Tic Toc, Tic Toc, Tic Toc.

 Photograph Quiz:

Photo no. 48 (or thereabouts):- Despite finishing second to Ron Hill (three times Olympian, European and Commonwealth Champion) in 1966, why was I not a happy bunny? Where was the race? Who was third?

Oh Blog, Blog, Blog.

                                 I feel you have duped me; taken advantage of my good nature. Back in January when you asked to be my friend, I thought it was because you were lonely and wanted a mate. Now what do I find? My nephew has revealed to me all this technical palaver about computer messages etc. and what do I find out about you; I find you have friends in 43 countries ..... 43!!! Admittedly, half a dozen of those have only been in touch with you three times or less. But the rest???? Well, well, well. Viewing all you contacts since January, I am Impressed. IMPRESSED I AM. But why didn’t you tell me about them all? Do they all get in touch with you? What do they say?

I am surprised that you have had only a few contacts from Australia. Perhaps if you had written your messages to me on the back of a beer can, you would probably have been inundated with mail!!! Are you not worried by your mates in China? And those in Russia? Are you not afraid of a honey trap? We have lots of valuable training secrets between us after all. Perhaps the Russian and Chinese want tips on athletics to make their athletes superior to the GB athletes for the Olympic Games in London in 2012??? To embarrass us perhaps?? Can’t let that happen, can we?? Do you think that they think our communications are some form of subversive code to the athletic agents in their countries? I see you have a big fan base in France and Germany, and what about Tunisia? Tunisia? Perhaps the latter want training tips to get fit to escape from their country’s internal problems? I bet all the college athletes in USA are keen on the training tips to improve their scholarship value? Those in the Caribbean will get a bit hot and bothered if they take notice of the trudging tips, the same can’t be said about your mate in Alaska, though, and those in Switzerland!! I bet you are flattered that all the Scandinavian countries are keen on your athletic schedules as they are the countries that have contributed so much to athletic training methods and racing in the past. Do the athletic nuts in the Philippines, Indonesia and in Singapore have track facilities?? Why so many mates in Singapore anyway??? Talking of nuts, what events do your four Brazilian mates do?? I am amazed at the number of friends you have from the countries that used to be behind the Iron Curtain, Slovakia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belorussia and all those in Poland??? That’s me being old fashioned though?? We should all get together. Have a worldwide party??? Perhaps we should form a trudgers international club, trudgers on continents, call ourselves TIC-TOC? With so many mates in Spain, Italy and Greece, you will be a bit spoiled for choice about where to go for a sunny holiday or warm weather training? It would be nice to have a touring holiday around India seeing all your friends scattered around the sub continent. You will enjoy Israel ... do all the people live on Kibbutz or do some live in the cities? Or a moshav? You could ask your Austrian mates if they would give you board and lodgings while you did a bit of intensive hill work, or do they all live in Vienna? With your large fan base in Eire, I can recommend a trip across the Irish Sea. Or the North Sea to Denmark or Holland. You could do snow running in Canada and sand running in Egypt or the U.A.E.. So many friends. So many. And they keep in touch so regularly .... TIC-TOC must be GO??? Why not ask them to pass on your good wishes on to their friends and try to chalk up 50 countries??

          Oh yes. You remember I told you about my new dear friend the Olympic Travel Bug. Well, he’s landed in Australia .... Knocked off Sydney and Melbourne from the list of Olympic cities .... where next?????

            I really must stop now. I have arranged to do a few hill climbs on the University of Warwick playing fields, though with all these football courses the University is organising, it is difficult. Obviously, the footballers have paid a great deal in fees to learn how to kick a ball, but need they be so offensive? I don’t want to tread on their precious pitches, anyway. Perhaps if I offer to clean up the mess they leave after each day of learning to shout all those rude words to each other, they be a little friendlier? What do you think Blog??

          Colin

PS My elder daughter is raising quids for Tiny Tims Children’s Centre, I’ll be after you and your mates, Blog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PPS After my experience with the wheelchair on the London Underground trains, I have added wheelchair lifting to my weights schedule, 1. Dead lift wheelchair.  2. Running upstairs with wheelchair. 3. Training with a wheelchair ... Geddit?????? Oh what a wag, I am.