When I was growing-up as a wee lad there were several show on the TV that would have me glued to the screen. Macgyver was a clear favourite as was other such classics as Sooty and Sweep, Jamie and the Magic Torch. There was also this show called Kids Songs which had a sensational opening. The kids in their exploring of the local neighbourhood stumble upon an abandoned warehouse. With the kind of naive inquisition we used to treasure and relish in the 80's, the kids wonder in and start messing around with stuff. They pull back dust covers and turn on the lights to discover a fully operational recording studio. There faces were filled with excitement and glee as they unearth this treasure.
Today, after a long hiatus, I share this journey of discovery as I blow the dust of Shanghaihad and put my sausage fingers to the keyboard.
Well since my last post er on the 8th of December 2008, much has happened. There was a couple of stags dos, a resignation, a wedding, a honeymoon and then about 3 months of going making up for lost time. So now I find myself back in Shanghai with the Mrs. by my side I get to discover it all over again.
I would like to apologies to the loyal readers who were left wondering what had happened to me and were it not by virtue of my Facebook status updates, my fate would have been a mystery.
This post is an olive branch to the blogging community and you my loyal reader. I pledge to get this show back on the road and write again soon.
Fortunately it wont take too long to cook up some fresh material on the ground here, as this is how they do things. Stay tuned for a update on general sanitation and a look what to expect as the mercury rockets into the 30's
See you soon.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Cold as an Eskimo's Trumpet
Well apparently Shanghai is too cool to have an autumn. It went form 25’c one day to 10’c the next. So all of sudden I am having to go from planning my how to manage sweat patches to starving off the goosebumps.
It is messing with my mind a bit. In Wellington pretty much when the sun and blue skies are out it wont be that cold. But here its crisp as. This Friday as I rode my bike to work in t-shirt and hoodie I felt like I was skiing naked down the slopes of Cadrona. ( Sorry for the mental imagery that will stay with you all day, if you are reading this blog in the morning)
Not wanting the elements to break my routine I set off for a run on Saturday. It was 0’c. I hadn’t really registered what that would mean so I set off in my stop me sweaty adidas Climacool / Formotion t-shirt and my breathable running shorts. When the lift opened downstairs I thought I had got out on the wrong continent and was somewhere in arctic circle. I hardened up and employed the old Ill warm up as I run theorem.
However after about 20mins I still had no sensation in my feet and my nipples were reaching the intersections about half a minute before the rest of me.
I had taken the precaution of wearing gloves but that wasn’t really helping the situation. People were staring at me hard out today, but more likely at my choice of running attire. My kit was a juxtaposition to the majority who were supporting full Siberian snow search and rescue trench coats.
About 40 minutes into my run I was still mostly numb but realized I was now starting to experience pain in my nether region. I then came to the realization that wearing shorts with extra ventilation was a bit of a poor idea in these conditions. Suffice to say I sacrificed one of my gloves to full time todger duty to fight the good fight against frostbite. The story ends well as all of me made it home eventually after 17k’s out and about.
Perhaps I will stick to running on the treadmill for the time being.
It is messing with my mind a bit. In Wellington pretty much when the sun and blue skies are out it wont be that cold. But here its crisp as. This Friday as I rode my bike to work in t-shirt and hoodie I felt like I was skiing naked down the slopes of Cadrona. ( Sorry for the mental imagery that will stay with you all day, if you are reading this blog in the morning)
Not wanting the elements to break my routine I set off for a run on Saturday. It was 0’c. I hadn’t really registered what that would mean so I set off in my stop me sweaty adidas Climacool / Formotion t-shirt and my breathable running shorts. When the lift opened downstairs I thought I had got out on the wrong continent and was somewhere in arctic circle. I hardened up and employed the old Ill warm up as I run theorem.
However after about 20mins I still had no sensation in my feet and my nipples were reaching the intersections about half a minute before the rest of me.
I had taken the precaution of wearing gloves but that wasn’t really helping the situation. People were staring at me hard out today, but more likely at my choice of running attire. My kit was a juxtaposition to the majority who were supporting full Siberian snow search and rescue trench coats.
About 40 minutes into my run I was still mostly numb but realized I was now starting to experience pain in my nether region. I then came to the realization that wearing shorts with extra ventilation was a bit of a poor idea in these conditions. Suffice to say I sacrificed one of my gloves to full time todger duty to fight the good fight against frostbite. The story ends well as all of me made it home eventually after 17k’s out and about.
Perhaps I will stick to running on the treadmill for the time being.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
And they are off......
Well after crying out for so long for a hint of audience participation it would be a shame not to answer Nick’s call and write a bit of an update on the training.
I have been training well albeit loosing 7 days last week when my father was in town. However the goal of actually running the Shanghai half marathon has taken a bit of a turn for the worst. You see they closed the registrations and I was on the wrong side of the equation at the time. So after I pleaded for them to let me enter and being given the’ talk to the let because you know you ain’t right’ treatment. I left it with saying ‘ well I’m just going to turn up anyway see you on the 30th of November. So at this stage I can’t run. But I hope to find an alternative means of entering the race, somehow.
So that was a terrible effort from me. But also a bad effort from them that their office was a 40 minute cab ride away and I had to register in person during work hours, so that I could sit their prescribed health check.
To be honest I am not sure what the health check is designed to achieve. I mean if I think there is a good chance my heart might explode at the halfway mark then I would probably weigh pro and cons of entering. What are they taking, a resting pulse rate? I am sorry sir you haven’t got a pulse it appears you may be suffering from what we call dead and therefore fail the minimum entry requirement and are unable to take part.please try again next year?
I will continue training anyway and will consider making a rival rebel league marathon race on the same day. I ran my fastest 1500 on Wednesday at 4:48 happy with the improvement. But at this stage Nick Willis is still going to lap me in a 1500m which is a not ideal. So still plenty of work to be done. Although I notice that Nick Willis is a lean 69 kg’s. And if we are honest about it, me carting an extra 26kgs around the track is holding me back somewhat. So before the gun goes off. Ill give Nick 57 packets of anchor 1pound butter and see how that affects his race. Although in saying that I am not sure where he would put it. To be honest I am not sure where I put it either. What you going to do with all the junk? 57 packets of butter, seems a bit high. Either we fight fair or I start petitioning the Olympic committee to create weight grades in track events. Then I might find myself in the black trunks jostling for position on the heavyweight division starter line.
I have been training well albeit loosing 7 days last week when my father was in town. However the goal of actually running the Shanghai half marathon has taken a bit of a turn for the worst. You see they closed the registrations and I was on the wrong side of the equation at the time. So after I pleaded for them to let me enter and being given the’ talk to the let because you know you ain’t right’ treatment. I left it with saying ‘ well I’m just going to turn up anyway see you on the 30th of November. So at this stage I can’t run. But I hope to find an alternative means of entering the race, somehow.
So that was a terrible effort from me. But also a bad effort from them that their office was a 40 minute cab ride away and I had to register in person during work hours, so that I could sit their prescribed health check.
To be honest I am not sure what the health check is designed to achieve. I mean if I think there is a good chance my heart might explode at the halfway mark then I would probably weigh pro and cons of entering. What are they taking, a resting pulse rate? I am sorry sir you haven’t got a pulse it appears you may be suffering from what we call dead and therefore fail the minimum entry requirement and are unable to take part.please try again next year?
I will continue training anyway and will consider making a rival rebel league marathon race on the same day. I ran my fastest 1500 on Wednesday at 4:48 happy with the improvement. But at this stage Nick Willis is still going to lap me in a 1500m which is a not ideal. So still plenty of work to be done. Although I notice that Nick Willis is a lean 69 kg’s. And if we are honest about it, me carting an extra 26kgs around the track is holding me back somewhat. So before the gun goes off. Ill give Nick 57 packets of anchor 1pound butter and see how that affects his race. Although in saying that I am not sure where he would put it. To be honest I am not sure where I put it either. What you going to do with all the junk? 57 packets of butter, seems a bit high. Either we fight fair or I start petitioning the Olympic committee to create weight grades in track events. Then I might find myself in the black trunks jostling for position on the heavyweight division starter line.
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