Great weekend at Mooloolaba!!

Thursday - 7k's @ 5:00 mins/km
Friday - 4k's @ 5:00mins/km
Saturday - 1ok's @ 5:00mins/km

Contrary to concern that my lack of posting in recent days could be due to another breakdown(Thanks for your kind thoughts, Jodie!) I'm in fact in great shape after getting away to Mooloolaba for a few days.

After an easy 4k's on the tready Friday AM, MJ and I dropped my Mum of at Brisbane International for her own 7 day getaway to Bangkok and Hong Kong. But as there were no big races to watch in Bangkok this week, MJ and I jumped into her Honda Accord Euro and cruised up the coast at midday on Friday. Courtesy of the generosity of USM Events extended to Run For Your Life contributers, we checked into the Aegean at the southern end of the Espalande for the first of our two nights complimentary stay. It wasn't long before I found myself at the starting line of the Asics Mooloolaba 5k Twilight Run. Unfortunately, instead of awaiting the starters horn from behind the starting line with a surge of adrenalin coursing through my veins, I was standing right next to the starter and MC, Coach Pat, with my stopwatch, clipboard and pen all poised! The race itself was no contest with occassional Pat Carroller, Al Stevenson too classy for the field in his last hitout before the World Cross Country Champs. Nevertheless, there was lots to report on and I won't have any writers block when putting my race report together for this event!

The next morning saw me on the beach to watch the Mooloolaba 1000 Ocean Swim with the boys from Northies - Rooboy and Matt - also holidaying up the coast for the Tri. MJ and Jay then joined us for lunch at Bellissimo's on the Espalande - it was very touristy and enjoyable to eat lunch at a roadside cafe with the Espalande closed to traffic and triathletes and holidaymakers taking over the Espalande! MJ and I then worked off lunch by going for a 10k run along the Espalande at our respective paces, runing into Coach Pat watching the surfers on the beach taking on the generous swells whipped up from Cyclone Wati hovering off Fraser Island. At the height of the tri weekend, this is a great run if you don't mind dodging pedestrians and cyclists - very scenic and full of atmosphere! And the shins didn't give me any grief at all! As soon as the run and the obligatory shower were done with, it was off to the VIP Marquee again courtesy of our friends at USM Events where we watched the cycling criterium from the best seats in the house. I must confess that in our 45 min stay, I made a handful of trips to the courtesy fridge to sample some Coronas - reporting is thirsty work, you know ;-)

After watching Buster Mottram's agonising fall in the Men's 150om Final at the Comm Games, MJ and I went to an Italian restaurant Amphora's for dinner. I had what started out as a delicious duck risotto, but I had to retire hurt three quarters of the way through the meal as it was just too filling - those Italians don't mind their olive oil!!

Up early the next morning to cheer on the likes of Jan, Tori, Ruthie, Scott B and Steve G in the age group triathlon before we headed back to Brissy. The end of a great weekend? No way! MJ and I then headed off to the Paddo where we met Clairie and Al and took them to Suncorp Stadium to watch the Broncos throw off some shaky early season form and cane the Eels 30-10!!! Met us with Tesso and Gary M in the Members Lounge at half time. Tesso got lost trying to find us - but as far as I can tell, did not do an impromptu tempo run to make up for the lost time ;-)

Just a great weekend - really looking forward to training with vigour this week after the welcome freshen up!