Run!

Walking The Room - A Podcast: Gigs Dave Will Be Doing in Melbourne

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 19:46:07 +1100

Walking The Room - A Podcast: Gigs Dave Will Be Doing in Melbourne:

So, Wil Anderson and the gents from the Little Dum Dum Club podcast have been kind enough to help me out when I’m in Australia.

So far, I’ve lined up the following shows…

Monday April 2nd.

Spleen - 41 Bourke Street - 8:30 pm

The Shelf - The Toff in Town - Doors at 7:30, show until 11pm.

…

So, listen.

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:07:17 +1100

daveholmes:

Earlier this month, I had the great honor of being a guest on a live version of Greg Behrendt and Dave Anthony’s podcast Walking The Room at San Francisco Sketchfest.

And I took the opportunity to tell the most vulgar story I have ever told. It went against every standard of good taste to which I have ever held myself, and I’ll be damned if it didn’t feel great.

If you have $2 and you want to hear me debase myself in front of an eager audience, click here, download, and forgive me.

Photo

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:46:19 +1100

slashleen: Pensive Great photo.

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:24:59 +1100

slashleen:

Pensive

Great photo.

Nasty advertising

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 18:03:34 +1000

I just passed a billboard ad for some variety of SUV with the slogan “wanna live?” I can’t help interpreting this as some sort of veiled threat. The clear implication is: don’t buy the car and you’re not long for this world.

at last a proper long run

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 09:39:36 +1000

At last, I managed a proper long run yesterday. It was slightly over 34km, our and back on a pretty flat Dandenong Creek Trail: http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/fullscreen/37323684/

I was pretty happy with that, despite running at what seems to be my default pace - 5 minute kms.

The afternoon was spent chasing kids around Scienceworks, which was probably more tiring than the run itself.

That’s what the Melbourne Marathon needs, a whopping great...

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 16:07:21 +1000

That’s what the Melbourne Marathon needs, a whopping great bus following the leaders covered in signs for Big M.

glad it's over

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 10:04:18 +1000

It’s true there are few things more enjoyable than lying in a nice warm bed listening to the rain fall on the roof. At 4am this morning, that experience, though enjoyable, was sullied somewhat by the thought I would have to be out in the rain in an hour, trooping up and down hills for 18km.

Thankfully the rain eased off by 5am, and I was off. At that stage, I was feeling as good as can be expected. I had my arm-warmers on, and everything was fine…

… for about 20 minutes, at which point the rain started again. At that point there was no point turning back. I was wet, and there was nothing I could do about it. So I soldiered on, and the rain eventually stopped.

I didn’t have much time to dry off, though, as about 2kms later I stepped into a puddle and had one soggy foot. 20 minutes after that and I managed to step into another puddle, this time with the other foot.

I’m glad it’s over. I just hope I don’t get sick.

if my barber asks to "do my eyebrows" what is he trying to tell me?

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 18:38:03 +1000

I should add, he’s not a fancy sort of barber. He works in a shop in a shopping centre, the kind where you wait in line and they charge you $20.

hobbling dissapointment

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 18:36:43 +1000

A very ordinary run yesterday was followed today by a godawful hobble today.

Yesterday was the long run for the week. It started out okay, but degenerated due to boredom, stiffness, a pesky little rock in my left shoe and host of other excuses into a considerably ordinary 31 point something km’s at barely under 5 minute/km pace.

Not only was the run disappointing, but it somehow left me feeling exhausted for the rest of the day. We went out to dinner and I was accused of not saying a word for the whole evening, an accusation I deny: I said hello at the beginning and goodbye at the end. It’s true, I had no energy for anything else and may have briefly fallen asleep during the main course, but that’s not the point.

Today I woke up early for the recovery 8km, but decided it was too early, and far too cold. So, the recovery was at lunch-time, and it was less a run than a hobble.

I’m trying to avoid looking at the calendar, mainly because I know there’s another 3 months of this stuff before the race.

Sigh…

I have an almost visceral reaction to some forms of wealth and consumption: luxury cars, expensive...

Sat, 04 Jun 2011 18:26:03 +1000

I have an almost visceral reaction to some forms of wealth and consumption: luxury cars, expensive restaurants, designer clothes and jewellery. In a world poverty, hunger and pain, getting upset because your souffle hasn’t risen 100% perfectly seems positively immoral.

Yes, immoral.

So, at what point does wealth and consumption become immoral? Twice average income? Ten times? A thousand times? Rupert Murdoch? Bill Gates?

My feeling is that somewhere between twice average income and Bill Gates, wealth stops being a sign of hard work and intelligence, and becomes a failure to share. But when?

Personally, it’s anyone who earns conspicuously more than I do, but you might disagree.

effing cyclists

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:11:04 +1000

I’m taking my life into my own hands by saying this, I know that, but I’ve come to the conclusion that cyclists are rude.

Not all cyclists, mind you, but quite a lot. Consider this: this morning I ran along the Main Yarra Trail, along the North side of the Yarra between Burnley and the city. I counted (to give me something to do) 123 cyclists who passed me during that 20 minute period. Of those, 4 rang their bells to warn me, and one guy said “passing” as he, well, passed.

That’s not many.

There were far more who zoomed by at 50kph (they wish!), clad in lycra and astride skinny-tyred hunks of carbon fibre.

It would have scared the life out of me, if I didn’t a. know what to expect and b. have reflexes dulled by an hour of running.

Lift your game cyclists!!!!

Running

I’ve run 6 days in a row now, for a total of 90km, including one and a half long runs, fartlek over rolling hills and two sets of strides, so I’m due a break and a day off tomorrow. It’s a relief, I tell you, not so much because I have sore legs or anything, more that I’m tired of getting up at stupid o’clock in the morning and shuffling around in the freezing cold. This morning I woke up at 4:20am. 4:20am!!! Not because I had to, my body just assumed it had to.

Stupid body.

so, anyone run the Sydney marathon?

Tue, 31 May 2011 17:59:43 +1000

So, I wanted to run a marathon this year, mainly as an excuse to get back into shape following a fairly louche start to the year. After a bit of umming and ahhing, I’m starting to lean towards running this year’s Sydney Marathon. I had a few options:

Melbourne - it pissed me off last year with the merge issues
Perth City to Surf - I’ll be in town, but it’s expensive, they still haven’t posted a course map and it looks like there’s a whopping great hill at the 40km mark.
Sydney - it’s relatively easy to get there, although I recognise much of the course, I’ve never run there, I can’t see a problem with merging, and my Dad lives 5 minutes from the start line.

So, Sydney it is. Has anyone run it? Am I in for a good experience? Any tips?

Why I don't run in five fingers and Scarlett Johansson

Mon, 30 May 2011 19:13:27 +1000

To start with, there are lots of reasons why I would run in five fingers. I think the idea behind them is sound. I buy the idea that running shoes represent, at best, pseudo-science and are mostly marketing. I also agree they distort our natural running action and we’d probably be better without them.

However, I’m not going to get a pair of the fiver fingers alternative. And here’s why:

I’ve been pretty-much injury free, as long as I stick to Brooks Adrenalines
I don’t want to spend 6 weeks running very little while I get used to five fingers
I don’t want to then be locked into wearing them and only them.
I don’t want to be locked into one brand of shoes
I don’t want to be locked into one brand of shoes I can’t even try on in the shops
Five fingers aren’t cheap.
Scarlott Johansson wears them.
If there’s one certainty in life it’s this: I can guarantee I will look 100 times worse than Scarlott Johansson in any given item of clothing. The picture below is not her best, but she still looks way hotter than me.

It’s been a week or so, and the twitter natives are getting restless, so I guess it’s...

Sun, 29 May 2011 19:37:50 +1000

It’s been a week or so, and the twitter natives are getting restless, so I guess it’s time for a blog post.

My humble apologies for the delay. In my defence, work has kicked up a gear, as has running, and general life, including blogging, has suffered.

So what’s been happening? Not a lot of any great significance.

I’m planning a trip to Perth in August and another to Sydney in September. I have a feeling I’ll do a marathon in one of those cities, but I haven’t decided which. At the moment I’m leaning towards Sydney, as the Perth City to Surf marathon has a nasty hill placed maliciously at the 40km mark, where it will be least appreciated.

Running wise, I’m headed for a 350km month. It seems quite a lot, surprisingly so. The 350km has just crept up on me. I feel fitter and perhaps a little lighter, but there’s still a long way to go.

My phone started vibrating uncontrollably this afternoon, and wouldn’t stop. I thought for a...

Sun, 22 May 2011 16:57:49 +1000

My phone started vibrating uncontrollably this afternoon, and wouldn’t stop. I thought for a moment it might have been the rapture, but it was probably because I left the phone in a bag with my smelly socks and wet bathers.

"Speaking from beyond the grave in the posthumous message, bin Laden recommends…"

Thu, 19 May 2011 20:19:49 +1000

“Speaking from beyond the grave in the posthumous message, bin Laden recommends…”

- One of the sillier sentences I’ve read for a long time. It came from beyond the grave AND it was posthumous. What a coincidence!

it's the end of the world and I'll be rich

Thu, 19 May 2011 12:50:55 +1000

If you haven’t heard, apparently the rapture is due to occur this Saturday. I’m not sure whether that’s American time, Greenwich mean time, or Eastern Standard Time. My reading of the book of revelations (cross referenced with the book of Ezekiel, read in the original Amaraic) tells me God follows Melbourne time, daylight savings.

So, if you’re of the Christian disposition, it’s pretty damn exciting.

Congratulations on being properly god-fearing and free of sin. Just one question: have you considered the fate of your pets? I can guarantee Rover and Kitty won’t be going to the great kennel in the sky.

That’s where us aethists come in, or rather an enterprising bunch from the US called Eternal Earth-Bound Pets.

The post-Doomsday pet rescue service already has 259 clients, who have paid $135 for the first pet and $20 for each additional pet at the same address, to ensure the faithful animal companions are looked after and loved even when their Christian owners have gone to the other side.

All the rescuers are sworn atheists, which means they will definitely be left behind on Earth, ready to rescue pets after the Rapture, which one US Christian fundamentalist group has pencilled in for Saturday.

I wonder if they have a franchise arrangement? I’m definitely not a candidate for rapture, and I’m pretty sure there are a bunch of gullible pious people here in Australia.

Running

I’m about 3 and a half weeks into the training program. So far, the peak has been 89km per week, with a long run of 31km. This week is the easy/catch-up week. It’s all good.

pleasing run and walking the room.

Sun, 15 May 2011 17:40:27 +1000

Quite a good run this morning. After a slow start (I didn’t get up until 8am - unthinkable!) I headed out at about 10.

I took a route I’ve run before. It’s basically a big triangle, running along Mt Dandenong Road up to Montrose, then up to Lilydale, then back to RIngwood via Maroondah highway.

It has its scenic bits, and its not-so-scenic bits (Chirnside Park shopping centre, I’m looking at you) and a few ups and downs. I was happy to finish in very slightly under 5 minute/km pace. That’s quite good on a long, not easy course.

I was helped by listening to a couple of old episodes of Walking the room on the ipod. The people who beeped their horns at me on the hill coming out of Lilydale might have been laughing at me chortling along apparently to myself. Or they might just have been annoying boguns.

Either way, running up hills in Chirnside Park is improved no end as an experience by listening to Dave Anthony tell extremely filthy anecdotes about crazy meth-heads from West Virginia and Hugh Hefner.

BTW - @DaveAnthony is possibly the funniest guy on twitter and Walking the room is the funniest podcast I know, but it requires a strong stomach and a tolerance for swearing and unbelievable levels of filth.

One of these things is full of filth and rancid used condoms....

Sat, 14 May 2011 16:39:46 +1000

One of these things is full of filth and rancid used condoms. The other is a rubbish bin.