It has been a while since my last blog, and I have fallen out of the rhythm... and I would say, mainly due to the Summer.
I blame the Summer, for offering warm days, where being outside, preferably by some water somewhere as the perfect distraction and excuse for not blogging recently. The last one I did was not long before breaking for the Summer holidays in mid June, and since then it has been also a break from routine, normality and major commitments!
During the break I have spent a bit of time close by home, organising some things and doing those little jobs that have been needing time to be done.
After that, we booked a week in Teneriffe, one of the islands of the Canary Islands. This place is full of contrasts, with busy and secluded beaches to choose from, desert surrounds in the middle (where alot of 'Country Western' movies are shot) and a dormant volcano, with the peak being over 3000m above sea level and recognised as the highest point on Spanish soil (this chain of islands is owned by Spain by the way).
The closest example I can come up with of such a place would be that of Hawaii, with beach, rainforest, bushland and high peaks all rolled into one "super" island!
We were home for a few days, and then started, what would be a crazy sports month, where I have been able to tick off some of my personal must do's as a sports fan.
First up, we had a boys night in Bern, where we were witness to a World Heavyweight fight, feauturing the Ukrainian machine, Vladimer Klitchko. He dominated his underprepared rival, sitting him on the canvas after 5 rounds!
Then the next day, we drove an hour West, to see a stage of the Tour de France pass into Switzerland, which was greatto see the festivities and hype surrounding such a gruelling sports event. we had a good spot, where we got to see the riders take on some hills at a few different points.
And to cap it off, next weekend we will be in London to soak up some Olympics atmosphere. I wasn't able to be at the Sydney Games, but with Basel to London direct flights and only 1.5 hours away, it is a chance not to be missed!
It is amazing to have the oppurtunity to get to these events, being in the middle of Europe, making it that much easier. We are really looking forward to flying the Aussie flag (and maybe a Swiss one too!) when we are at the Olympics, where we will meet up with my Mum and Dad who have arranged to be there at the same time too, all the way from Australia!
On the running side of things, Renate and I have just returned from a stint of altitude training in beautiful St.
Moritz, where the fitness was worked on, amongst the hills and trails of this most picturesque location. There were plenty of other runners up there to train with, and the weather was usually pretty good for the training.
While up there, I recieved an email to confirm my selection into the World Half Marathon Championships to be held early October in Bulgaria. I was hoping that my performances on the road over in Europe had been enough for selection, and that they hadn't gone unnoticed, and was pleased to hear the positive news... giving me a great goal to aim towards for the next few months. I am very much looking forward to testing myself against the best Half Marathoners in the World and strapping on the Aussie colours for this big event.
http://www.athletics.com.au/home/news/news/2012/july/five_added_to_australian_world
Finally, with routine beginning to return, we are going through the last preperations for the Wedding Day in August and are hearing more and more from people that are planning their trips over to Switzerland for the special day. It is getting exciting and we can't wait to celebrate with all those that can be make it there!
till next time,
must get back to the plentiful viewinfg options of the London Olympic Games... will it be Rowing, Hockey, Volleyball or Cross Country Equestrian for now???!
Cheers
Clint
