday - 21.5km medium long run scheduled. I knew it would be flooded down Burswood way so did my run out to UWA instead. It was raining quite heavily when I was getting ready and I was a bit sick of getting cold and wet so I took a rain jacket with me tied around my waist. Murphy's Law came into effect of course and it didn't rain the entire time I was out for my run. Even more annoying was that the underpass at the Causeway was flooded so I was unable to do the necessary detour out to the Marathon Club and back so as a result my run was only 19.7km. I could have added on a bit at the end but I find that when my planned runs get disrupted I often can't be bothered making alternative plans on the run. Had to stop for a pitstop on this run so not sure of exact running time - approx 91 mins I think.

Wednesday (today) - 8.4km recovery run plus 10 x hill sprints. I didn't do my hill sprints last week as I was concerned about the soreness in my achilles. No soreness this week so back into it and felt great. The gradual increase in reps has resulted in me running much stronger through the short workout such that I think I am going to have to find a longer hill and get the sprint time out to 14-15secs per rep. HR was a little higher today 137 but I think my HR monitor was playing up early in the run and I don't know how that impacts on the overall average.

The forecast for this Sunday's 10km Run for Gold is excellent. A little bit of wind but nothing like we have had recently and no rain on the day or for the few days before. As a result the course should be dry. I have got a couple of different ideas about how I might run this race and can't decide which one to choose. I think it might come down to how I feel when I warm up on the day as to what tactics (which makes the assumption that I actually follow any plan that I decide upon) I will try. I will have to leave straight after I finish to get to Ben's soccer in time to take the warm up.

PS - I am a little bored and lacking focus at the moment.
PPS - If you disagree with me about my take on the cycling, please leave me a comment - I could do with a good argument.

8 comments:

Simon Elliott said...

Here's a good plan for Sunday: get out there and have crack. Run strong early, tough it out and hang on. Set your self up for a breakthrough run to roll the dice knowing that to realise a breakthrough time you may risk a blow-out as well...but I think playing that hand gives you the opportunity to enjoy a big PB.

I guess the question would be: are you prepared to risk running a 38'00 in order to run a 36'30 or would 37'15 be a better outcome?

Running conservatively (particularly for the shorter distances) will rarely expose you to those opportunities.

That's my 2c worth anyway. Have a crack!

Simon Elliott said...

btw - I was thought Lance's effort last night was champagne as well. Seeing him climb back onto the pack and ride past the Schleck's was tingling stuff.

Epi said...

I have to agree with most of what you've said re the tour.

Cadel is uninspiring, and Contador too lacks a bit of personality - a good reason to hope Lance, Andy Schleck or Wiggins pulls out a surprise.

Re the commentators - yes they do drive me crazy, but after listening to them for so many years now it seems wrong if they aren't commentating. I'm sure Matt Keenan does a good job in the first part of the stages - but he sounds somehow wrong.

Here's to an exciting stage tonight.

I've often wondered whether televised team running races would work - like the Ekiden relays in Japan.

Good luck on Sunday - a PB should be a certainty

trailblazer777 said...

all the best with the run for Gold...better not to die wondering especially in shorter races...

phil Liggit is certainly the voice of cycling...Have to agree about the overuse of the word team, I think all commentators have their favourite phrases they like to overuse,as do the politicians...

so you want a robust argument, I'm always up for that, so how about;
how could you pick on the legendary Cadel like that...he will destroy the field again as he did last year, just like the Purple Army will destroy the eagles for the 7th time in a row in this weekends derby...If Jeffrey was there it would be an even bigger thrashing...

and
those whinging english cricket commentaters really annoy me, when australias going well they complain about how bad their own english players are...when Englands doing well, they complain about how terrible the Australians are going, and how they have mucked up this time...how about some positivity!

bring it on!...hope that fires you up for a good race on Sunday...

Biscuitman said...

I hope Cadel Evans was saving himself for tonight's individual time trial and not just sooking when he finished in the grupetto last night. If not, I think he could be headed for retirement. Hopefully not though and it would be good to see him put in a big one tonight (as long as Armstrong wins of course!)

I think there is huge potential in more team based distance running, (whether it is relays or combined time) from both a participant and a spectator point of view. More team events in local races I say.

Game of the round this week will be Bulldogs v St Kilda. It will only be a few saddos interested in the "Battle for the priority draft picks"

There's a long way to go in the cricket. That Oompa Loompa Ian Bell is no replacement for Pieterson (he'll probably score a ton now) and if we can get some big first innings runs, we should be able to put the Poms under heaps of pressure.

trailblazer777 said...

hahaha...

the loss of Pieterson is a big one...
(when he is firing that is)

On the team running thing...in 2004 a group of 4 of us went over to do Rottnest. We had a loose time goal to target based on total time of all our races as individuals...bit of laugh really cant remember but it may have been to go sub 10 hours...3 of us did the marathon and the 4th runner did the 10k...the best guy did 3.06, the 10k runner did 46min, I mucked it up with a 4.33 marathon, and the other marathoner didnt finish with badly cut and blistered feet...so we ended up being under 10 hrs, but only cos one of the marathoners didnt finish...
was a great weekend at the rats Nest though...

enjoyed watching the Schleck brothers power away with Contador hanging on and especially Lance thundering downhill after them the other night...

trailblazer777 said...

upon reflection I think the aim was sub 12 hours the idea being a 3hr and 2x4 hr marathons and a sub 1hr 10k, or roughly that...

Simon Elliott said...

He he.

While I'm looking forward to the Saints taking on the Bulldogs, I'm pretty sure I'm one of those 'saddos' you're referring to who's interested in the derby!

We'll be cheering from the members' with lashings of purple.

The masochistic streak that is so alluring to the runner clearly transfers to my AFL-allegiance...not that I'm too young enough to remember when that was true for a Footscray supporter too!