• Bob likes his Bananas.
  
  6 kilos of quinces from Chris & Tony Booth's Apple Yurt cost $9.00.
  4 Bananas for Bob from Fyshwick Markets cost $10.00.
  
• Any suggestions on how to commemorate 13 July 2006 - this is the 21st anniversary of Lucy (the now one-eyed, Burmese cat's) birthday?
  
• I see a trailer for 'I ran' on the ABC, and automatically think "Whoopee". The audio and video eventually make me realise that it was about the Persian country, not Cool Running stuff!

At the last minute, I thought I'd do the Canberra Half Marathon this morning, after-all, one of my favourite sayings is that with an endurance base, one can do a Half without specific training, diet or recovery; the perfect race distance really, and always one which gives a sense of satisfaction and achievement when completed, even if slowly.

Bob did make me promise to run slowly, not under 2 hours, and to carry my mobile with me in case the gut et al flared up again so I didn't make things worse like I did when carrying on in the Sri Chinmoy 10k last week. I wasn't sure how I'd go, having run 3 times since our return, but I knew that I'd enjoy being part of something. I was.

I ran with Strewth for most of the way, her company an absolute delight in the stunning Canberra Autumn weather. In the final few kilometres, an out and back section along the northern shore of Central Basin, I lost her and was chatting merrily to someone sitting on my shoulder thinking it was her! I felt bad when I realised, but continued on to see Bob on his road bike, and gave him my CR Tri Top to carry (unfortunately it is now well greased with chain grease from him bike when he dropped it), and mobile phone. With 3 kilometres to go, I didn't think he'd mind anymore!

From our vantage point at the back of the pack in this final leg, I could see Aki, allrounder, and the mysterious and rapidly improving Mister B each moving strongly and likely to run in the 1:41:30 ~ 1:47:00 range. I was right!

Aki achieved an excellent result of 1:41:31 (my time), an improvement of 15 full minutes over 12 months! Allrounder smashed her soft target of 1:50:00, with a 1:46:10. 1:50 was always too soft, so I hope that she is a little less cautious at her third attempt - she certainly has the ability and capacity for excellent endurance running.

Bob gave me the nod to keep going, so I finished in 1:59:16 (ish!), satisfied with even kilometres and being sensible! It was the most beautiful day imagineable and perfect conditions!