Around the world I searched for you …

Sailing single-handed around the world is not, quite Frankly, in my top 1000 list of the things to do.


I like challenges, but endless months of seasickness is not one of them. Grabbing the headlines last week was this interminable story of some 13 year Dutch girl (NZ Citizen – born in Nu Zulun waters – don’t you know!) who was being stymied by the Dutch authorities from doing the round-the-world thing.


Some 17 year Brit has just done it.


My congratulations to the Dutch authorities. How young is old enough? or is that How old is young enough?


Well, young Laura Dekker may yet still get the chance. Trouble is, all of the wrong people are sailing around the world. Another totally rivetting news item was that Winston Peters wants to emerge – yes – rise again from the political graveyard. Oh golly gosh, I wish he would sail around the world.


Now for the really important news! I was in the winning team for the annual Calliope Kohn cup relay. The Kohn cup is a semi-world-famous trophy that’s been in existence for many years
The event involves a lap from Birkenhead to Beach Haven and then a lap back by a slightly different route.


Anyhooo, our team triumphed. But unfortunately, our first member was not registered with the club. So alas, we have forfeited the glamorous trophy to the second team across the line.
I leave you with a shot of me in another relay many years ago, when I were young and faster.

Let's take it nice and easy ...

Start like you mean to finish.

I competed in the Auckland road race-walking championship yesterday at Ngataringa Bay in Devonport and won the masters section (40 years and over). Nevertheless, it was still a sorry display of race walking on my part.

I committed the cardinal sin for race-walkers - going out too fast in the early stages. By the 2km point in this 10 km event I was quietly blowing up. For the final 7 km, I simply suffered and hung on.

Of course, I should know better. All my best performances have involved what is called negative splits. This is simply were you complete the second half of the race faster than the first half.

A number of things happen when you go out too fast. Firstly, you suffer all the way. Secondly, you invariably end up with much sorer muscles the next day. Thirdly, you perform well below you ability.

It was a properly judged event. Four judges were around the course looking for the two problems that bring about disqualification: 1. Bending of the knee and 2. Lifting. At the midpoint of a stride when the body is directly above the leg, the leg must be straight. Indeed, with many race walkers the knee is in fact more than straight. It is hyper-extended.

The test of the straight leg is that the muscles in the upper thigh look completely relaxed as the picture shows. Here is an article those who wish to read further. Whereas in the picture below, the knee is clearly bent and the upper thigh is not relaxed.

I think back of all my days of yore …

Back in days of yore, when I was a lad at College, the headmaster of the time had this idea that we would all benefit by playing a team sport.

It is here, he reasoned, that we would learn that timely spirit of cooperation and good old fashion esprit-de-corp. Before 3rd form, I had tried team sports (both rugby and soccer) and failed to impress in any way shape or form (as they say).

In the 2nd form, I took to running and found my niche in the personal realms of individual sport (don’t ya love redundancy!). I was at heart an individualist. The odd relay gave me all the taste of steamy teaminess that I needed.

So I was, in the 3rd form, miffed to hear the head preach about the values of team sport and stuck to my guns, pursuing my interest in track and cross-country running.

The news of the fracas at a recent schoolboy rugby match and the ongoing outrageous behaviour by parents and supports at these team games only serves to strengthen my conviction, that the nicest and most generous of people are found in the domains of individual sport and particularly in the sphere of middle and long distance running and race walking.

Back in 1956, in Melbourne, Ron Clarke tripped and fell in a mile race. As John Landy stepped over him he accidently spiked him. Landy stopped and helped Clarke to his feet checking that he was alright. In spite of losing some 30 metres on the field, he went on to win the race. He had been on target for world record, but disregaded that to assist a fellow athlete. Quite a contrast to the constant news of fracas in these rugby games! Landy went on to become the Governor of the State of Victoria.

Schoolboy rugby fight 1
Schoolboy rugby fight 2 Watch these! Yep! espirt-de-corp folks!!
Rugby fights

Seldom do you hear of runners being thrown out of a pub and/or being involved in some unfortunate sexual liaisons. Runners and walkers are the most intelligent of all sports people – men and women of immense self-discipline who employ all their cognitive acumen to compete strategically and successfully.

The names of those middle-distance people in the past who go on to fame in other areas are innumerable.
Murray Halberg, Peter Snell, Roger Bannister, Ron Clarke, John Landy, Haile Gebrsellassie, Herb Elliott, Kip keino, Sebastian Coe, and …

Well I rest my case!

If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!


The Song of the Ungirt Runners


We swing ungirded hips,
And lightened are our eyes,
The rain is on our lips,
We do not run for prize.
We know not whom we trust
Nor whitherward we fare,
But we run because we must
Through the great wide air.

The waters of the seas
Are troubled as by storm.
The tempest strips the trees
And does not leave them warm.
Does the tearing tempest pause?
Do the tree-tops ask it why?
So we run without a cause'
Neath the big bare sky.

The rain is on our lips,
We do not run for prize.
But the storm the water whips
And the wave howls to the skies.
The winds arise and strike it
And scatter it like sand,
And we run because we like it
Through the broad bright land.

Charles Hamilton Sorley

We're having a heat wave - a tropical heatwave ...

Global warming – it’s a fact. However, the way many in the media talk about it, you would think it is a new phenomenon. Global warming and cooling have always been a part of the earth’s climate history. Climate change is thus a fact. Currently we are going through a small global warming phase. It has happened before.

Around the turn of the first millennium, vineyards were growing happily in southern England and Greenland isn’t called green for a joke.
The main cause of global warming (and cooling)? That there big ball of nuclear activity up in the sky – not cows farting.

But it is a great industry – this global warming – climate change – carbon footprint stuff. It is big money, and an excuse for increases in taxation. It has gained the status of religious dogma.

Now don’t get me wrong – I am not an advocate of unbridled capitalism and unceasing economic growth. There is much in the environmentalist movement that strikes a chord in me. The maths of economic growth is quite simple – it can’t go on forever. The resources must and will run out. Economic growth of say 3% per year for 30 years amounts to a 240% increase in production – now that is completely unsustainable.

However, one thing is clear to me. Human production of carbon-dioxide is not a significant cause of global warming.

Thank goodness there are still those who are willing to debate the issues.

Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run

Here is the Calliope time trial course on which I ran a PB by almost 1 minute on Saturday. It is situated in Birkenhead Auckland.

What’s it all about Alfie …..

Journalists and statistics – an unfortunate marriage.

It has long been know that many journalist have serious numeracy issues – not the least when it comes to reporting so called research findings, or political survey results.

As a result, statistics get a bad name, as in this report. For survey results or research results to have validity, two things are essential.

The sample use needs to be of an adequate size – this will affect the margin of error. For example a sample of 100 will have a margin of error of around 10%, whereas a sample of 1000 will have a margin of error of around 3.2% (95% confidence level, for a large population).

The sample used must be representative of the “population” of interest. This is the hard bit. Getting such a sample is no easy matter.

When journos report their results, they should be obliged to give the sample size and the margin of error.

An example: A survey of 500 voters suggests that 43% would vote for the Wacko party and 39% would vote for the Bonkers party. What does this mean?

500 in the sample would indicate a margin of error of around 4.5%. This is important. It actually means that in terms of statistical significance, there is no difference in voter preference.

This is because the margins of error overlap.

39% >>>>>>> 34.5 ……………….. 43.5

43% >>>>>>> >>>>>>>38.5 ………………….47.5

The margin of error is roughly 1divided by square root of sample size. Then convert this decimal to a percentage

e.g. 1divided by Square root 500 = 0.0447 which is 4.47%

So journos! Here is where to go to get help with your numeracy!

It's just a game and someone has to lose my friend

Rugby in the Philippines is a highly addictive substance. It is a brand of glue. When I was there many young people were into sniffing the stuff with the end result – an addled brain.

Rugby is Nu Zulun is likewise a highly addictive substance. The football game has been called a national obsession. Once again the national team (the All Blacks) has been soundly thrashed by the South African Team (the Springboks).

Nu Zulun is awash with New Zealand males in withdrawal – gnashing their teeth, beating their breasts. Talkback radio is replete with endless analysis of what went wrong - real evidence (just listen for a short time if you can stomach it) of addled brains.

The sad thing is that with this addiction to rugby in the media, many of our less prominent sports miss out. For example the Nu Zulun Cross country Champs were held on Saturday and not a mention in the Herald on Sunday.