August, indeed

[Sweder]

There’s no cauldron in the Olympic stadium, not in the accepted sense of the word. Thomas Heatherwick gave tradition the elbow in his search for something to hold the flame for a wider sporting world. His creation, its' wondrous birth the pinnacle of an astonishing opening ceremony, stands proudly at the finish line end of the stadium. But it’s not a cauldron. There is one though. A seething, bubbling tumult of emotion, fuelled by incredible passion, fanned by the screams of eighty thousand sports-mad souls.

We would not let them lose last night. Greg Rutherford was lifted into the air, propelled through the night by the roar of the crowd. I watched it happen. A man expected to be ‘in with a shout’ of a medal soared to improbable gold. There was nothing anyone else could do. Jessica Ennis didn’t need to win the 800 metres to take the heptathlon laurels. They caught her on the back straight, passed her on the bend. All she needed to do was hang on to take the title. But we wouldn’t let her. The wall of sound that chased Ennis round that final bend was incredible, vibrating through the chests of those striving for the line, but it only lifted one, the smallest woman on the track, driving her home to glory.

Mo Farah had it all to do. He faced three nations with well-laid plans to double-team him. They jostled and jousted, bumped and bored, tested and teased. Mo stayed true to his plan, stayed calm, nestled in the middle of the pack, watching, watching. With 800 to go the crowd took to their feet. The roar rose to a scream: ‘Mo!!!’ I had tears in my eyes as this small, humble man hit the front, hunted down by whippet-like African assassins. They started to catch him, on that same dreadful bend, on into the home straight. But we wouldn’t let him fail. We lit the touch-paper, and Mo did the rest.
We roared them home on a wave of love and pride.

The stadium PA played ‘All You Need Is Love’ as Mo Farah took the plaudits, his broad smile lighting up the track, draped in the Union flag, his wife and daughter by his side. We sang, of course, only we changed the words. ‘All You Need Is Mo!, Ya da da da daaah!’ We sang the National Anthem as Ennis got her gold, and the tears fell once more, hers and mine. I didn’t think I had any left. Euphoria, fired into the night sky like exploding rockets, fell onto the stadium like the finest rain as we collected our wits and made for the exits.

A journalist, unaware of Mo’s love of Britain, and London in particular, asked him if he’d have rather run for Somalia. Mo looked him in the eye and said: ‘Look around you mate. This is my country.’ An hour after it was all over, most of the jabbering, wild-eyed patrons had spilled out into the Olympic Park. A small, brown man in a white track suit emerged from the shadows. Without fanfare or announcement he took off on a long, slow plod around the track, lap after lap at a solid, steady pace. Alone with his thoughts, no doubt playing it all back inside his shiny bald head. Mo Farah, starting his prep work for the 5,000 metres. Mo the ultimate Pro.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

It's fantastic when a nation finally understands what they're capable of, isn't it? Australia did it in 2000, and had about 6 years in the sunshine thereafter. Now it's GB's turn ... make the most of it you Britons, it's fabulous beyond belief. As I think Sweder has most eloquently expressed with that post.

Well done!

[El Gordo]

It's fantastic when a nation finally understands what they're capable of, isn't it? Australia did it in 2000, and had about 6 years in the sunshine thereafter. Now it's GB's turn ... make the most of it you Britons, it's fabulous beyond belief. As I think Sweder has most eloquently expressed with that post.

Well done!

Thanks, but seriously.... what's happened to the Aussies? Didn't you used to be always up there in the top 5 or 6? I just looked at the BBC table which goes down to 22nd place, with no Australia anywhere! What's going on? Just one of those bad patches? Or something more fundamental?

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Thanks, but seriously.... what's happened to the Aussies? Didn't you used to be always up there in the top 5 or 6? I just looked at the BBC table which goes down to 22nd place, with no Australia anywhere! What's going on? Just one of those bad patches? Or something more fundamental?

Who knows? Just one of those cycles in the sporting life of a nation I guess.

[Sweder]

It's fantastic when a nation finally understands what they're capable of, isn't it? Australia did it in 2000, and had about 6 years in the sunshine thereafter. Now it's GB's turn

Well, yes, although you could argue that Beijing was also pretty decent for GB. It's not like we were languishing in the doldrums four years ago. Of course, people perform out of their skins at their home olympics. 2016 will be a different kettle of fish for a lot of reasons. Brazil is not an easy place to do business, no matter what business you're in.

I have hope for the next generation, some showing at these games in the early rounds. Talent lurks in the wings, swimmers, cyclists and athletes. I'm most concerned about middle distance running. The 1500 metres, once dominated by Coe and Ovett, will have no home-grown runners after tonight.

I just looked at the BBC table which goes down to 22nd place, with no Australia anywhere!

Australia are just behind Ethiopia and Jamaica tonight, in 24th spot. There was some well-publicised banter before these games, coming from the Aussie rowers & cyclists (aimed at GB) and the swimmers (aimed at the USA). I'm keen to see how that pans out.

The least said about the cricket, the better.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Hey, all the while I'm doing very well in the endurance hill-climbing events, and me and the missus are a dead-set cert for the synchronised drinking final.

Oz ain't dead yet.

[Sweder]

It is, indeed, the End of Days.
From the Sydney Morning Herald ...



'It is not enough to succeed. Others must fail'
Gore Vidal

'Spelling is important. For example, in the London 2012 Olympics to date Team GB have won gold medals. Australia have one gold medal.'
Some wag on Twitter last night.

I recorded Jess Ennis's intro and start live from the Olympic stadium on my phone. The numpty yelling 'Go on Jess' just before the gun, like the ridiculous 'get in the hole' nonsense at the Open, was not me.



It's an indication of the level of noise in there. Sadly I didn't record the finish. I was too busy balling my eyes out and screaming like a stuck pig. The ovation for Mo Farah was much, much louder. Here's how Paul Hayward saw it all on Saturday night.

[glaconman]

I read somwhere on Saturday that Yorkshire were ahead of Australia in the medal table. And we've got the Brownlees to come tomorrow.

Happy Days.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Vipers!

[Sweder]

Aussie have shot up the table today. It's looking like they might make the top ten without having to jump into bed with the Kiwis. Top stuff. For the record, Yorkshire were 11th last night, Aussie 23rd.

[Sweder]

I've managed to get out for a barefoot run every other day for the past couple of weeks. Nothing more than three miles, nice and easy, looking to build base milage slowly with a view to picking things up in the autumn. On Sunday I felt a slight tightness in my right calf. This morning, two miles in, that became a sharp stab, painful and getting more so as I laboured along. Curious that, having dumped my usual hell-for-leather, more-hills-the-merrier style, I've picked up a first running injury in over two years whilst taking it easy.

I'm planning to treat this with ice and heat, compression and elevation over the next few days. I plan to head out again on Thursday, with the plan that, should the calf starting lowing, I'll head straight back home (or, at least, walk it off). Planning a trip to Iron Fingers Bridge this week, to see if she can break down the damaged tissue and get the blood flowing through there.

Bugger. Anyone tried this colourful Kinesio tape we're seeing more of these days? Might give that a whirl.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Do you think maybe you could be over-doing the bare foot stuff? Try putting some shoes on before hitting the kinesio tape!

Also, some extra core strength will take pressure off your calfs/calves/lower leg muscles. Without a strong core your mid/fore-foot striking from shoeless running will put extra stress on the calf. You need to either cushion that with a shoe or (preferably) strengthen the core and glutes. Your calf and quads then have less work to do and just "go along for the ride".

At least, that's how it seems to me.

Dr. MLCM.

[Sweder]

Do you think maybe you could be over-doing the bare foot stuff? Try putting some shoes on before hitting the kinesio tape!

Of course that's possible but

a) I'm doing incredibly short distances
b) I never run on consecutive days and
c) I'm 100% offroad (medium/ soft ground)

My Wave Harriers offer some cushioning, but not much. It's a new injury for me - not the same area of calf as post Cape Town. Looks like rest and hot/ cold treatment will be the order of the day.

Core strength will always be my, ah, achillies heel. I'm not even playing badminton these days (good core work there). The olympics have me rooted to the sofa every night. I can't be arsed going to the gym, so I suppose I'll have to think about a return to spinning. Cycling is all the rage around here these days.

This is terrific, by the way
The Daily Express displays nice Olympic gold front page montage, except ... that appears to be the Dutch equestrians, showing off their bronze medals. Oops.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

I can't be arsed going to the gym, so I suppose I'll have to think about a return to spinning...

Mrs MLCM has convinced me to buy a rowing machine for much the same reason. I no longer have a kayak (which I miss) and this seems a good compromise (and cheaper than a kayak). Core strengthening exercises are just too boring - I need a machine with numbers.

This is terrific, by the way
The Daily Express displays nice Olympic gold front page montage, except ... that appears to be the Dutch equestrians, showing off their bronze medals. Oops.

Hah! Muchos funny - but I wonder how the British equestrian team feel about it? Would never happen in the Murdoch press, I'm sure.

[marathondan]

Hah! Muchos funny - but I wonder how the British equestrian team feel about it?

Probably happy to disassociate themselves from the Express, one of the few papers to make the Daily Mail look like a quality publication.

Their claim in the top corner - "5p cheaper than the Daily Mail!" - really needs the strapline "And even more shit!"

[Sweder]

Sadly they were not alone this morning. The Daily Mirror ran a two-page spread shot of the Dutch under a similarly errant banner. You can clearly read their Netherlands Olympics badges, never mind notice the bright orange collars on their jackets. And I thought the Mirror had done away with publishing bogus images since that fatuous tool Piers Morgan set sail for the colonies.

[Sweder]

[quote='Sweder' pid='23123' dateline='1344379265']
I can't be arsed going to the gym, so I suppose I'll have to think about a return to spinning...

Mrs MLCM has convinced me to buy a rowing machine for much the same reason. I no longer have a kayak (which I miss) and this seems a good compromise (and cheaper than a kayak). Core strengthening exercises are just too boring - I need a machine with numbers.

Rowing machines are tops for core strength. My issue is space in which to keep/ use one. When I did visit the gym I used to warm up with a ten minute rowing session on a fairly firm setting. Always left me gasping, on the verge of spewing.
Perfect

[El Gordo]

Rowing machines are tops for core strength.

Interesting -- I'd never thought of rowing machines as core-strengtheners. More as pretty heavy duty cardio with upper body benefit. A 5 minute Google search suggests a variety of opinion is available on this one.

But anyway. Thanks for the reminder about the rowing machine, I must submit to it next time I make it to the gym (tomorrow lunchtime, all being well).

As for spinning - well, the availability of spinning classes was one of the reasons I joined this gym, but I've not yet plucked up the courage (or fitness) to give them a go. They're all 1 hour long too, which is about 50% longer than i was used to. But I think it's the idea of being bellowed at in German for an hour that's the really off-putting thing.

[Sweder]

I've just booked my flight to Almeria.

Easyjet out Saturday 26 Jan 2013, back on Tuesday 29th.
I'm not even sure the race is on the 27th, but what little I can find on the interweb suggests this to be the case. The flight was as cheap as a Piers Morgan jibe about athletes not singing the National Anthem.

I may be the only one going next year, but after talking to Jules about it this week (after a lovely gentle jog, during which my calf whined like a badly maintained jet engine) I've decided
a) I'm going and
b) I want a PB

So that's sorted then.

[El Gordo]

I've just booked my flight to Almeria.

Easyjet out Saturday 26 Jan 2013, back on Tuesday 29th.
I'm not even sure the race is on the 27th, but what little I can find on the interweb suggests this to be the case. The flight was as cheap as a Piers Morgan jibe about athletes not singing the National Anthem.

I may be the only one going next year, but after talking to Jules about it this week (after a lovely gentle jog, during which my calf whined like a badly maintained jet engine) I've decided
a) I'm going and
b) I want a PB

So that's sorted then.

Hmm. A man with a plan. Glaconman will be pleased.

Regarding plans, and thinking ahead, which, er, I suppose plans have to involve.... I am bizarrely committed to getting to the Point to Pinnacle in 2013. Since mentioning this possibility to M about a year ago, she has had it in her diary, and apparently it is happening.

I mention this now because I'm thinking I will need every scrap of holiday available to make such a trip worthwhile, so Almeria may not happen for me next year. Indeed, Almeria hasn't exactly happened for me for some years now, but that's another matter.