SYDNEY STRIDERS ROAD RUNNERS’ CLUB AUSTRALIA EDITION No 109 S E P T E M B E R - DECEMBER 2009 2009 Crack cruiser, Crasti can crest om Crasti may be interval sessions (10x400s, unusually tall for a 5x1200, 6km fartlek, T runner at 6’3” but he 6x1000). Saturday is usually cuts a lean figure, weighing a threshold run of approx- in at just 70kg. He imately 10km followed by performed well as a runner hills. Sunday and Wednes- at primary school but at age days are long runs from 1.30 11 suffered from Sever's min to 2 hours and Monday disease which put a halt to and Friday comprises a the running until the end of 30min recovery run. Total High School and he has been 100-120km per week. improving ever since. With the benefit of Sean During 2004 and 2005 he Williams’ training, Tom gave Triathlons and Cycling hopes to go under 30 a go which he found minutes for 10k, realising enjoyable and was that it will require all of his competitive in his age group, currently held motivation to especially during the run remain. His best and legs of triathlons. But he preferred distances are 10k returned to running, and half Marathon. realising it was his real passion although he still His PB’s: enjoys cycling now and then 3km 8.30 and even being a cycling 5km 15.15 spectator! 10km 31.00 C2S 43.35 He currently lives in Pymble, 21.1km 68.14 but is looking to move over Tom was plucked from the to the eastern suburbs to be ‘preferred’ starters to join near Centennial Park where the ranks of the elite in 2008 he trains 4 times a week. for the first time. Standing at You could probably guess the start of a race with his that he is coached by Sean name and not just a number Williams. He joined Sean’s on his chest, he says, training squad a year ago provides an extra sense of and has seen considerable exhilaration. He says he improvements after pre- “enjoys warming up and viousy being self coached. jostling with the true seeded runners some of whom will be place getters.” He thinks Tom trains every day of the it is something for all week. Tuesdays and preferred runners to strive Thursdays are speed/ for. ,,, cont p.3 BLISTER 109 SEPTEMBER - DECEMBER 2009 Club Phone Contacts President Jim Moody 0411 258 589 Vice President Brian Ogilvy 0410 694 875 Secretary Blister Printing Blister Contributions to: Ross McCarty 0403 557 127 Paper Tiger Printing [email protected] At Chippendale Or Striders PO Box Treasurer Charles King 9816 5593 Website manager Acknowledgements Linda Barwick 0409 712 722 James Cryer (Illustrations) Amanda Underwood (Proofreading, Puzzle) Gerry Arthur (Photography) Karen Canfell (Auntie Joan) Jess Baker (Puzzle) Vania and Database Manager Peter Boorer 0417 684 951 Nick Dauner (Proofreading) Brian Ogilvy, Lee Baker, Paul Bruning (Photographs) Barbara Becker (Photo’s, story, other general help) Results Manager Chris Graham 0419 162 538 About the Blister Blister Editor Quarterly journal of Sydney striders Road Runner’s Club, Inc. (Founded 1980). PO Dennis Wylie 0404 898 661 Box R1227, Royal Exchange, Sydney NSW 1225, Australia. 10k Series Director Opinions published in this journal, whether expressed by members or non-member, Barbara Becker 0402 967 697 do not neccessarily represent the official policy of the club. Advertising rate: $100 per edition, per page ½ page $50, ¼ page $25. Preferred 10k Timing & Results Suppliers $45 for a full year. Circulation approx 700 James Moody 0411 258 589 Adam Moody 0410 766 5866 Paul Hannell 0412 042 950 Copy Preferences How many words? As a guide, 1300 words and a picture makes 2 pages. Smaller 6 Foot Track Manager Colin Jeftha 0466 110 136 items and letters are most welcome How to send? Email to [email protected] Super Series Write in a Word document and send as an attachment to your email John Van Yzendoorn 9874 6927 Font: Cambria 10pt ANSW Liaison Photos: If posting, it’s best not to send your only copy. Send as a separate jpg file Glenn Guzzo 0407 453 649 when emailing your stories Dale Thompson 0418 114 067 MTG Co-ordinator Phil Skurrie 0411 066 348 STaR Maps Rumour has it... Tony Kellner 0409 463 861 As part of the NASA space programme Scientists have been looking into how Uniforms Managers humans can exist for extended periods in a dry atmosphere. The filtered air that Samantha Isbell 0404 913 800 Astronauts breathe has a very drying effect on lungs necessitating consumption Social Functions of large quantities of water but, in the future, when planetary exploration takes Chris Truscott 0402 464 047 place and possibly, interplanetary mining operations, the transport and recycling Jo Cowan 0410 594 189 of water will have to be rationalised. NASA is interested in anything that will Internal Events enable water retention in human beings. Fran Boorer 0421 985 328 Cash strapped medical students are often keen to undertake experimental surgery to advance science and earn a bit of pocket money at the same time. Volunteer Co-ordinator Hence, the water retention experiments that NASA is interested in no longer Liz Woodhams 0412 396 881 need include animals. Human Guinea Pigs are being operated on to attach New Members’ Liaison bladders to their backs (remember the mouse with a human ear on its back?). Pauline Evans 0400 392 976 Hence, in a somewhat Camel-like fashion, water can be conveniently carried Calendar about in hostile environments. Rob Chalmers 0410 933 140 Hearing about the NASA experiments, Athletics America became interested in Mailout Manager using the principle of the ‘Back Bladder’ to save long distance runners from Tina Campbell 0488 774 744 delays when taking drinks at water stations, thereby giving their own athletes an advantage over other nationals. Sergeant-at-arms Denise Wilson 0417 693 350 Striders is now looking for volunteers to assist our own Surgeons to achieve the same end rather than sit back and watch the Americans have all the glory. Let your committee know if you can assist. 2 BLISTER 109 SEPTEMBER - DECEMBER 2009 Cont from cover… One of his biggest and best races was the Brisbane Bridge to Brisbane where he came 3rd out of a 45000 field of 10km runners. He said it was a fantastic feeling ending up on the podium. The race was taken out by Michael Shelley. INSIDE BLISTER 109 Finding himself competing in a number of the 10km series races and seeing them as very competitive and a good way Alf’s alarming Antarctic adventure to gauge current form, he decided Striders was a good fit. A bit o’ buddy is bloody beaut Since becoming a member he has met some great runners and feels that the 10km series has helped him improve his Phantom finds ‘fricans ferocious running times. He believes we do a fabulous job of putting foes in foreign foray on a race. He tries to think positively, believing that your level of Climbers leave Oskar cold mental preparation can dictate how you perform. He Coville’s Kona caper believes that you can mentally psyche yourself out of a race. He sometimes questions whether performance is W G does GOW driven 50:50 by mental and physical or if there is more of a skew towards physical. He strives for success and Many Masters matters manifested perfection and tries not to let poor performances get him down, instead using them to drive him to train harder. Running right around Australia Since joining Sean’s squad, Tom has been doing less races ‘nlotsa uthastuff but he looks forward to them as they are great for motivation and he needs them to keep motivated. 4 FATHER’S DAY LETTER 2009 WHY I DON’T RUN ANY MORE By ALF FIELD This is part of a series of articles written mainly for my family and close friends on Father’s Day each year. Each article contains some information about my life that they have not been aware of. This article is more general and not as deeply personal as some previous articles, hence it is being sent to a wider list of friends and acquaintances. The date – 16 December gorgeous day and a 2001 – is firmly magical final run for me. I emblazoned in my was chatting with friends memory. That was the last and enjoying a warm time that I was able to run, drink after the run when I or at least run freely and stepped backwards to without pain. We never allow someone to pass by. know when it will be “the My ankle slipped on the last time”, so we should kerb and I went over appreciate and do those sideways, ripping things that we enjoy and something in my left knee love while we still can. as I fell. When people hear that I The pain was have a knee problem and instantaneous and then discover that I have excruciating. It was run 110 marathons, they obvious that I had done shake their heads sadly some serious damage to and say something like: my knee. I hobbled across “You got what you the street to the Yacht deserved”. This attitude is Club where the brunch accentuated when they was held. Despite getting discover that I ran 53 an ice pack on the knee marathons between the quickly, it kept swelling. ages of 55 and 60, an average of 10 a year, so The week before that I could run my 100th Christmas is an impossible marathon on my 60th time to get specialist birthday.