When you don't know what to write.

Don't write.

Advice that may not work for a thesis...but that's for future Lizzie to worry about. It works perfectly in this case.

I'm well aware that anything I write here won't live up to my last post. So I've decided not to try. Instead, here's some pics from the last month. With the end of a long stint in the lab in sight, and the resumption of the domestic season, my PED is steadily on it's way out. So here's some (unasked for) advice to the latest batch of kiwis and aussies coming home from WUOC and into the arms of the awaiting PED:

If it has to be winter...

...Go find the snow.

If your brain is too fried from work to read a map...

...Go find a good hill.

And give the Aussies a lesson in down hill running.

And film it (and your finger) with your old trusty point-and-snap camera.

If you're sitting dead last in the Premier League...

...It's best to have a sense of humour about it.
(and any shock tactic is worth a go).

If the next 6 months of work looks horrific...

...Find some sweet events to keep you going.

And if a number of people want you to do a 2nd installment with all the Aussie animals you left out, but you know your wit can't extend that far...

...Cop out and placate people with videos and pics of Aussie's cute side...

A very cute, but sadly abandoned joey found at the ACT Long Champs
(taken to Wildcare)

Sleepy Burrows Wombat Sanctuary

Awwwwww.

Squeeeeee!

Awwwwwait on a sec!

With the second half of the domestic season kicking off, I'm really looking forward to some good weekends away with a map in hand. In particular, having focused primarily on sprint and middle this year, the prospect of 4 championship level Long Distances in the space of a month and a bit is pretty exciting!

I eased into things last weekend, with the ACT Long Distance champs on The Gib; home of last year's Aus Champs. Clean navigating in the granite detail, and fast legs on the long routes gave me confidence that I haven't lost everything in a month off.

But a much tougher prospect awaits next weekend: the Australian Ultra Long Champs, to be held on the legendary Kooyoora map (WOC 1985). Every Aussie I've talked to raves about this map, so I can't wait (and am more than a little scared of both the technicality and the distance)!

Unfortunately, work put a halt to my hopes/dreams of making it to Race the Castles in October. But on the flip side, it means I'll be racing both weekends of Aus Champs, and will have a final (for now) tilt at claiming an elusive Aus Long distance title!

Watch this space for race reports. Or atleast some more pics!