I'm not a runner ... or maybe I am?

I have never run more than 3km in my life, which is a long way short of 10km that my 12yr old daughter and I had signed up for on Sunday. A year ago we were driving over the Gateway Bridge and saw this stream of people that stretched for as far as we could see. It was the Bridge to Brisbane. We decided at that moment it was something that we should do.

A year later, we lined up with 30,000 of our closest friends, only got to the staggered start line after the winner had already finished ... then we were off and jogging up the Gateway Bridge. An hour and 11 minutes later we had both completed the 10km .... rather surprised at how well we had done with no training or experience. Armed with the spirit to get out and just do it!!

Epic

This was to be the "Year of the Bike" for me, but has since become the "Year of the Pike" with very little mountain biking this year firstly due to wet weather then a crook shoulder. Instead of riding in the Epic yesterday, it was photo taking for me as I got images as the riders came up the last steep hill of their 105km journey. Some looked totally exhausted but others still could manage a smile.

Stephanie and me

It maybe hard to believe but Stephanie Rice and I have a lot in common. From the list below, at least four are true and one is a maybe. You be the judge.

• We both have the same physio.
• Neither of us will be swimming in the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
• We both have the same issue with our right shoulders.
• We both look good in Speedos.
• Surgery is imminent for both of us.

Its nice to be part of a winning team.

It was a hotly contested race for the "Club of the Year" as decided by five independent judges, but the submission by our current President must have shown that we deserved the honour.

If you want to discover new places by the water, check us out.

Lucky I've got legs

With 2 crook shoulders, I thought I better go for a walk with my two good legs. The Carnarvon Gorge Great walk sounded like a good idea. After about 100km in distance and 3,000m climbing over six days with a 25kg pack, I still have two good legs .... just.  Very sore but still working. Temperatures ranged from 25C to minus 6C. Weather ranged from perfect blue skies to raging westerlies and heavy rain.

It was certainly a great walk !!!

Tale of two shoulders.

Once upon a time I had two good shoulders that would let me hang off them on monkey bars then later hang from cliffs. This was all before I tried to fly with my mountain bike.

As I chased a fellow rider down a steep fire trail over numerous water bars at speed, I relaxed as I hit the next and most innocuous of water bars. Bad move indeed. As my back wheel rose sharply into the air, it catapulted me up and forward so that I flew threw a good five metres before we parted company. I landed on the hard rocky surface with my head and left shoulder, breaking my helmet and parting my AC joint very nicely. Type III to be exact, meaning the three ligaments that join collar bone and shoulder blade were snapped, never to be joined again. Bugger!! ... and I hate being winded as well.

Oh well. At least I have another shoulder and its in good condition. Well, for a few years it was. Now it has had a few cortisone injections and physio but is now my bad shoulder. Bugger!! .... at least I didn't get winded ... I don't even know how I did it??

Looks good on the x-ray, but with restricted movement and lots of pain, it has stopped the mountain biking and restricted the kayaking. My bad shoulder has now become my good shoulder. Should I just take HTFU pills and stop complaining or see a surgeon to see if it can be sorted? Would life in front of a TV suit me ... maybe "TVgaz"  or maybe  "McGaz"  hanging (not by the arms) at Maccas.

No ... its off to the surgeon.

(update: surgery booked ... credit card swiped)

(further update: almost two years later .... shoulder is great)