Catching up.

Posting resumes after a week or two of mourning and other business to attend to.

A couple of races prior to Christmas. Readers may know I compete in walking events as well as running. Why? Good question. They may as well have walking-on-your-hands events. And the 'judges' would still disqualify you.

Anyway, on a 36 degree Tuesday evening a 2000 metre walk had been scheduled. Due to the heat, it was reduced to 1500. The relief this provided sparked me to speed around in 6:14.29 and get it over with quickly.

On the Thursday, the training group program called for a lap of Princes park followed by 4 x 150 metre sprints progressively getting faster (through each 150). A great session, different to the usual 6 x 1200 or 10 x 400 or Princes park reps.

Another race on the Saturday - the last race before Christmas - saw a 13:33 3000 metre walk.

The following weekend found us staying in town as arrangements and preparations had to be made for my grandfather's funeral on the Monday.

We took the dogs to Studley Park for a six kilometre walk from the boathouse across to Clifton Hill and back on an extremely pleasant and mild Saturday afternoon. There are miles of walking tracks and the river winds through magnificent parkland.

The dogs loved it of course, and Billy met another greyhound. Greyhounds seem to recognise each other as being similar in kind.

The following day, we ventured to the Tan (the track around the Botanic Gardens) where I ran three laps with reasonably strong surges up Anderson Street. Tracy ran two. It was a great session and very busy, people and dogs everywhere. After, we walked through the Botanic Gardens which is one of the world's great gardens, truly astounding.

Then it was time to eat, so Lygon Street on the way home for lunch, coffee and a giant walk around all the old streets of Carlton.