Updates, syringes and toys

Wow, a day off. Yup, the TA actually has a day off, one where the hours are stretching off into the distance and we don't have a thing to do. So what's the first thing we do? Write for the TurnAround, naturally. We'll do the carpets later.

Firstly, a couple of race updates. The second race of the season, Du It For Shelter (DIFS), was last Sunday. RDs Stacy and Tim got a good turnout (we hear) despite the weather. No word on who won it, or in what time! All we got was "I dunno, some guy I don't know, it was fast", which doesn't make for good journalism. If you do know, let us know. You can read an inside-account of one man's DIFS on Ian Loughead's blog. Like the Duke of Wellington said, you might as well tell the story of a ball as a battle, so your take on DIFS might have been different to Ian's. Let us know.

We're still transitioning from marathon season to triathlon season (via duathlon season) and we have a few marathon results to go through. Boston seems like a long time ago now (it was - Ed) but there were a few good results, you can search for people here. The big story of the day was Mutai's worlds-best marathon time of 2:05:52 and the subsequent denial of the record on the grounds that the course was too easy (tailwind etc). This is a course they say you will run slower on (add 10 minutes to your qualifying time we've heard), not a course for PBs, those fricking Newton Hills and (personally) it's a course that's done a number on us twice, including last years morale-sapping PW 3:14! Yet now it's too easy! Bastards!

We hear from our sources that Mutai was really cutting loose on the dance-floor at the post-race party. Well, if he had that much energy, he should have run a 2:04! Just sayin'.

Elsewhere, we hear that Laura Keefe ran a 3:05 at the Vienna marathon. No word on how loose she cut at the post-race party! Will she be back to defend her women's title at the Bluenose half this weekend? If she is, don't bet on beating her!

Ron MacDougall and Darlene Chapman were in Prague for their spring marathon. We think we heard a 3:30-something for Darlene and a 4 hrs for McKilt. However, we also understand McKilt may have had a bad cookie before the race which slowed him up significantly, before he vomited his way across northern Europe on the way home. The Nova Scotia contingent in Prague was dinged pretty badly by sickness; reminds us of Berlin '06 where a few Nova Scotians found themselves "stricken" the day before the race :(

Marie-Claude Gregoire got herself Rosie Ruiz'd at the Flying Pig marathon in Cincinnati a couple of weeks ago and since the DSQ may find herself in line for an age-group gong. She's clearly going the Marathon Maniac route as she ran the Denver marathon two weeks later! McKilt and Cookie might have to watch out or else they're going to get girled.

In other news, we see thew doping scourge has just come a bit closer, with a report a masters' cycling club in Spain just got busted for PEDs. Masters? That means us guys! I know you're not doing it, but even so, if someone down the gym offers you some black-market "echinacea", just say no.

Speaking of echinacea (that's echnidnas you dummy - Ed), w saw this "Coach Helmut" on nyvelocity (the wikileaks of cycling!). Nope, not what you think, but a helmet-mounted power-meter/iPhone/Bluetooth mash-up. Your own personal Manolo Saiz! Hmm, will be asking the ITU Tech department about that one!

This might be the last time you get the TurnAround at this URL. We hear TNS about to drop their new website, trins.ca, and the TurnAround is scheduled to be part of the website (trins/ca/turnaround or something) instead of being exiled all alone out here on blogspot. Hey, we might even get our cone back. Stay posted.

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