Chapter 74 : running drills

Drills are an important part of swimming training. In swimming drills consist of breaking swimming down into distinct parts.  With a kickboard you give the legs an extra hard work out and the arms a rest. With a pull-buoy you can rest the legs and just exercise the arms. There are other drills when you just exercise one side at a time. In swimming there are other drills specifically aimed at improving technique.  Drills are an integral part of swimming training.     

In running drills are virtually ignored. It is easy to go for a run and feel that you have done your training. In a swimming pool it is harder to swim a few laps and have the same feeling.  

I have asked my friend Mr Goggle what he thinks of drills.
Mr G says running drills:

Strengthen key leg muscles. Strengthen not only the muscles, but the specific joints (like the ankle)

Improve the gait.

Improve communication between head and legs. Neuro-muscular co-ordination.

Improve mindfulness of good running technique.

Improve coordination, agility, balance, and proprioception.

Serve as a great warm-up before challenging workouts or races.

And my bottom line is running drills improve my running. I run well, my legs seem to be looser, more coordinated, better balanced, more agile, better able to cope with obstacles on the track or sudden changes in the track.  They seem to help jumps events and the hurdles.

I feel less likely to get an injury and feel like I am running faster. The running is more enjoyable. Less plodding. More lightness. I have no proof or evidence of anything. All I say is try a few drills. You might like them. They might help you.

How often should you do them? I am not training for world records. I do them when I feel like it. I try for a few drills every time I run. Some days I manage more.  I have a routine where I normally do them in the same order. On a good day I do the routine twice or three times. I normally do them before an aerobic run. I find them more tiring than a steady aerobic run.

If you have had an injury then certain drills may be beneficial of harmful. Be aware that previous injuries may influence which drills are good or bad for you.

Normally I do my drills on the DAC or on a local grass soccer field.

And the drills are:

Skipping

Mr G says: skipping increases stride length and knee lift, improves lower-leg strength promoting an efficient midfoot to forefoot strike. And improves balance.

I skip forward raising my leading knee as high as possible. I pump my arms as I do when running but in a more exaggerated fashion.   

I find this very enjoyable. It feels like it is helping with my balance and rhythm. It feels good and I recommend it. If you have a spare moment try a bit of skipping.

Carioca

Mr G says: carioca aids the glutes, abductors, and hips while improving lateral mobility, stability, and coordination.  Carioca lessen your ground contact time and give you a quicker, more efficient turnover.

Move sideways to the left swinging the right leg across in front of the left leg and then behind your left leg. Alternate between swings the right leg in front of and behind you. After a short period change over. Move right with right leg now leading with left leg alternating between swinging in front of and behind you. Arms high and out of way.

My experience is that carioca is confusing and can be stressful on the knees. I am not very fond of this drill.

Backward running

Mr G says: improves the glutes and upper hamstrings and general speed and efficiency. My experience is that running backwards is very helpful. It seems to help balance, co-ordination and all the right muscles. I am definitely a big fan of backwards running.

Butt kicks

Mr G says: run with short strides and try to bring your heel under your butt with each stride. I run slowly and try to raise my foot as high behind me towards butt as possible.   My experience is that this is very tiring. My experience is that this is exercising muscles I don’t normally use. Therefore it must be helping me.

Straight leg

Mr G says: running with straight legs promotes quick leg turnover and improved coordination.

Keep legs straight, run forward, land on midfoot, no high lift of feet. As quick a turnover as possible.

My experience is that this is not very useful or enjoyable.

High knees

Mr G says: run on the spot with fast strides, lifting knees high.  Improves all leg muscles, promotes high knee lift and increasing leg speed.

My experience is that this works. To run on the spot helps. It is a good drill.

Bounding

Mr G says: strengthens all muscles in lower leg.

Lunge forward on one leg.  The leading leg is bent while trailing leg is straight. Hold the lunge position for about 1 second.

I find the only way to do this is very slowly at walking speed. To slowly lunge forward from leg to leg. Not very enjoyable or useful.

Hopping/jumping

Mr G says: strengthens all muscles.

I say it helps a lot. It improves coordination and balance and strengthens muscles and tendons. One of my favourite drills. I interrupt my running with a few meters of hopping or jumping. Either single leg hops or double leg jumps. With the double leg jumps I feel that the takeoff or jump is good. And that the vibrations from the landing are bad.

Chapter 72 : TMA : The triple jump (part 3)

Day 7

I arrive at the pits for my event. The first take-off line is the long jump line and is way too short for me. The take-off lines from the t-jump look too long. Too far away from the pit. After my complaints the other people agree to put a tape across the track and let me jump from that.

I run and jump three times and then look at my results. The first two have been called a foul. I must have overstepped. The third one has been measured. I have a result. I have legally done a t-jump.

The others resume their long jumps. One guy is jumping much longer than me. I think they all are but one guy seems to be flying. I stand mesmerized and fascinated by his jumping. He seems to run very fast at the pit. His emphasis seems to be on running fast, taking off in the right spot and not jumping technique. 

I need to practice my run-up. I need to run faster. I need to get my feet landing in the right spot. Speed is now my aim and having my feet in right spot for a good take-off. They are my aims. Not technique.

My run-up must be fast and aggressive. Not apologetic and submissive. No thinking as I run down the track. I need to practice running hard and fast without jumping. I need to continually practice running down the track. Seeing where my feet land.

Another thing to practice is my step. According to an expert (who was helping) when doing the step I need to wave my leg forward. Increase my step.  Think about waving my left leg forward and not about landing it is soon as possible.

And another thing I need to practice is jumping from the lines provided. The first t-jump line is 5m from the pits. I have to jump from this line not a tape spread across the track.  The tape across the track was helpful but…

Next morning Mrs C askes me, “why did you have a restless night?”

“I was thinking of the t-jump.”

“I thought you were happy with your jumps. Well I don’t want you to get any worse.”

“No I also want to get better.”

“What other events could you do?”

“There are other events but the t-jump is put on.”

“It’s very good they put all these events on.”

“It is good. There are people, up there, doing a fantastic job. I try and fit in where I can. Not much I can do. I don’t know if being the only one to do an event helps or not. It keeps the event alive, hopefully until someone good turns up.”

I celebrate everybody who gets out and does something physical.  I love the people running laps. The ones jumping longer long jumps than my t-jump. At the moment I want to diversify slightly. To do the t-jump but I will return to running circles. I can see that in my future. At present I did one legal t-jump, one jump that was measured. For me that’s success.  

Chapter 71 : TMA : The triple jump (part 2)

Day 1 

I go for a run. And then do some drills. After my drills I do some exercises which I think may help my t-jump.

I do some standing t-jumps.

I hop on my right foot ten times.

I hop back on my left foot.

I jump with both legs together.

I stand still and jump as high as possible and touch my feet ten times.

I repeat the whole procedure and then run home.

Day 2

I look out the window and realise I must live in Hobart. It’s drizzling. I have a jacket and a long time ago I decided I don’t let the weather control my running.  I run up to the DAC track. I start with my running drills and a man says, “What injury are you recovering from?”

I reassure him and continue. After the drills I do a standing t-jump. I try this with eyes closed. I then try a running t-jump on the track finishing with a landing on both feet together and then continuing to run. I will build up to the pit.

Day 3

I do my drills on the bike track.

Do a few standing t-jumps. Goes well.  Seems to work better if I include the last two steps before doing the t-jump.

I feel ready for the pits. The t-jump is flowing sub-consciously and automatically from the hop.

Day 4

I go for a swim. You could say I am increasing my aerobic fitness with very little chance of injury. The truth is I swim it because I enjoy swimming.

After my laps I do double leg jumps starting with feet flat on the floor of the pool. I jump as high as possible and slowly make my way down the pool.

Afternoon. I jog to the local soccer field. There are a group of young kids playing soccer.  There is a disused jumping pit beside it which I head for.  I have one practice t-jump and one of the soccer kids approaches me. He says, “I can show you what to do.”

I reply, “Okay. Show me.”

He does a perfect t-jump, better than me.  He is blithe, graceful and young and jumps further than me.  I say, “That was very good.”

I wander down and do another jump. He beams and says, “I am good. I can show you what to do.”

He races down and does another good jump. It’s my turn. I jump and he immediately says, “Watch me. Watch me. ”

We are joined by other kids who have stopped playing soccer. They all want a jump. And the adult who is umpiring the soccer glares at me. Don’t worry I want the same thing as you.

I love their enthusiasm and their love of jumping and their enjoyment of physical activity but... 

I tell them, “I love your jumps. You are good. I want to see some good soccer play. That’s what I really want to see. Some good soccer.”

They drift back to the soccer and I have the pit to myself. A few practice jumps. I decide the last two steps have to be right. If they are right then everything else follows in a nice rhythm.

Day 5

Run back to the local sporting fields. Today nobody is playing soccer and the disused jumping pit is empty. I place my drink bottle down as a guide and practice jumping. I run down the runway and jump without a takeoff board. Without worrying where my feet land. My rhythm feels good. 20 jumps and only one aborted. I need to crouch down before jumping. And then I need to become more vertical and jump as high as I can. In a few days I have to put everything together. What will be a good jump? 

I do some running drills on the soccer field. Perfect spot for drills. I then run back home.  The drills and the jumping are tiring. More tiring than jogging up the bike track.

Day 6

Run back to my regular spot. The local soccer field. Nobody is there and I run towards the pits.

I have to work out how long my run-up is. I start with 6 paces and scratch a take-off line on the runway.  I want to run fast at the pit and have my right foot land just being the take-off line. It is just practice. I move my starting spot by centimeters and run again. I move it again and jump again. I repeat and repeat. I try running without jumping to see where my feet are landing.

There are two things that matter. One is doing the t-jump correctly. The other is running fast and taking off with my foot in the right spot. What is more important?

A lady who cannot help me turns up with her dogs. I ignore them and they ignore me. Perfect result.

I run back home.

“How was your run?”

I answer, “I did the t-jump?”

“How’s that going?”

“I will find out tomorrow.”

Chapter 70 : TMA : The triple jump (part 1)

I look at next week’s program and see the word Triple-jump. I have a week to practice.

Triple jump is also called the hop, step and jump. I call it the t-jump.  It consists of one continuous movement which you could say is composed of three distinct jumps. The aim is to jump as far as possible.

The hop consist of taking off and landing on the same foot.

The step consists of landing on the other foot and then taking off for the jump.

The jump consists of landing anyway you like, but normally on two feet similar to the long jump.

Other rules are similar to the long jump.

What are the origins of such an obscure event?

In historical records of the ancient Olympics jumps of 15 meters are mentioned.  This led people to conclude that in the ancient Olympics there was an event that consisted of several continuous jumps.

In the first modern Olympic Games in Athens an event consisting of two hops on the same foot and then a jump was included. In the next Olympics the event involved present day rules. 

The standing t-jump was included in the 1900 and 1904 Olympics.  In Ireland the triple jump was contested in ancient Irish Games and was possibly an inspiration for the modern version of the T-jump.

The t-jump was retained in modern athletics because the runway and the landing area were similar to the long jump.

The take-off board is placed across the runway. The jumper can decide which board to jump from or how close to the pit is the board. A legal jump consist of not over stepping the board when taking off.

A foul jump occurs when over stepping the take-off board, not using correct foot sequence or not performed in allotted time. Scraping the ground with the trailing leg is not a foul.

Chapter 69: TMA : the long jump(2)

I return home. What does Mr Goggle say about long jump? He must say something useful. I just have to find it.   Mr G says many things and eventually I find a place where he talks about the four main components of the long jump: the run-up, the last two strides, takeoff, and landing.

Run-up

Mr G says the aim of the run-up is to reach maximum speed at takeoff.

The other factor Mr G talks about is the angle of your jump. Elite jumpers leave the ground at 20 degrees or less. If the angle is too big they will travel more up than along. If the angle is too small they will fall back to earth prematurely.

I have to smoothly and gradually accelerate until I reach top speed. I have to travel as far longitudinally as possible before I fall back to earth. Getting the run-up and angle of takeoff right sounds like more practice.  Sounds like trial and error to me.  Back to the track.

The last two strides

Mr G says the aim of the last two strides is to prepare for take-off while conserving as much speed as possible.  He says that during these strides you need to lower your centre of gravity to prepare for vertical movement of my body.

I need to think of the last two strides as separate and distinct from my run-up. While doing these strides I need to conserve as much speed as possible. I need to position my feet behind the line and lower myself into a type of crouch.

Back to the track for more practice. 

Takeoff

Mr G says must place your foot on the ground flat prior to take-off.  Don’t take off on from your heels or toes. Mr G talks about various take-off styles which confuse me.  The only thing I can take is fully extend the arm backwards (on take-off leg side).  Don’t leave it in a bent position.

Landing

Mr G says if no action occurs in the air prior to landing the body will finish in a face down position in the sand. 

One technique is to make the body as long as possible in the air.  Extent arms and legs a maximum distance from the hips. Then at the apex of the jump flex the knees. Land on bent knees to soften the impact of landing.  When landing the aim is not to fall backward.  This depends on moving arms forward and bent knees.

The main thing to practice is initially one arm back with legs straight and then bend legs and throw arms forward. And don’t fall back. Again.

I visit the nursery. And buy a rake. A plastic rake. When buying it I don’t tell the guy at reception what I want the rake for.  I’ll keep that to myself.  

And the future.  I can see an improvement in my long jump. I can see myself getting better. I can’t see by how much.  

In the future I can see myself not comparing my jumps to the jumps of others. It’s not about beating other people. It’s all about doing my best. Improving.  If I get better I know I will have had a small victory.  I will have learnt something about myself. And that’s what matters.

chapter 68: TMA : the long jump(1)

I stand at the top of a synthetic, artificial track peering down at a pit of sand surrounded by a small group of people.  One with a plastic tape measure. I look at my marker lying beside me on the track. I am in the right place and time.  I now have to do what I said I was going to do. I have to run towards the sand-pit and jump as far as possible. 

Why am trying to jump long?

When I was in hospital the staff they always said, “Avoid this” or “don’t do this” or “have you taken your medication.” They never said, “Your treatment involves jumping as far as possible.”  When I was in hospital they always treated me as a sick person, someone who was going to need continual protection and care.    They always assumed they were going to look after me forever.  I always thought I was going to get better.  I didn’t lie in hospital thinking about the long jump. When lying in the hospital bed I thought I don’t want to be here. I want to be out there attacking the future and trying new things.

I started training for the long jump several weeks ago. First thing was work out my run-up. How long would it be? I have to guess.  I Count one stride as equal to a step with left foot and then one with right foot.

 I stand on the track looking at the pit. I count the strides of my new run-up. It is 24 strides and feels way too long. All I have to do is accelerate to my max speed. Not tire myself out. I try a much shorter distance and measure it. My run-up is now 10 strides.

Now I have a run-up. Ten strides from the take-off line. I re-measure and run towards the pit.  I want my right foot to land just behind the take-off line. Am I in the right spot?  It feels like I am overstepping the take-off line. I need to increase my run-up.

I try 11 strides. Now I run towards the pit. It feels right. I run past the pit. I can’t jump into the pit. 11 strides feels good. I now have a run-up.

I try again. And again. I keep on moving my start position by a couple of mms.

What is the technique for the long jump? Do I just run and jump?  Are there other things to practice? Is there any technique I need to learn?

I do a few of my running drills. Skips, butt kicks, backwards running and a bit of hopping. Are they helping? I feel the hopping is helpful. I can go home now. That’s my first training for long jump done.

The next day I count out 11 strides from the take-off line. It seems to short. I feel everybody will be longer. Do I stay short or copy other people?

The next day I enter the DAC stadium. People are preparing for a carnival. There is a tent at the finish line. And microphones and clipboards and groups of officials hold their whistles. I circle the track and head for the jumping pits.  I will test my run-up. I count my steps and run at the pits. I run past the pits. I think I over stepped.

I repeat. I think I overstepped again. I move my marker back and try again.  I think I am still overstepping. A group of school kids enter and shuffles into the grandstand.  They have face paint and colored ribbons in their hair and are not looking at me. I go home.  Another practice done.

The big night has arrived. I wander to the pits and everybody else has entered another event. I have 30 minutes by myself to prepare for the long jump.  I mark out 11 strides and mark my starting point. I run at the pit. I think I am over stepping. I must move my marker. I move it back. I know have a run-up of 12 strides.  I watch my right foot. I think that was good. I keep on practicing my run-up. I think I am in the right place.  

And then they arrive and after a couple of jumps it’s my turn. I run at the pits. They are watching me. Their eyes are on me. They are watching me run. They are watching my feet. My feet which are not working properly. They are watching me run through the take-off line. They are watching me not jump. They are watched me freeze. That counts as a fouled jump. I want another go. I can do better than that. I know I can do better than that.  Please let me have another go. Please let me go again. They don’t.  They say wait your turn.  Fair enough.

I practice jumping on the other run-ups. I keep on practicing the run-up and the jump. I am sure I can do this. Let me have another go.

My second jump. I am back at the run-up. Besides my marker. I run towards the pit. I must do a legal jump. It must be legal. It must be a proper jump. I run very carefully towards the take-off board.   I must put my foot behind the line. I must jump and land in the sand. The others clap and say well done. I love them. They are good people.

My third jump. Back at the run-up. I run towards the pit. It is a legal jump. It feels good but I fall back and the lady measuring says, “I’m sorry I have to take it from here.”

I nod. I am happy. Fortunately I have done three very, very bad jumps. Tonight I have begun my climb up the mountain. I have just told the world my long jump is hopeless. I have just told myself there is only one way to go. That’s longer.

The number one thing I need is more practice jumping. I need to practice in a pit. I need a rake. I need to find some way of bringing a rake up here and using it. 

Chapter 73 : Seven stages of not dying

the I’ve Got Questions stage

Initially I was tormented by a few questions. What happened? Why? Why me?  What does it mean in the future? This stage was characterized by my continual craving and search for information.

the “Monty Python” stage. It is only a flesh wound. I’ll be back at work in a few days. 

This stage gradually evolved when it dawned on me that it was not a flesh wound. It was serious.  One piece of evidence was the number of cards I received.  If I was receiving so many cards it must be because people thought it was not a flesh wound.

This was the time when I was overwhelmed with cards. Every card triggered some thought, some recollection of something. Every card made me grateful and I tried to reply honestly and truthfully to every card. Not everybody sent cards. I have since realised that some people who did not send cards wished me nothing but goodwill but the stars aligned in certain ways and they expressed themselves slightly differently.

the It’s Up To Me stage

I realised I had to take control. I had to decide what was healthy.  I had to decide what food to eat, what exercise to do, what activities to follow. I could not rely on the carers. The carers looked at everything from where they were. They often aimed one piece of advice at 20 different patients.  I was only interested in one person. What was best for him? The generalized advice had to be discarded, tailored, changed or altered. I could not tell these carers I didn’t want their help. I could listen to what they said; say thank you and then decide what was best for me.

There was a pivotal day. The day when I realised what I was being told was wrong. Listening to this wrong information actually made me happy. I realised that I was now capable of deciding what was best for me. I was now in control.

the It’s All About…stage

The stage when I started to talk to people about themselves. Initially every conversation was about my illness. Everybody I saw wanted to ask me about my injury. I was very happy to talk about my injury and my seven weeks in hospital. Then things changed. I asked people about their issues. What they were up to. And a strange thing happened. The more I was interested in other people and the more I talked to them about their concerns the better I felt.

the Game Of Cards stage

This is when I realised life was a game of cards. I have been given certain cards. Now I had to play with them.

You could say that two years ago I was given really bad cards. ICU for two weeks, followed by no job, no practice and suddenly an interesting medical history.

You could say that if you look at my life over the last 61 years I have been given really good cards. Either way good or bad I have to play with the cards I have been given. They are not bad or good. They are what they are.

chapter 67: 1854

Below are some extracts from a letter written in 1854 from John Robertson to the Governor of Victoria. The topic was the land around Portland and how it was being settled and farmed.

Why am I posting this?

Because John Robertson talks about his neighbours James Gibson and Bridget Watt.    

Who were they?

James Gibson was born in Beith Scotland in 1816.

Migrated in 1849. 

Bridget Watt born in Milltown Ireland about 1833.

Migrated in 1849.

In 1851 they married in Portland. 

They had the farm for about 24 years and had 12 children.

I am a direct descendent of one of these 12 children. Number 7.

Does their behavior matter?

The Gibsons became farmers in 1852/1853 on previously unfarmed land. They were squatters. They had no previous experience of sheep farming in Australia. Their most productive crop was humans. In the time they had the farm they had 12 children.

The land was previously occupied by aborigines.  I am well aware that as a society we took the land off the original inhabitants of the land and treated them badly. This letter brings it closer to home. It gives glimpses of how my direct antecedents interacting with the original inhabitants.

As I read their story I alternated between feeling proud of the Gibson’s achievements and guilty of their behavior?  I am proud that despite being born in Scotland and Ireland they farmed sheep in very strange conditions and raised 12 children.  At times I am proud of their relaxed attitude towards the original inhabitants.

I was raised on mum’s breast milk and stories of how brave and courageous the Gibsons were settling in a new home in a foreign country and raising 12 children.

There was a time when the original inhabitants and the recent arrivals became openly violent and hostile towards each other. These are the stories I was never told.

From what I can tell this interaction between the settlers and the local original inhabitants was typical of the society in which they lived. It is not typical of my society and sickens me. I was not proud of my antecedents being in the vicinity.

When feeling guilty I find it very difficult to go back and alter the past. What I can do is acknowledge that this is what happened.

Recently I went to an event where the MC began by acknowledging the traditional owners. I thought that’s a really good thing to do. She’s not guilty or proud. Just acknowledging.  Too me that’s they main message from this letter. Acknowledge the past. Be aware of what happened. Know the truth and it will set you free.

To His Excellency C. J. La Trobe, Esq.,

Lieutenant-Governor, Victoria.

Dear Sir,

Gibson from Melbourne settled on the remaining unoccupied land on the east bank of the Glenelg called Roseneath. In the Gibson family there were two ladies, one of them an old lady of 70 years of age. The ladies, Mrs. Gibson and Mrs McFarlane, lived in tents for ten months. Soon after they arrived they congregated a large number of natives about their place, whom they kept hanging about, doing and undoing, to keep them employed. The ladies were anxious to get a garden formed, as they had a quantity of English seeds. They got the natives to work in the garden for them, but they were expensive labour.

I wonder what English seeds they had. Were they vegetables of ornamental plants?

I have gone to the station and found as many as 20 natives round the place and not one white man near the station, Mr. Gibson and his men being away splitting or doing something from home. I used to expostulate with them about the impropriety of allowing the natives to remain about the place when there was no one about but the two females. Mr. and Mrs. Gibson just laughed, and said they were poor harmless creatures, and the only precaution used was, Mrs. Gibson carried a broken three - barreled pistol in a leather belt which she wore round her middle; this formed part of her toilet.

I like Mrs Gibson relaxed attitude and dislike her reliance on a gun.

On one occasion Mr. Gibson and his only available men were making hurdles, and they were in want of nails that were at the Dergholm Station, six miles off. Mrs. Gibson who was fond of riding, offered to go for the nails, as they were so much wanted, and to take one of the black men for a guide. They arrived at Dergholm - the six miles, Mrs. G. riding; the black man, Yarra, walking; they got 6 lbs. nails in a leather bag, which Yarra had to carry. On the way back, in a thick forest, Yarra, who was a little before on a dray track, stopped suddenly, caught the bridle of Mrs. Gibson's horse' ordered her to get off and walk and he would ride. Mrs. Gibson had presence of mind to pull out her pistol from her belt under her shawl, and presented it at the man, who let go the bridle in a moment. With her whip she struck her horse, which dashed off, and saved her life. Some days after, Yarra brought home the nails, and they all laughed at the affair (which they told me some nights after), though there was nothing there to laugh at.

They laughed about what happened. What does that mean?

A few days after this, Mrs. McFarlane was in the garden with some of her poor black creatures (as she called them), and she was reproving, one of them for pulling up the young potatoes. Yarra came running at Mrs. McFarlane with an uplifted rake, evidently to strike Mrs. McFarlane when Mrs. Gibson heard the scream, and rushed out with the pistol in her hand. All the natives, nine or ten of them, leaped over the fence and were no more seen.

In the evening, the shepherd at the home - station did not come home; his dog brought about 300 sheep long after dark. Mr. Gibson the only man about the place, next morning went in search of his shepherd and sheep; the poor dog went direct to the dead shepherd, about a mile from home. Mr. Gibson had to walk about six miles to Bell's, for his own horses were away. Mr. Bell had one man, and Mr. Gibson tracked the sheep through a long heath towards the Wando, and they found about 500 sheep coming back again, which they had to return with. Mr. Bell rode 21 miles for me and two others; we all got to Roseneath about three in the afternoon

Mr. Gibson returned with the 500 sheep about the same time; still 700 away. Five of us started, leaving Mr. Gibson to take care of the ladies, as they had been thus without the least protection all day, and now became afraid to stop by themselves all night with the dead shepherd. After a smart ride of fourteen miles we came on the main body of the sheep, but no natives. The sheep were nearly all dead; such wanton destruction no one but those who saw it can imagine. There were 610 fine ewes just about to lamb, for which 42s. a head had been paid the year before - all dead; some skinned; others skinned and quartered; some cut open and the fat taken out and piled in skins, but most of them just knocked on the head with a stick; meat, fat, and all mixed with the fine sand of the stringy-bark forest.

An example of life at the time. One dead shepherd (an employee) and hundreds of dead sheep.

It was quite evident the natives had left in the morning, for all was cold, and we saw no cooking or cooked meat. We agreed to all ride back for two miles, taking the few living sheep with us, and one man being left with the horses, to creep back after dark, and shell all remain; but no natives came. We returned to Roseneath in the morning, buried the shepherd, and six of us started in search of the natives, but never found any of them for two days. I was out on the third night; two of our horses got away; one of them was mine, and I had to walk home, which I was afterwards very glad of, for the party fell in with an unfortunate native and ran him down, and I believe shot him in retaliation (and I now have no doubt he never heard of Mr. G.'s sheep).

On my way home I came to an out-station hut of my neighbour's for a drink of water, and there was our friend Yarra, the native, chopping wood for the hut-keeper. I looked at him closely, and I saw a pair of Mr. Gibson's old trousers he had on at the time all smeared with blood, whether the poor shepherd's or the sheep's I know not. I was only a mile from home, and there I found Mr. Gibson's bullock- driver with his team and two men, splitters, returning from Portland on his way home. I told the bullock-driver what had happened, and that I saw Yarra at the hut, and if he could take Yarra on with him in the morning in his dray, he might perhaps tell who had killed the shepherd. They called friend Yarra, and easily induced him to go with them, but when he came in sight of the station he got off the dray and was running away, when one of the splitters shot him. So ended poor Yarra.

Another example of the times. One dead aborigine.

After this, there was a constant war kept up between the natives and the stations - Bell's and Gibson's - and, I regret to say, a fearful loss of life to the poor natives by two young heartless vagabonds Gibson and Bell had as overseers when they left.

I was shocked and stunned when I read this.  These are the stories I was never told.  I don’t know why the Gibsons spent so much time away from the property. Maybe it had something to do with Mrs Gibson’s ever-growing family.  

Your most obedient servant,

JOHN GEORGE ROBERTSON, Of Wando Vale; April 6th, 1854.

Chapter 66 : Fulham Palace parkrun

One of my daughters works for an organization which has as one its aims, to improve the health of the community.  I talked to her about this and I said, “No need to reinvent the wheel. Just copy what parkrun does. What they do is just about perfect.”

Well what does parkrun do?

They organize 5km runs around the world every Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m. The closest parkrun will be somewhere near you. A parkrun encourages people to get out there and go for a 5km run. It improves the health and fitness of those that run.

Parkruns are also a social exercise.  Either because you meet someone you already know or you gradually get to know the other runners. A parkrun will strengthen the community in which it is held.

Parkruns are as competitive as you want them to be. There is no emphasis on coming first or winning. People are applauded for 50/100/200 runs, not for coming first. You can make the race as competitive as you want.  You can compare your time against other similar people in the past or people elsewhere in the world.  You can see where you rank. You can give yourself all sorts of goals. You can just run and chat. You can take your dog or baby in a pram with you.

Another thing parkruns do is use the latest most up to date technology appropriately.  Shortly after every run my time and photo has been up there in the clouds. It is incredibly good use of the latest technology without worshiping the technology or letting the technology take over. The aim is still to enjoy your run; to have a bit of exercise; to meet a few friends. Not to get maximum number of hits.

Parkrun tourism is another side. At our local parkrun we always see visitors from elsewhere.  And I have just gone from Hobart and visited two park runs in England. A fantastic way for us tourists to spend our time. Doing what the locals do. Experiencing a new course. Meeting some great people.

      

Parkruns are free. No entry cost. Which means there is no cost or hassle involved in collecting a small entry fee from each participant. However there are some costs and chores involved. One solution seems to be, get sponsors to pay for things, in exchange for giving them the right to advertise to you via email. The other solution seems to be to get volunteers to help manage and run the event. This also seems to work. Most people I have spoken to assume that their time to help manage and run the event will come.

Parkruns do not discriminate. Every run I have seen has contained people of all different ages, sex, race, religion and orientation. I have not seen many activities where a 60 year old male can compete alongside a 10 year old female. I normally take the role of the 60 year old male.

                                                                                                         

I finish my spiel to Melissa. She has patiently listened to my sermon. I am a true believer. What will happen from here?  Will the YMCA of Hobart learn from parkruns when they introduce new programs?  Do they need to?

Chapter 65 : British Photos (D)

Glass House Edinburgh Botanical Gardens

Garden with hedge and flowering bed

Same garden as above

Britannia

Britannia

Paddington

Hyde Park

Hyde Park

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace