Tesso - one of the Magi

Canberra was graced by one of the Queens of the blog world, when Tesso from Brisbane joined me (at left) and a couple of others for a nice run around the Mawson, Isaacs, Wanniassa area of Canberra's south.

It actually felt a bit strange to be honest. This is Pink Arrows territory (the name of my Saturday running group) , except that my group weren't out this morning resting up for their participation in the 'Tour de Mountain' challenge tomorrow. So to be running over the familar tracks and trails on a Saturday without my group felt odd. But to be there with Tesso, along with Steve and CJ, was special.

I was a tad embarrassed that the run was longer and hillier than Tesso had expected. She had wanted something longish but easy. With that in mind, her and I had gone for a 5-6k primer before we would catch up with Steve and CJ for what we thought would be a gentle 13 gallop through the suburbs. What we found, however, was that Steve the Mountain Goat wanted to do a trial run of tomorrow's Tour de Mountain for CJ's benefit. Um...ok! Being runners we can accept any challenge, leap tall buildings with a single bound, stop trains, etc.

So with Steve leading, we followed....little rats trailing the Pied Piper to god-knows-what. Launching out of the shops at Mawson, I warned Tesso that...ahem...there was a gentle little climb to come up and over Isaacs Ridge. A little later I then mentioned that there was....um...a slight incline to negotiate over Mt Wanniassa. Of course after that, I said, it is all down hill to the finish at the Mawson shops - that is if you choose to ignore the one of two 'mild undulations' here and there we still had to do. Anyway after about 14-15 kms of lung-crunching hills I wondered if Tesso would still be talking to me. She was and it was great to have the chance to chat to her throughout the morning about running, about things in general, including our not too dissimilar schooling in Brisbane.

A lowlight of the run was a classic case of Tuggeranong Don 'foot in mouth' disease when I proclaimed loudly for all to hear that Tuggeranong Don never falls over when he runs. It might happen to others but not to me, I said rather stupidly. Of course that dude with horns, a cape, a pitched fork and from a place a little too hot for comfort then made an appearance didn't he! A little later in the run for the first time ever I fell, tripping over probably not much at all and landing in a flurry of dust, interupting a very enjoyable chat I was having with CJ. CJ had been telling me about her yummy gingerbread muffins. I don't think she had realised she was running beside a ginger haired twit!

Anyway, this post is my tribute to Tesso. Tesso's own blog is a delight to read, full of so many observations of other great runners and great runs. But what comes through so strongly in her blog is that running is fun. The 'fun run'. It's the heading on a million promotional flyers for recreational and community runs all over the world.

Yet, stripped to the core, the fun run is our Christmas Star drawing us runners ever closer to the meaning of why we run. Tess, I think you are like one of the magi from the east with their gifts of gold, frankincence and myrrh. Only in your case, your gift can't be weighed or carried. But it is a bountiful one just the same. It is the sense of fun you bring to this wonderful sport of ours. We are all the richer for the treasures you have shared with us.

The cycle of life

I have had a strange week of running, hitting a real flat spot in my form.

I said in my last post that last Sunday's Triple Tri was one of the toughest runs I have done and perhaps that accounts for the way I have felt since. I seem to be battling nausea and fatigue for runs that I would take easily in my stride. Yesterday's 19km run with my Saturday group was one of my worst. I struggled on all the hills and even had to do the unthinkable for me - resort to walking at several spots. I'm not sure what's going on here, but perhaps diet is to blame and mine is far from perfect. Perhaps the heat and difficulty of last Sunday's run took more out of me than I thought.

Still, I'm careful not to complain. I love my running enormously and I am currently free from injury. And as a postscript to last Sunday's Triple Tri we all heard the terrible news that there was a fatality out on the course during the middle run leg of last Sunday's event. Details are very scarce but the story doing the rounds is that a young runner collapsed and could not be revived. I only wish to extend my sympathies and sincere concern to the family of the person involved. That was a dark shadow over an otherwise great day.

On a happier note I had the pleasure of seeing daughter Alana do her thing at today's Women's and Girls' Jogalong at Weston Park. My little darling likes her running and just for the fun of it, as her smile shows (above). As the last run for the year, it was also presentation day and it was a real thrill to see the son of my running buddy, Michelle, take out a prize for best male junior runner.

Running reflects so much of life. Like life, running has its fair share of pain, glory, joy, disappointment, estacy, and sadness. Great runners come and go. All of us come and go. It seems that as soon as we struggle to come to terms with the tragic loss of a loved one or friend, we still have the capacity to see, through our tears, youth and renewal all around us. The cycle of life in its wonderous beauty goes on. See that cycle at work in the smile on a little girl's face doing an activity she loves with the world at her feet. With not a care or a worry about what might happen tomorrow, she is simply living for the joy of the moment.

Running does that to a little girl - or boy. Running can do that to all of us. Let's cherish the little girl or boy in all of us that running - and the cycle of life - brings forth.