Chapter 306: Eddie tells me what to eat

 

Walk across the Brooker, towards a couple of parkrun flags. We become part of a crowd which is rapidly growing in size. Everybody gathers around the race director.

Except for Eddie the magpie. He walks around a grassy area searching, probing, and poking the grass with his beak. He continually nods his head as he looks for food.

Eddie has a few friends. Eddie is not hiding or camouflaged. He is proud of his black and white feathers. Proud the way they highlight him. Make him stand out. He and his friends are happy. Singing and chirping to themselves. I listen. Sounds beautiful.  

I tell Eddie I am here to do parkrun. He laughs and says:  Keep those dogs away from us. 

I say: Don’t complain about us. We are the ones who planted and mowed the grass. You like the area where we have planted grass. You like the way we have watered and mowed it. We are the ones who farmed and grew your food for you.

Eddie probes the grass and pulls up a worm.

Eddie: This will help you run faster. This is mine. You’ve got to get your own.

The parkrun race director does her briefing and  unleashes us.

She says: Go to the start.

The crowd shuffles tentatively towards the start line.

I have to decide where to stand.

My aim is to run with people who push me close to my PB.

I find myself somewhere in the parkrun crowd. I look around me. I have been given these people to start with.  

The race director blows the horn and the front runners explode away. The wave of running runners flows back and very quickly the running peloton is running up the parkrun track.

I run. I sneak a look at the people around me. Should I pass these people or will I struggle to keep up with them.  Perhaps I can forget them and just run.

We approach the path branching off through native bush. A marshal stands and takes photos. Some people wave at the camera. I just run past her.

On the narrow path I settle down. Not a time to pass other runners. A time to look out for walkers, prams and dogs.

Back past the marshal and now a straight run to the finish line.

I run with my arms. I push my arms bigger and faster. Must increase my leg speed. Legs go quicker.

Must breathe bigger. Exhale bigger.

Must concentrate on running faster.

I see the finish line. Now sprint. Think of nothing but running. Think of nothing but striding, breathing and swinging arms. I will catch that person in front of me. Getting closer. Keep on pushing.

Cross the finish line. I get handed a finish token. I look for a person surrounded by people holding similar tokens.

Somebody asks me : How did you go?

I say: The clouds know. They will tell everybody in the world shortly.

Eddie already knows. He tilts his head and says: Not very fast. Didn’t eat a worm.

Chapter 305: Geoff likes to watch and give me advice.

 

The tennis ball heads towards my left. I move my arms and legs and hit  a backhand shot into the net. Geoff the Green Rosella says the bleeding obvious. He says you should move your feet before moving your arm. I nod in agreement. I always seem to know what to do after I should have done it. Geoff just raises his head and says nothing. He is distracted by something more interesting than me. A caterpillar. He eats it. Job done.

 

Geoff is a Green Rosella. Slightly aloof. He likes watching. Hiding in the foliage. Not getting involved. He has splashes of colour. Enough colour to prove it knows how to do colour. His coloured feathers are not flashy or showing off. Red hair band to keep feathers from his eyes.  Most of the feathers help him hide; blend in. Green and black. Help him not be seen. I often don’t know he is watching until suddenly he flies away.

 

His feathers are functional. Help him fly. With his partner. The two of them are always hanging around in the foliage or on the ground.

 

When he is not helping me play better tennis he forages in the trees and shrubs and on the ground for nectar, fruit, berries, seeds and if he is lucky: insects.

He roosts in the tree with his partner. They chatter softly about my lack of footwork.

Geoff is subdued and less colourful than his cousin the Eastern Rosella. The Eastern rosella shows off. Wears bright and gaudy red feathers.

 

I think about my feet. Move my feet; get comfortable and nicely balanced; swing easily and gracefully and hit the ball. Win a few points. Lose a few but who cares. I am moving nicely. Nice and relaxed. Not stressed. The ball is bouncing back and forth across the court. I find the ball coming off my racquet a lot better. It is now going where I envisage.

 

Geoff nods in approval. Then he flies away. Geoff has done his job. He imagines more seeds over that way. Or maybe even an unlucky  caterpillar.

Chapter 304: Triple jump

 

Triple jump = The hop, step and jump = The t-jump. 

 

It consists of one continuous movement which is composed of three distinct jumps.

 

The hop consists 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.

 

A foul jump occurs when over stepping the take-off board; not using correct foot sequence. Scraping the ground with the trailing leg is not a foul.

 

Other rules are similar to the long jump. A legal jump consists of not over stepping the board when taking off.

The take-off board is placed across the runway. The jumper can decide which board to jump from.

 

What are the origins of such an obscure event?

 

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

1896 the first modern Olympic Games in Athens. An event consisting of two hops on the same foot and then a jump.

1900 Olympics. The t-jump event had present day rules. 

1900 and 1904. The standing t-jump was a separate event.  

 

A triple jump was contested in the 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.

 

When attempting the t-jump there are two things I think about:

 

The t-jump should flow subconsciously  and automatically. Hop step and jump. I actually find this not difficult. After a hop a step flows automatically. The way to practice the t-jump is a standing t-jump. Keep on practicing a standing t-jump until it flows subconsciously. A practice standing t-jump can be done virtually anywhere.

 

Take off. As with the long jump the take-off  is critical. Take off depends on the runup. Run as fast as possible. Land take-off foot in right spot. Take off as big as possible.

 

I instinctively pause in my run-up to check position on take-off foot. I instinctively abhor an illegal jump. My run-up must be fast and aggressive. Not apologetic and submissive. No thinking as I run down the track. I need to practice a hard and fast run-up. I need to continually practice running down the track. Seeing where my feet land.

 

I measure out my run-up; mark it out with chalk; do a trial run-up. I then move my starting spot by centimetres and run again. I move it again and jump again. I repeat, repeat and then do it again. I try running without jumping to see where my take-off foot lands.

 

Another thing to practice is my technique.  According to an expert when doing the step I need to wave my leg forward. Increase my step.  I need to think about waving my left leg forward and not about landing it is soon as possible.

Chapter 303: Amongst the native bush are tennis courts

 

I approach a ceaseless flowing torrent of cars. It is dangerous to blithely and merrily jump into this stream of cars. I watch and wait for an empty road. I warily cross as I gaze uproad watching for the next cars to come arrowing down the road.

I breathe deeply. I have made it across. I am now on the Domain. An island of green. An area of native flora and fauna. Everywhere the same tree flowers. The native hopbush  has been flowering this time for thousands of years.  The birds that feed on the nectar have been doing that forever. It is their country.  The light filters down through the trees and surrounds me. In contrast to the uplifting flowers and birds is a dead possum in the gutter. Smells bad. Reminds me that we are intruding in their land and hitting them with our cars.  

Other major cities have an old central area swamped and covered by a new city. New buildings. Not Hobart. Central Hobart has an area of native bush. Native trees. Wallabies, possums and birds.

I approach the tennis courts. Two people loiter, bounce balls, stretch their legs and swing racquets. I am number three. We all look up the hill. peering for number four. Who will it be? We watch the fourth person walk down the hill and enter the tennis courts.

The fourth person starts us dancing, skipping, running, stretching, jumping, grunting, muttering and breathing deeply.  We are unaware of the birds, trees and flowers surrounding us.

We all wear different clothes. Colourful. Flexible. Neat and tidy. Sunglasses, caps. Water bottles wait by our bags.

One lady smashes a volley away. Very pleased.

One ball hits the top of the net, then thinks about which side to fall on. It falls on one side and on the other side are two thankful and gracious people.

Between points we glance up at the clouds surrounding the Mountain. Where is the wind coming from? How strong is it? Is it going to rain?

Our first set finishes with a shaking of racquets then talk. Should we go for revenge or change partners?

10:00 o’clock. Morning tea. Birthday cake. Talk of grandkids. How you playing? A lady stands and reads out the roster after the break. She says who will play with who, against who on each court.

I listen to the roster. I listen for my name and court number. When I arrive at my court I will discover   the others. Every week is different. Every week somebody gets to play against and with me. Somebody different has to think about how to beat me. Where to hit the ball. Deep or short. Fast or slow. High or low. Spinning or not.

I love the idea of playing with anybody. Not only playing with my mates. Accepting everybody and anybody.

Walk back over the Domain. My legs feel heavier than before. I make an effort to lift one leg. And then the other one.

Birds forage on the ground for grass seeds. They glance at me; ignore me and continue eating.

Back over the highway into the mélange of houses. Open my front gate. Home to my place to rest. My refuge.

Time for me to think about tennis. What should I have done today? What can I work on? What can I do to play better next time? Well next time I will…

Chapter 302: Pickleball Serve

 Lately the drop serve has been a popular topic.

The drop serve was bought in to make it easier for a small number of  people. People who only have one fully functioning arm find the normal serve difficult. They find a drop serve much easier.

If you can serve adequately with a normal serve then ignore the drop serve. You do not need to use it or learn how to use it.

The aim of a serve is to start the game. In pickleball the serve rules are designed to eliminate games being dominated by a good serve or good serve and volley. In pickleball the serve should not be an offensive weapon.

 

The  basic rules of a normal serve are:

1              Contact with the ball must be below the waist. The waist is defined as being the navel.

2              When the paddle hits the ball the paddle must moving up.

3              When the ball hits the paddle the paddle should be below the wrist.

4              If ball hits the net play continues. No replay of serve that hits the net. After hitting the net the ball either lands in the service court or is called a fault.

 

Other rules of a normal serve are:

1              Serve to diagonally opposite service court.

2              Serve behind baseline between centre line and sidelines. Behind not touching the baseline.

3              After score is called you have 10 seconds in which to serve.

 

The basic rules of a drop serve are:

1              Release ball or let ball roll off paddle. Don’t throw it up or propel it down. You can let it drop from as high as you can.

2              Hit the ball after it bounces.

3              Ball can bounce anywhere. The ball can bounce twice.

4              Normal service rules don’t apply. Rules such as contact below waist, upward arch, paddle below wrist. You can put different spin on the serve.

5              Feet must be behind baseline.

6              You can alternate serves or change from drop serve to normal serve or vice versa at any time.

7              You can drop the ball for a drop serve. Change your mind. Catch the ball and serve normally.

 

 

Chapter 301: A perfect day

 

The OVA athletic carnival at the Domain on 31^st January.

The weather was perfect. About 20 degrees with a light breeze and no rain.

The handicapping was perfect. In race after race there was blanket finish.

The volunteers were perfect. A lady gave me a top to wear. A man helped me find where to start and how to start.

Six people are perfect. These six people decide to help me run faster. They help me find my physical limit by trying to overtake me. They help me by trying to run faster than me.

I find myself the front marker. I crouch. The gun goes off. I glance around. Everybody else is running. Time for me to run.  I run like I stole something.

I enter the home straight. I can hear noises behind me. I can hear loud breathing and feet clapping the track.  Don’t look around. Go for the finish line. I can see it. The racquet behind me is getting louder.

About ten meters from the finish I get passed.  Sounds like the rest of the army behind me is planning on the same thing. I cross the line and then look round.

The day remains perfect.  I have blithely and without thought entered a couple of carnivals. They are an opportunity to push myself physically. To run as fast as possible. To run in a race with absolutely no idea who is going to win.

The winner will be the one who gets it all together on the day or finds competition brings the best out of them. Maybe the possibility of coming first pushes them and makes them run faster.

This was the last carnival for the season. I will return.