Aussie Dust

Since turning 70 on the 18 March, David has decided to put himself to the challenge once more.

This time and not surprisingly, it is a challenge of a different kind, “The 2013 Perth INBA (Natural Body Building Championship) Classic”. Held locally at the Vasto Centre Vasto Place, Balcatta David is hoping that friends and family will come and support him.

In preparation for the challenge David is hard at it training in his local gym at the  Loftus Recreation Centre Leederville.

On Saturday 1st December 2012 David put himself to the challenge at his local gym, the Lotfus Recreation Centre, as a tag team member running two marathons (84.6kms) at an average speed of 14km an hour over six hours for Princess Margaret Hospital.

The run was of  high intensity and required concentration and experience.  At one stage David was running at the highest speed the treadmill would go.  As he says, “you can only last a couple of minutes at this speed”.

See the Youtube video of David as he runs the final stretch for the day.

David Baird – The Wheelbarrow Man

Sunday 18th December, David completed the 46kms 6 inch marathon on  the Munda Biddi trail.

Finishing in good form 61st out of 115 runners.

Everyone agreed that the course was very rugged and steep.   David was very happy with his run up to 37kms but not having the kilometres in his legs through lack of training, was finding it very tough.

With only 2kms to go, David was hoping to finish in 5 hours 2 minutes, when he took the wrong track costing him an additional 10 minutes.

With the track being so remote, getting lost was easy to do.  With the insistence of race organizers, all runners had to take 2 litres of water.

But within a couple of minutes of finishing the race, David recovered and ended well.

What David is up against because of his knee, is that he can’t train the big distances that he likes to run. Bit of a catch 22 situation! In plain language David’s right knee has run out of cartlidge, having had three arthroscopes on the right knee and two on the left.

David feels that the writing is on the wall, but as all you runners out there know, most of us runners aren’t too smart. We just love to run.

While not the best run to do with a dodgy right knee and keen to do another big run, David is going to run the  the 46km 6inch Track Marathon Sunday 18th December 2011.

The event starts in darkness at 4.30am at the North Dandalup end of Del Park Road, and winds it’s way up and down, gullies along the Munda Biddi  Track back into Dwellingup.

The course is one of the hardest marathon course David has attempted and is likened to a hike and starts with a steep climb for 2 – 3km.

To date David has only had one training session on the track with fellow runners, some of which have fallen numerous times and taking water with you is compulsory.

Also in the run is Karen March who is running brilliantly. Both Karen and her husband Peter intended to run together, but Peter was forced out due to a recurring calf injury.  Peter & Karen completed the course last year in 5 hours 1 minute.

The event organizers are hoping to attract 180 runners.

This run is not for the faint hearted.

You might be wondering what’s been happening with David since he had the arthroscope  in late November.

Unfortunately it hasn’t healed as well as it could and is causing him pain.

So for now David has cut back his running schedule and has been looking at alternatives such as implants (which are too short lived and expensive).

The frustration is driving him mad but our  plan now is to  meet with the surgeon to see if anything else can be done.

Amities Jo