Tri Challenge

I’m in Australia visiting my oldest friend, her husband and gorgeous 17-month old son. He’s into learning new words, and I’ve taught him how to say “bamboo”. Random but amusing.

Clare and Bryn live in a suburb of Sydney – Artarmon - on the north shore. It’s a really nice, leafy area just fifteen minutes from the City on the train which runs reliably every few minutes and is clean. First Great Western could learn a lot.

I managed to get out for a short run on my first morning here which was more of a run-walk-run-consult map-run affair that allowed me to get my bearings. The cycle and walking paths are absolutely excellent, and teaming with people commuting to work on foot or on two wheels. I was out for about forty minutes and, after a 53-hour day, that was quite enough in the heat and humidity.

This morning, armed with a new iPod Shuffle bought at Heathrow during a tortuous delay, I extended my route out east and down through Flat Rock Gully – a pretty, wooded (and cool) creek. From there, I ducked under a striking suspension bridge and into Tunks Park whose marina opens onto Long Bay, part of Sydney’s Middle Harbour. It was a stunning run, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Even the incredibly steep climb back up from Flat Rock Gully back towards Artarmon. Good training for the Hastings Half.

Running seems pretty big in Australia. Lots of people run with their dogs; others on their own or with other people. I was over at Manly yesterday and there were hoards of beautiful people bouncing along the promenade in the heat of the day. I thought only mad dogs and Englishmen (and women) were silly enough to risk heatstroke in the midday sun. Apparently not.