EQ is displaying here curent lapel status.
She has a gold badge in recognition of her “excellence”at NCEA 1. I do not think there is an official certificate, though her school did present its own.
The other badge is ecognition of her membership iof the school “special character” committee.

Apparently more badges are in the pipeline for Debating and…..forgotten.

Round the Bays 2010

Spot the difference?

Well it is 13 years and 18 minutes quicker.

The Qs were at it again for the summer of physical activity.

The adults did the half marathon, while Joe did the 7K and Isaac and Eleanor were on photo duty, and looking after us at the finish.

Mrs. Q had a fine run hitting her target and blowing away her previous time. Apparently the iPod and Skins made all the difference, as well of course, as the sticking to the training regime.

The official time was 2:13, in hot conditions. No cloud cover and 20C even when we were out on the roads.So well done to Shaz. Here’s to the next one.

Joe did well coming in at 38 minutes. The lad is on a roll.

MG came in feeling as bad as he looks in the 1997 photo. I was doing ok until 9k, with good time and feeling fresh. Then….phut.
So the training was not quite enough. Finished in 1:57, slower than the aim of 1:55 and the desire of 1:50.

So does one see it as:

• did well to run almost as quickly as 13 years ago or
• 13 years ago run as badly as a middle aged man?

Special thanks to EQ for holding the camera.

So far today Shaz has been through the paper finding as many people as possible that she knows who did the run-and seeing if she beat them!

Joe put his shoulder to the wheel despite an untimely viral attack. The cycling machinery was the same as last time. My efforts to sort out my chain were in the end too little-technical issues persisted. Eleanor struggled with her less than ideal mountain bike. We refused to let these matters deter us in our zeal for improvement.

1. it was a prize for losing the previously exposed middle-aged spread?
2. or as a means to hide the middle-aged spread?

answers on a postcard to………

We are already planning out next activities. EQ will enter a schools competition next week, and Joe will be doing the “Round the Bays” this coming weekend.

I have been sourcing new bikes on Trade Me (NZ e Bay-only country not to be overtaken by e Bay?). More of that later.

New blood introduced to All Whites

By FRED WOODCOCK – The Dominion Post

All Whites coach Ricki Herbert is taking a fearless selection policy into the World Cup campaign, insisting young players will be picked with an eye to future tilts.

Herbert had talked the talk and yesterday walked the walk, selecting two uncapped players – Tommy Smith and Craig Henderson – in a 17-man national squad to play the first World Cup warmup match against Mexico in Los Angeles on March 4 (NZ time).

As expected, Plymouth Argyle striker Rory Fallon was also included, despite expressing a desire to stay with his club to try and avoid relegation from the English Championship.

Herbert had spoken to Plymouth and was sticking to his guns. New Zealand have all rights to Fallon in a Fifa window and Herbert assumed Plymouth “understood and respected” the decision.

The inclusion of Ipswich Town defender Smith, 19, currently on loan to Brentford, had been signalled since he switched allegiances from England to New Zealand,

Where are all the Brightonian internationals hiding?

This exercise lark is turning out to be more expensive than one would think.

The detox and absence of alcohol would lead one to expect savings in dosh, but the increase in physical activity has its own secondary spending effects.

Pushing one’s body to the edge, and setting targets such as the triathlon, quickly leads to the accumulation of entry fees! Then there is the investment in technology. Shaz, having rejected her cheap compression hosiery from the Warehouse, has taken to her “Skins” like a duck to water. She assures me that a set would quickly deal with my post run aching muscles syndrome.

We have also bought into the sports drink argument. I have accepted the scientific basis for the use of the drinks, but never thought them worth the trouble for my circumstances. However, with the running distances lengthening, and the hot weather at the moment, they have reached the conscious zone. The result: purchase of drinks bottles with straps around them to allow you to run with it in the palm of the hand all the way. The alternative would be to hire a teenager each time to stand in opportune spots to give regular refreshments.

Then there is the new pair of runners for EQ, Joe and his specialist bike jersey, let alone looking for “new” bikes on Trade Me.

May be cheaper to return to the wine?

Now that Joe is Year 10, he is allowed, has to buy a blazer. Today he wore for the first time. It can be worn daily, but otherwise has to be worn on formal days. Today was first school mass of the year, so out with the new blazer.

Nice look.

Summer seems to have arrived. Last week was sunny and calm. Beautiful. So much so that it was hard work running home after a swim on Friday evening. Saturday was more of the same; beautiful morning to watch Isaac play cricket, and then run the streets of Khandallah in 27C.
Oh how it changed on Sunday. Southerly gale, heavy rain and a drop in temperature to 14C. The hard rock runners were out there though, SQ with better protection for the legs-Skins are in.

The boys were away up the coast having more sunshine and fun, while EQ was out at a party on Saturday. So M&D had party time……..A trip to the flicks again to see George Cloney in action. Apparently it was worth it just for George. I enjoyed “Up in the Air” just as a cinematic experience.

Anyway, summer must be coming-the schools go back this week!