Sunday, May 25, 2008

Update?

well not much of an update really as not much has happened.
did a test run and lasted 800m before pain set in.
800m!!!!!
the physio was wanting me to have another cortisone this time via xray or ultrasound guidance - but he has been away this week so havent had a chance to speak.
plan is to do nothing until i return from a little holiday in beijing/HK which would mean almost 3 months since alpine and 4 months since things first flared up.

succumed to temptation and got an MRI after the physio worried me the pain could be something else.
didnt show anything other than some inflammation between the itb and epicondyle/femur so in other words itbfs.

the gear finally arrived!
its all good stuff - picked the right sizes etc...
thanks for the comment re down getting wet 2p - i guess thats also why it is the new fleece as both are crap in that respect.
the puffy jacket does have a water repellant thingy tho.

did CP duty at glasshouse last weekend and was thinking of going to warwick this weekend before me and TOH decided to go investment property shopping yesterday.
hardly saw another person all day!!
so it would either be a very good time to buy.
....or a very bad time to buy :)
quite a lot of people who were selling were investors.

Thursday, May 08, 2008

Down is the new fleece

its official.
fleece is out.
down is in.
(apologies to vegans)

for starters it has much better warmth for weight.
it also packs much smaller.
and from what i've seen in melbourne and sydney recently its quite the fashion statement.
have to admit the first time i saw someone wearing a 'puffy vest' in melbourne i gave them a slightly odd look.
guess it was 20 degrees tho.

walking past a lot of the 'fashion' shops in sydney this week and everyone seems to be selling them now - presumably synthetic equivalents anyway.
all different shapes and sizes and colors.
if youre not wearing a puffy vest these days youre obviously a dag.

from the practical side of things i decided to get a jacket at the smaller/lighter end of the market and after having trouble getting the western mountaineering ones sent out to aussie decided on this one: http://www.montbell.us/products/disp.php?cat_id=70&p_id=2301283
main specs are 210g weight and 800-fill.
couldnt resist getting the vest as well.

and just to make mr g jealous i got that new 210g gore-tex jacket from outdoor research: http://www.outdoorresearch.com/site/m_s_zealot_jacket.html
yes...210g!!!!!!!!! and it has a hood :P

now i just have to hope the delivery actually arrives and everything fits :)

and just while youre starting to think i have lost it i was thinking the other day about how down sleeping bags are nice and warm but the problem is you cant walk in them.
so if youre getting hypothermic but want to/can keep moving (which helps keep warm) then i could cut holes in my down sleeping bag and i guess tape them so feather doesnt leak everywhere??? and keep cracking.
well looks like i am not the only insane person as tonight i saw this in US trailrunner mag!: http://www.outdoorresearch.com/site/wallcreeper.html (piccie below)
holy moly!
i guess this raises the question - well why cant you just sleep in a light bivvy wearing a down jacket....anyhoo........end of pychotic rant :)



dont think i'll be actually needing the gear for a while.
still off running until walking down stairs doesnt hurt (well der i guess) so maybe 1-2 weeks until a little trot.
tho have been run/walking a 1km or so with the dogs this week.