Ososlo wrote: » Great stuff. Hope he's still running. That's just brilliant. what brand of fags
Stazza wrote: » It would seem that a few lurkers/hobbyjoggers have taken offence.
Stazza wrote: » And for anybody interested in following my journey from lard arse to a sub 2:40 marathon runner in my first marathon at the age of 50, then here's where to begin.
pa4 wrote: » Me too they always give hope! But yeah I'm serious. He was a 20+ cigarette a day smoker for over 25 years and enjoyed the drink a bit too much! Decided one day he was going to quit and start running. His first run was to the top of the road and back which is 400m in total. Built it up from there. He was 52 when he got back and 4 years later ran a 2:48 marathon in Dublin!
Ososlo wrote: » You serious? Was he very fit and did he do other sports when he was younger? I love those kinds of stories:D
pa4 wrote: » I think sub 2:40 is very achievable for someone Stazzas age. If my uncle could run 2:48 as a 56 year old after taking up running only a few years previous then Stazza shouldn't have too much trouble. Did I mention he was a smoker for 25 years before he started? If your willing to put in the effort and make the sacrifices then it's very achievable. For someone too say they'll never be able you can be certain they'll never achieve it.
legit wrote: » I'm a long time lurker around here and I always wonder are your running goals for real or just BS. This is not the first time you've made a outrageous statement your very first post in this log! I see you've softened your target from a couple of years back. Maybe you're seeing sense or maybe one of your stable of elites is finally giving you some advice bam.fastrunningblog.com
Gavlor wrote: » At least you marathon target is consistent with your recent stories..... Fairytale stuff from imaginationland aka stazzas head Actually I'm not sure what is real and what is make believe in this log anymore!
I’ve decided to have another crack at keeping a log. As I’ve publicly announced that I’m going after the Irish M45 5k record of 15:22, I thought it only fair that I document my training and hold myself to account – publicly; at my age I should know better, especially given the current state of my fitness.
Stazza wrote: » After my ridiculous goal of 15:22 for 5k maybe I should set a different goal for the marathon... And as for my poetry, maybe I should be aiming for something in the nursery rhyme market/ditties.
pistol_75 wrote: » McMillan gives you 2:47:36 based on your 5K and McMillan can be optimistic, especially for first time marathoners, no matter how good their poetry is Good luck
AuldManKing wrote: » Quick - someone get DrQuirky back on here.
Stazza wrote: » I think sub 2:40 is achievable. This may not seem like much of a goal – it’s what I’d call the border between hobbyjogging and running.
W.B. Yeats wrote: » I'm not a Heaney fan-
Stazza wrote: » And, Irelands second greatest poet is... Heaney. In good time, I'll explain why(imho )he's far superior to Yeats and yet a minor poet when compared to Himself. I saw Heaney reading in Oxford. He did a gig with Ted Hughes - top draw. Hughes blew Heaney out of the water and that did surprise me.
W.B. Yeats wrote: » I was trying to admire the scenery in the Dublin mountains when I was running this morning although largely failing as I had to put in a bit too much wellie to keep going- unfortunately not enough head space to ponder my literary preferences, I don't know much Eliot to be honest- there are a few of his on the Leaving syllabus- Prufrock & "A Song for Simeon" that I did a bit of "learning" on. I did like Prufrock- the banality of modern life, he was certainly ahead of his time- life measured out in cups of coffee- a poster boy for the quarter life crisis.... What is my purpose? (Bearing in mind my own situation I may revisit this!) I did love Macavity the Mystery Cat one of my favourite poems from childhood- when I read it again as an adult I loved it even more especially as the layers appeal to different audiences. Anyway I'm not moving up the dial- I'm waiting for Ireland's two greatest poets
W.B. Yeats wrote: » I did say a "hint" of authenticity was the requirement for a good yarn- I think Conrad drew both on private experience and public stories for much of his work, does that count? Now whether or not Heart of Darkness is actually a good yarn- I can only proffer my humble opinion that it is but I'll leave that for more learned than me to judge. Hemingway vs. Conrad- a duel to decide who's the better writer- could we get them to duke it out on the track or the roads? Ernest vs. Josef- the Pole vs. The Yank. We'll get thrown out of the athletics forum if we continue this sort of discussion- too much discourse, not enough running (although you could say that about a lot around here) It's all subjective of course but in my opinion your African themes ring truer- I'd buy a book based of yours based upon them. ps which 2 are better than Willie? He'd have had a good debate with us on this- he wasn't too fond of critics and wouldn't have stood for the beating down of the wise and great Art beaten down
Stazza wrote: » I’m humbled: Ireland’s third greatest poet rises from his eternal slumber to dissect my muck. Without authenticity, ‘things fall apart’. But more importantly, without irony there is no hope. And it is the irony of your post that tickles me… So, come here and tell me this, you know your man – Conrad – didn’t he compose the great work of art, Heart of Darkness? And while it’s regarded as the greatest novella of all time (I think Hemmingway takes that one with The Old Man and the Sea) it’s full of jiggery-pokery. Apart from the fact that Heart of Darkness is plagued with latinate language (probably because he wasn’t writing in his first language) and therefore is self conscious/indulgent, it’s a framework story – pretentious and lacking a good yarn, at least in terms of the main narrative. So, in fact, it’s a story about a man telling a story about something that didn’t happen in Africa. Yes, Conrad travelled and experienced similar things and was able to draw on his experience to find some sense of authenticity but the method and the language, the craft and technique, lacked authenticity. Hemmingway’s novella, however, is the real deal, except, of course, it’s fiction. I know, the irony, Stazza the dilettante hammering Conrad, one of the Great Modernist Godfathers. Your point is a good one. Maybe it’s time for me to remove the mask… From tomorrow and forevermore, just for you my dead friend, you will have, the real voice of Stazza, telling the real story, with more than a tinge of authenticity. Be prepared. The horror! The horror!
Stazza wrote: » Ah - both are correct: 'Dead friend' - Billy Butler ist tot. Mind you, he did have a peculiar penchant for the occult - maybe he is still with us...But I now get why you mentioned the sinister threat.:D:D 'tipo' is me being a pratt. Thanks for keeping me on my toes.
Pacing Mule wrote: » Dead friend or dear friend ? Or comic tipos - who knows !
Stazza wrote: » Apart from the 'H' of the final 'horror', I can't spot the typo. Please help, I hate tipos.
Pacing Mule wrote: » Typo or sinister threat ?
