Having made a vague resolution to make more and better use if my time in 2005 than I did in 2004, I spent most of the first day of the year curled up in a ball and moaning softly to my wounded liver. I didn’t think I’d had all that much to drink, but, to be fair, I might not have been in the best position to make a judgement call like that by the time I staggered to bed at four in the morning.
It was all a far cry from the Lance Armstrong mentality - "The answer is: what are you doing on Christmas Day? Are you riding your bike? January 1st? Riding your bike? The answer is total and complete commitment and hard work."
I found New Year’s Day hard work, but only because I think I might have been a little closer to alcohol poisoning than I find comfortable.
The plans I made at the start of the holidays to spend some time during the holidays making plans haven’t really panned out as I had envisaged. I have a firm commitment to go shooting (clay pigeons) on 15th of January by way of an introduction to that Olympic discipline, but otherwise, have not yet formulated any grander design. I don’t go back to work until Tuesday though, so there is time yet.
I’m finding it hard to write at the moment. It looks like the death toll from the Asian tsunami will top 150,000 before long. In the rest of the world, 30,000 people are dying every single day because they can’t get enough to eat or drink, or find shelter. It seems flippant to try and produce a few hundred words about something as petty as sport – and certainly something as petty as my efforts to perform Olympic events.
For now then, I’m going to go and dig out some of the clothes I never wear (and some of the clothes my wife wishes I wouldn’t wear) and put them all in a bag to send to someone who has nothing else in the world.
Ultimate Hangover
Sunday, January 02, 2005
Posted by John McClure at 8:26 pm
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3 comments:
Yeah - but then, you were a ultimate shambles. In fact, I have some rather amusing photographs of your ultimate dancing.
Happy New Year John. May you find all the motivation and assistance you need this year .... and here's to staying injury free (I hit 30 last year, and ever since then my exercise regime seems to have been plagued with neck problems, knee problems, stomach muscle problems, back problems.... it's like we're pre-programmed to fall apart at 30 - you best get as much as you can done this month, before it's too late)
(and everyone has pictures on Dancing John's Ultimate Dancing, don't they?? I think I've seen him do it sober....)
ST.
It made be hard to get into the spirit of it with all the terrible things that are going on in this world but you can't loose site of why you're doing this. It's not just about sport. You'll be helping people in the final months, weeks and days of their lives. You'll be helping families who are living with the knowledge they are about to loose a loved one. It may not be on the same level as the starvation and grief other people have to endure but it is still important to help who we can. Keep at it because it's sooo worthwhile.
Katie x
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