and they're off!

A few runs on the board somewhat later in the day than usual, but with good reason. Today started a few hundred kilometres north of Sydney at Stoney Park where AJ, my 3-in-a-fortnight year old and I were overnighting, about half way through our road trip back from Queensland's Gold Coast where the big Xmas shin-dig had been. By big I mean my wife Sal, her 2 brothers, 2 sisters, their partners, her parents and 9 kids under 10. I think think that's big enough. Good times. I was on carting the presents home detail.

Anyway, Janathon business. I woke up at a little after 5am and did ever-so-briefly consider a quick - very quick - blast around the lake before AJ woke up. But sanity got the better of me and I returned to where I am most comfortable, being a parent who does not pull shit like that. Anyway, Alex normally wakes by 5:30, and she did today, and we were on the road by 5:30. No runs yet.

We got home at about noon, by which time my brother and his partner, who are staying for the New Year at our place, had gone out to brave Sydney on a hot, sunny New year's day. Sal and our other daughter are flying back home tomorrow, so as lone parent I'd have to wait until the evening to go for a run when Darren and Ellie could babysit Alex. The afternoon was therefore chored out - house stuff, lawn cutting, grocery shopping and uploading photos. Fun times.

Stick with me, the run is next.

After dinner - barbecued kangaroo sausages for that authentic Aussie feel - I put AJ to bed, where she eventually stayed, and at 8pm head out for a run. We have recently moved to Seaforth, which is just on Sydney's northern beaches, and I have yet to get any "stock" runs sorted other than my commute to work. So tonight I decided I'd knock out what I think will be my first regular fun-run. In a nutshell; straight down the hill to Manly, along the beach to Queenscliff and then follow the bike path back to Seaforth. I call it the Manly Beach loop.

It was a thoroughly pleasant trot; the sun was down and the moon was out as I ran though the fading light. There was a cooling breeze coming of the ocean...and at about this point I cannot help but feel a few janathoners up in he UK could be cursing me...sorry. The bike path was a little tricker. I discovered that it is unlit, and I was a little concerned about turning an ankle on a dodgy lump and a lot concerned about running into a bollard at bollock height. Luckily I made it home with ankles and nuts intact.

One down.

Oh, the pic is of my new trainers. First pair of Nike (the Pegasus 28) since I was at school decades ago. They were far cheaper than the Asics (Nimbus and Cumulus) I've been running in for the last 7years, so I thought I'd give them a go. Went alright tonight.