There’s a slim possibility that even though Liverpool won’t finish in the top 4 in the league, we may yet get into next year’s Champion’s League if we manage to beat AC Milan in the final this year. Fingers crossed!

Weighed in at 87.5kg this morning – not doing enough exercise it would seem. It was pretty chilly this morning as I was leaving for work, so I’ll have to get some lightweight winter cycling gear.

Got back into the pool at lunch for a much needed swim. It was just me and one other guy, so plenty of room. Went fairly well, though I got a stitch half way through so had to sit our a few hundred metres.

200 FS, 30s rest
200 25L/25R, 30s rest
200 50K/50FS, 30s rest
200 50FS/50BC
4 * 400 on 6:25
    1st 4 strokes BF, last 25 K
    5:53, 5:57, 5:41, 5:48
200 FS easy
100 IM, 100 BC, 100 FS on 2:00
Total: 2900m

Wk6: S: 2900m

I did another run on Friday morning last week, and had intended going for a quick run on Saturday morning and writing a post to document both of them then, but instead I went on the beers with Nathan and took the piss out of him as we watched the Queensland Reds (Nathan) get beaten by the NSW Waratahs (me) for the first time ever in the Super 12.

I also racked up a quick weights session on Friday arvo before the pub.

Wk5: R: 10km – W: 1 session

Reading an article on the Guardian about the different approach to politics in the UK vs the US. After describing a speech to the Tory faithful by Michael Howard, the author continues…

“The faithful were giddy with excitement. Well, almost all of them. One loyalist with a bottle-green flying-ducks tie, was still barking over the State of the Country. ‘Are you optimistic about Thursday?’ I asked tentatively. ‘I TRY to be,’ he conceded, ‘though I was going to desert the sinking ship.’ ‘Where to?’ ‘Montenegro.’ ‘Montenegro?’ ‘Yes, Montenegro. Not many people know this, but the wine is wonderful and -’ (he whispered confidentially) ‘- they have the most beautiful women in the world. Though, of course they do tend to be a bit hairy.’”,1),
(

You can almost picture him: Major So-and-so, with a greying moustache remarking how the cucumber sandwiches are “bladdy mahv-less”. Priceless ;-)

Was a bit tired after the kayaking on Sunday, so I skipped Monday’s swim and Tuesday’s weights session. Went for a 3.3km run last night and another tonight though. It’s taking me about 19mins with a fairly relaxed HR of 150.

I’m weighing in at 87.6kg at the moment, up almost a kilo from two weeks ago, which is probably a combination of eating too much crap food while in Canberra last week and the big feed in Hurricanes last night for Tom’s birthday.

Wk5: R: 6.6km

Myself, Tom and Niall went over to Mosman yesterday for an ‘Intro To Kayaking’ lesson with Sydney Harbour Kayaks and had a great time. It’s an all-day course which assumes you know nothing about kayaking. You get set up with your own kayak, flotation device and paddle, then spend the morning session learning all the different types of strokes to allow you to manoeuvre your kayak – sweep strokes to turn, draw strokes to move sideways and stopping strokes (to stop obviously).

You also learn how to lean the boat over to one side which makes it easier to turn. You have to lean away from the turn, so it’s the opposite direction from biking, snowboarding or anything else, so it’s a bit counterintuitive. In fact, it’s so counterintuitive that Niall capsized twice while practising! Given that the rescue session was supposed to be in the afternoon, he claims he was just getting a head start.

The three hours in the morning flew by and soon we were munching our way through a burger before preparing for the afternoon session. As previously mentioned, this was when we learned how to get ourselves back into the boat if we capsized, both with the help of another paddler and unaided. There were three different types of rescues: the T rescue is where you help another paddler to get back into their boat, the paddle rescue involves strapping a rubber sleeve to one end of your paddle, inflating it and then using it like an outrigger to get back into your boat, and the final method is the cowboy rescue, so called because you end up straddling the boat and sliding along it before dropping your arse back into the seat.

All in all it was a great day. We all learned a lot and would be quite happy paddling anywhere on flat water, secure in the knowledge that we’d be able to deal with capsizing etc. We’re not ready for shooting rapids, or open ocean paddling yet though ;-)

Turns out that the NSA is illegally spying on US citizens:

Between January 2004 and April 2005 the National Security Agency has received between 3,000 and 3,500 requests to reveal the names of American citizens caught in the Agency’s listening network. The NSA fulfilled every single request. According to Newsweek’s sources the identities and private conversations of more than 10,000 American, British, Canadian and Australian citizens were supplied to American officials.

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Got a short 3km run in on the hotel treadmill last night. Legs are feeling a bit tired today, but I’ve a couple of days off now so that’s OK.

Wk4: R: 8km

The rate of birth defects in Iraq is up 20% in the last two years. Glad to see the US and UK are using radioactive weapons. If you can’t find WMDs by all means bring your own. Fucking wankers!

I’m down in Canberra this week so it will be a rest week. Ran 5km at 11kmh on the treadmill in the hotel gym last night which went pretty well. Felt pretty comfortable, though it’s a bit harder than running outside as there’s no breeze to keep me cool.

On Thursday we’re off for a few drinks followed by a trip to the cinema for A Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galazy, so I’ll go for another 3km run this evening.

Wk4: R: 5km