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September
05-09-2017, 03:22 AM,
#1
September
... is cancelled. So there.

The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph

Reply
17-09-2017, 12:35 AM, (This post was last modified: 17-09-2017, 09:39 AM by Sweder.)
#2
RE: September
OK, not entirely.
A ParkRun in Singapore, two more back in Blighty, including one this morning, a couple of hilly lopes and a game of footy.

Lewes FC have a +35s Vets side that trains on a Friday. Goodness knows why, I didn't fancy a night on the lash with the lads and headed down to the 3G facility behind the Pan Siro. I met up with a crew of has-been/ wanna-be footballers, all well past their footballing sell-by date. We stretched, we warmed up. We stood around the centre circle and someone read a prayer, of sorts.

'We are here because we love football and want to play,
We are old and easily broken.
We play to win, but we play for fun.
We all have lives and jobs away from this.
We do this for fun'

No gouging, deliberate kicking of shins, two-footed lunges, That Sort Of Thing. This was going to be hard!
But I relaxed, assured that we would be OK no matter how out of touch we might be.

It was, really, really tough. 60 minutes of constant movement. I played centre back, my preferred station, and was promptly tasked with marking Floyd. Floyd is a whisp of a man, coal-black, rapid, agile and apparently carved from granite. I had a torrid time trying to keep hold of him. He scored twice, so I guess you could say I didn't do too well. When Floyd wasn't twisting my blood I had Xavi to deal with. A vociferous (in his native tongue) Spaniard, another whippet with a penchant for sudden bursts of speed and a twist and turn or two.

We scored seven in the hour allotted, four more than the other lot. It didn't really matter, though. The game's the thing, and what a glorious thing it was, to be able to play without fear of tearing or breaking something, with people just happy to be running about on a (state of the art 3G) football pitch under floodlights.

It all seemed so much less of a good idea when Tom rocked up at Chez Sweder this morning, bound for Bevendean ParkRun. He'd swung by to pick me up, dead on 08:25 as agreed. I woke up at 08:23. I was ready, sort of, clutching socks, my runners and my hamstrings as I blinked into the morning light.

The run was tough. I lost a groin on the first big descent and scraped home in 2 seconds under 30 minutes. 'Modest' seems inadequate; Ordinary; it was ordinary.
OATR had arrived just before the off. He flew round in a course PB, some way under 25 minutes. I doffed my cap and joined him, Tom and Paula for a celebratory coffee.

We bumped into Ladyrunner of this Parrish up on the hill. Jules was waxing Almeria, musing that the dates for 2018 might be published by now. Tonight, our Almeria Whatsapp group chat buzzed and chirruped. Antonio is on the case. Joe M and Louise are up for it, Jules and Rich, most likely OATR. I haven't asked CC as yet, as he's still sore after muddying his boots at Eridge.

I've a ways to go before that, but this weekend has felt like a good start.
On, on ...

   

The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph

Reply
17-09-2017, 06:29 AM,
#3
RE: September
Sounds like a great group of people to play football with.

I heard a similar announcement at the beginning of a junior cyclocross race addressed at the parents. Don't expect too much from your kids. Don't try and use them as a way of fulfilling your own need for sporting glory. etc etc And some of them do need to be told!

I think we need reminding about playing sport in the right spirit. And before a vets football game is especially important given the damage you can do. I gave up on football for exactly these reasons.

Kudos for your hard work.
Reply
19-09-2017, 05:47 PM,
#4
RE: September
Cross training! Good stuff.
Reply
07-10-2017, 11:02 AM, (This post was last modified: 07-10-2017, 11:06 AM by Bierzo Baggie.)
#5
RE: September
(17-09-2017, 12:35 AM)Sweder Wrote: Lewes FC have a +35s Vets side that trains on a Friday. Goodness knows why, I didn't fancy a night on the lash with the lads and headed down to the 3G facility behind the Pan Siro. I met up with a crew of has-been/ wanna-be footballers, all well past their footballing sell-by date. We stretched, we warmed up. We stood around the centre circle and someone read a prayer, of sorts.

'We are here because we love football and want to play,
We are old and easily broken.
We play to win, but we play for fun.
We all have lives and jobs away from this.
We do this for fun'

No gouging, deliberate kicking of shins, two-footed lunges, That Sort Of Thing. This was going to be hard!
But I relaxed, assured that we would be OK no matter how out of touch we might be.

It was, really, really tough. 60 minutes of constant movement. I played centre back, my preferred station, and was promptly tasked with marking Floyd. Floyd is a whisp of a man, coal-black, rapid, agile and apparently carved from granite. I had a torrid time trying to keep hold of him. He scored twice, so I guess you could say I didn't do too well. When Floyd wasn't twisting my blood I had Xavi to deal with. A vociferous (in his native tongue) Spaniard, another whippet with a penchant for sudden bursts of speed and a twist and turn or two.

We scored seven in the hour allotted, four more than the other lot. It didn't really matter, though. The game's the thing, and what a glorious thing it was, to be able to play without fear of tearing or breaking something, with people just happy to be running about on a (state of the art 3G) football pitch under floodlights.

That sounds great. We have a similar session of 5-a-side futsal on Fridays and it's punishing stuff, especially when we haven't got changes or when a few nimble, younger players turn up. As for the (accidental) kicking of shins, (very occasional) two footed lunges etc ....ahem, guilty m'lord Blush I was once the Tony Pulis of futsal...
Reply
08-10-2017, 07:32 AM, (This post was last modified: 08-10-2017, 10:18 AM by Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man.)
#6
RE: September
Thank goodness the inevitable head injury won't do too much damage but do look after that dodgy knee of yours, please.
Run. Just run.
Reply
13-10-2017, 08:14 AM,
#7
RE: September
Bob Graham On Graham’s Birthday
HB2U MLCMMan 

Moyleman course record-holder Mike Ellicock has some good advice for the next BGR attempt. 
Check out his comment at the end; he’s going for the double 

https://www.precisionhydration.com/blogs...aham-round

The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph

Reply
13-10-2017, 09:46 AM,
#8
RE: September
(13-10-2017, 08:14 AM)Sweder Wrote: Bob Graham On Graham’s Birthday
HB2U MLCMMan 

Moyleman course record-holder Mike Ellicock has some good advice for the next BGR attempt. 
Check out his comment at the end; he’s going for the double 

https://www.precisionhydration.com/blogs...aham-round

He's missing the most important piece of advice.

DON'T RUN THE BOD GRAHAM ROUND... ONCE... NEVER MIND TWICE.

(p.s. HB MLCMMan)
There is more to be done
Reply
13-10-2017, 12:56 PM,
#9
RE: September
Ta, blokes. And for my birthday I'm determined not to do the Bob Graham round, after all, as Mike Ellicock says, no matter how fit you are, you still have to be lucky with the weather. No point risking it then, really, is there?
Run. Just run.
Reply


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