Through all kinds of weather, what if the skies may fall, just as long as we’re together ….

The great thing about doing the first leg in a relay is that you get to sit back afterwards and observe everyone else suffer. Now please note! I did not say ‘enjoy everyone else suffer’.

The tough thing about the first leg is that this is the leg most like a race. This is quite unlike the last leg where the field is maximally spread out.

Enough already ….. Let’s cut to the quick. The Calliope men’s team won the men's race walk section of the K•SWISS Rotorua Ekiden on Saturday. The Calliope women's team was second in their section.

The results for the Calliope men.

Conditions were somewhat less than clement. Yours truly was lucky. He had the wind in his sails for a good part of the first lap. Alas, other team members had to engage a barkingly cold, snarling wind head-on as they slowly, grimacingly, lap-by-aching-lap circuited Lake Rotorua. (Wew! You might need to read that again! And feel the pain this time!)

Having established a 3 min 30 seconds lead on the next team in the first lap, I had to sit in the van and watch with all the empathy I could muster, the quiet, lonely, inexorable suffering of my team mates.

It would have brought me to tears, had I been one given to flights of emotion.

Later that evening, much of the suffering was assuaged with assorted beverages which supplied a strange, calm, healing effect.

Meanwhile, down in Christchurch, another Calliope team did gladiatorial battle in the Takahe-Akaroa relay.

Conditions in this more southerly relay were, I am told, “atrocious” and that many of the team barely survived. They underwent environmental factors that would literally freeze the brass off a bald-headed monkey (or something of the sort).

How can one club endure so much suffering you ask?

I am afraid, I have no simple answer. I suspect senile dementia comes closest to the truth.

Regrettably, this team came away with no prize except their self respect intact. They also have the sure and certain knowledge that running up hill causes immediate pain, and running downhill causes a delayed agony.





By the way, if you feel you would like to run or walk with Calliope, then join us at our clubrooms: Osborne Memorial Park, Mahara Ave, Birkenhead.
Wednesday nights, 6:30.

In your running or walking, you will no longer suffer alone! (However, you may still be barmy!)

In this world of darkness, so let us shine, you in your small corner .....

Every now and then, you encounter Jesus.

I got a glimpse of Jesus last night in the face of Shinkee Chung (Daniel). Daniel is a taxi driver who every Sunday feeds the homeless and hungry in Latimer Square, Christchurch. He spends over $250 of his hard-earned cash.

Here’s the video clip from TV3

The cynic might say, some of them take advantage of Daniel. Daniel simply calls these folk "his precious friends .... his family".

Daniel is "a man in whom there is no guile" for he sees no deviousness in those he serves.

It is in Daniel and people like him we encounter the true Jesus - not in ornate churches and repetitive religious ritual - not in demanding dogmas and crumbling creeds.

The apostle Paul said "we encounter God in the face of Jesus". I would add we encounter Jesus in the face of Daniel (Shinkee) Chung.

I also encounter Jesus in the faces of the many friends who offer me a helping hand along the way ... if you are reading this, you know who you are.

Singin in the rain, singin in the rain, what a glorious feeling …

The first weekend in October was decidedly wet in Auckland town Nu Zulun. My friend Mike is preparing for a 50 km walk on the 25th of October. On Saturday morning, he went out for a 4 hour training stint. I joined him for a 12 km section of it. He had already been on his feet for 1 hour 25 minutes when he spun past my place.

We mused together on things as we walked. Both agreed on a Tua win if the fight finished early.

We reflected too, on just how much a long training stint is about mental toughness.

With up-and-coming Keri Keri half marathon in mind, I stepped out the next days into a rainy Sunday morning for a 20 km effort. I had been delaying the inevitable - looking vainly for a break in the weather. But by ten oclock, any clearance seemed only a remote possibility, so I steeled myself, donned a parker, gritted my teeth and hit the road.

It was a glorious feeling - that last 3km - body shattered, clothing drenched, wind-in-your face stuff. But oh, the sense of mastery over that other "self" that had wanted to just cozy up on the couch and watch another episode of M*A*S*H.

Home again, triumphant! Hot shower. Now where was that M*A*S*H episode where Father Mulcahy runs 12 mile to raise money for the orphanage?

Photo courtesy of www.freefoto.com

Around the world I searched for you ...

Imagine running more than three times around the world!

I’ll get to that in a moment.

John Dwyer (pictured here in the middle) and a few friends recently celebrated his 50th year in running over a quiet beer or two. I have never known why people talk about “having a few quiet ones”.

There was nothing quite about these beers. John had gathered up a lavish supply of exotic beers, and set them before us. We (Hugh, Bill, Tyrell, Bruce, big Ray, small Ray, Murray and myself), like boys in the candy shop, selected beers which probed the very limits of alcoholic intensity. John regaled us with stories of his 50 year running career.

John commenced his running exploits with the North Otago in the halcyon days of the late fifties. He moved from there to Canterbury University (1961), Wellington Harriers (1965), New Plymouth (1966), Auckland University (1971) and finally Calliope by 1974. Calliope has been over the years, of course, the natural goal for many a talented athlete.

Having had already been in the club for 10 years by 1974, I remember well John’s first appearance and the exhilaration that rippled through the ranks.

John is a quintessential historian, and the records he has kept, down to the most minute detail prove this. He tells us he has, up until 28/09/2009, covered 123,896 km, over 12,081 days for an average of 10.25 km per running day.

Now folks, almost 124 thousand kilometres is a long way! It bespeaks a certain level of addictive propensity to running!

Some facts I have calculated for John:

3.1 times around the globe.


One year and 2 months of actual running.


Weight loss of 1208 kg (1.2 tonne)

John has posted some pretty useful times over these 50 years:

220yd 24.5s 1964,   440yd 53.9s 1967,   880yd 1m 59.7s 1969,   1 mile 4m 21.9s 1968,   3 miles 14m 59.4s 1968,   5000m 15m 37s 1970,   6 miles 31m 36s 1969,   10,000m 33m 31s 1976 (Calliope Champs – lapping none other than the illustrious Rod Barker, and renowned track coach, Jack Ralston),   10 miles 52m 47s 1967,   Half Marathon 1hr 13m 48s 1968,   Marathon 2hr 42m 32s 1968.

For a more comprehensive account of John’s efforts : A fuller record of John’s achievements

Though John won't see 65 again, he is contemplating yet greater running exploits. Another short spin around the globe John?

We were rough and ready guys, but oh how we could harmonize…..

Yet another semi-distinguished Nu Zulun sporting event will be held this Wednesday on the North Shore of Auckland.

It is indeed none other than the Eyres Teams’ Race – a race synonymous with athletic excellence and harmonious esprit de corps.

None of your untidy-schoolboy-rugby scrapping here folks.


Back in 1966, at the tender and impressional age of 16, I was in the winning team. Now 43 years on, "older but no wiser", I shall front up again.


The Eyres Teams’ trophy was given to the club by AH (Peter) Eyre featured in the above photo of the official opening run of the Calliope Club on July12, 1930. He’s the gentleman in the middle with the white stripe on his shorts.


The venue for the event has changed over the years. For many years it involved a lap of Lake Pupuke, a distance of fractionally over 6 km. The present course is in a refined and sequestered part of Birkenhead and involves three laps of a 1.78 km course (thus 5.34 km).


It is a sealed handicap event which means that all the finely tuned athletes will toe the starting line together. In days of old, each runner was given a handicap and the teams were drawn by ballot. After the race, the handicaps were subtracted from the times and team totals were tallied to reveal the winning combination.

These days the handicapper has devised a way of making things more competitive. Everyone is ranked as usual with estimated times, but the handicaps are done on placing positions (team as a whole) and in that way towards the finish there is an incentive to pass someone as that runner gains a place and the other runner loses a place. And the placings make all the difference. Then if there is a tie on place points, as there usually is, it is taken on estimated total time for team versus the actual time.

It is all very scientific!


And I shall being running scientifically as I do every year in this event. My running efforts will ebb and flow in rhythm with the varying terrain of this undulating course.


There is one short uphill section, where I invariably break into a walk. This is to strategically nurture my resources for the long, gentle downhill section that follows.

Here is a map of the course.

Who knows where the road made lead us only a fool can say ……

Real runners don’t run on treadmills, unless injury affords them no other choice. The idea of a treadmill is anathema to a real runner. The runner has a romance above all with the long and winding road.

There is a love affair too with bush tracks. The trouble with a treadmill is – you don’t go anywhere. It is a synthetic run.

For the older runner, the training run presents a unique challenge. The first 2 kilometres are hard – getting the body warm and into rhythm once again. You battle through a thousand incremental aches. Then it all becomes worth it. The endorphins kick in – the aches and pains subside.

The half way point is psychologically crucial. You turn for home. Strangely, the greatest part is finishing. There is always a sense of elation.

Why run? To lose weight? To get fit? To build bone density? To have a healthy heart? Well maybe.

All and none of the above.

Perhaps it is best summed up by the phrase – “the runners high”.

“Running, one might say, is basically an absurd pastime upon which to be exhausting ourselves. But if you can find meaning in the type of running you need to do ... chances are you'll be able to find meaning in that other absurd pastime - LIFE."

- Bill Bowerman in "Without Limits" -

"For me, running is a lifestyle and an art. I’m far more interested in the magic of it than the mechanics."

- Lorraine Moller, Olympic Marathoner-

More running quotes

This is my 100th entry. I dedicate it to all my running and race walking pals.

I see the stars .... I hear the rolling thunder ..

It is the only appropriate opening for today. There are few entertainers who can take a song already widely in circulation and put their indelible stamp on it. Sinatra did it with "New York New York" which was released by Liza Minnelli in 1977 before Blue Eyes drove it to the top in 1979. Here is the great version by Bennett and Sinatra.

How Great Thou Art has, of course, been around much longer. It has been a staple in the diet of American evangelical Christianity since it was first penned. It origins date back to the 19th century.

George Beverly Shea made it famous in the Billy Graham meetings as millions converted to Christ in the 50s and 60s – not the least one Harry Roger Web, better known as Cliff Richard. Elvis sang it, but I am fairly sure that Sinatra did not.

But it was Howard Morrison who really put his stamp on it, especially with the addition of Maori Lyrics. In the olden days, there was, and perhaps still is, that slippery genre called “Easy Listening”. It was under that sign on the shelf, you were likely to find the likes of Sinatra and Howard Morrison.

Howard Morrison was the epitome of easy listening. Like Sinatra, he could take a song and infiltrate with his unique emotional energy. Like Sinatra, he could have the audience in the palm of his hand. Like Sinatra, he had that thing that makes all the difference on stage – Charisma.

It is therefore quite appropriate that in 2002 Morrison released and album called “Old Brown Eyes”.

Though the way be long, let your heart beat strong …

Usain Bolt has to run hard for 9 and a half seconds or in the case of 200 metres, just over 19 seconds. Haile Gebrselassie has to lay it on the line for 2hours and 5 minutes. Who is the greater athlete?

Well, as I have said before, the question ought not be asked. But we sadly have to start choosing. I think they offer a fitting contrast; of youth with maturity, of speed with endurance.

Usain is a new boy on the block; Haile has been around forever it seems and has a string of titles, gold medals and world records that leave the everyday athlete (like yours truly) gobsmacked.
Gebrselassie won the Berlin marathon, yet again. It was the current world record-holder’s fourth straight win.

A little known movie called “endurance” was put out about his life. I have it on video. To see the guy’s background in basic poverty makes you admire him all the more. However, the movie itself was somewhat tedious and disneyish. Hopefully, something much more worthy of the great man will yet be produced.

I have only run two marathons. I am glad I did. I have no intention of running any more. The half marathon is quite sufficient thanks. Everyone who can should give it a go once. When you hit the wall with 6 km to go, you learn stuff about yourself, you could never learn otherwise.

I wonder if Usain Bolt will ever run a marathon. I hear Gerbrselassie has runs loads of 100 and 200 meters.

Oh my friend we’re older but no wiser, for in our hearts the dreams are still the same …

I first joined Calliope at the age of 14 in 1964. I rejoined in 2005 to confront my some 85 kgs and a seriously flabby midriff. So I have had an association with the club spanning 45 years.

The photos you see span something of those years: in this case 1972 to 2005.

They show some changes (spot the difference).

The change from colour to black and white.

The change from New Balance to Puma.

The change in uniform

And as Cole Porter would say “how strange the change from major to minor”

I am about 4 kg heavier than I was then, but oh so much slower.

Oh and this Cole Porter is for Chris from a favourite of yours!

Words are all she had to steal our hearts away ….

She had what could only be described as a pseudo-American accent – the sort a Kiwi might fain after spending a month or two States-side.

She sat at the back of the bus with her friend, leg draped over the seat in front. She made sure that the entire bus was completely privy to her side of the very one-sided conversation. In between coughing fits, we learned of her boyfriend, relationship hassles, and the dog that ate snail-bait.

Her lines were peppered with that word that signifies a youthful conversation – “like”; It was like …. He was like, and I was like almost like ready like to like laugh.

She bore on like a drill; coughing and “liking”. The rest of the bus settled down to one of those trips home assaulted by trivia and banality. Was it deliberate or was she slightly deaf? Was it a subconscious longing to be heard? And a bus is a captive audience.

Her interlocutor got the occasional word in and she seem to understand the social conventions of appropriate- loudness -when - conversing- on- a-bus.

She got off before my stop, and the bus recovered a sense of serenity. I could feel it smile.