Around and around and around I’ve searched for you ….

A favourite course for RWA (Race walking Auckland) is the inner circuit of the Auckland Domain. It is nominally 1.5 km. but is, in fact, 1.56 km. It is a good, though there are one or two slight inclines that can prove a little taxing. Here it is on map my run. The results of yesterday’s race indicate that if you can walk around 8 minute kilometres or under, then this is the club for you. It meets every Sunday at 8:30. Here is the schedule of coming events.

Climb every mountain

Well done Valerie Vili, a great Choice. Of course there will always be contention over these Halberg Sports awards, depending on what sport you are into. Mine is track and field and so I am delighted with Valerie getting the supreme Nu Zulun Sports Person award.

I was shocked to hear Valerie only gets a $40,000 grant. In these days when athletics is professional, it aint good enough.

Mind you there was a time when track and field was strictly amateur. Wes Santee, the great US miler in the early fifties got raked over the coals and almost lost his amateur status for accepting a $200 camera. In 1956, he did in fact lose his amateur status.

The iconic Roger Bannister, the first sub four minute miler, was working hard to become a doctor at the time of his 3:59.4 back in May 1954. There was no way in could put in the training of the modern middle distance runner.

Ten water bottles hanging on the wall....

I have a theory. The speed people walk (or run at) is inversely proportional to the probability they carry a water bottle. That is to say (in layperson’s terms), slower people are more likely to carry water.

The water bottle industry is big business since we were sold the lie some years back that we all needed at least eight glasses of water a day. What size glass was seldom pointed out. The 2 litre figure was occasionally mentioned.

Research has shown clearly that too much water could in fact be bad for you; in depletes the body of essential minerals and so forth. That is to say, to put not too finer point on it (in layperson’s terms), you pee them away. It is called "water intoxication". In non-layman's terms this is hyponatraemia (low salt levels).

Yet you see them everywhere, strolling down the road at a pace, that would not get a rat fit, clutching their water bottles. Again, I have a theory. They are a linus blanket, a source of comfort rather than liquid. Indeed many is the time I have walked close behind and seen not one sip taken in the course of the exercise.

There is of course the extreme variety of this species – those with a belt of small water bottles, looking not a lot dissimilar to Rambo.

The other myth is of course bottle water is purer than tap water. It is a myth perpetuated by the bottle water industry.

However, it is well established that a pint of water before bed after a night on the jungle juice can help ward off a hangover.

Bring back those crazy hazy lazy …

It was only a matter of time before such lines must appear on this blog. Summer ought to teach us not to take life or ourselves too seriously.

I joined Racewalking Auckland in the domain yesterday. It is nice to be in a group of people who are seen by some onlookers to be walking strangely. Many people take a leisurely walk or stroll to get fit. Sadly, the research suggests such activity does little for cardio-vascular fitness. To get fit, you have to put some effort in.

Race walking is an excellent exercise to gain such fitness. It is less damaging to the body than running – though I enjoy a run at least twice a week. And when you get used to how to walk, it is every bit as pleasurable as running.

Top race walkers move at incredible speed. The world record for 10 km is around 38 minutes – a time most runners cannot achieve.