Post-work

So last week finished on Wednesday for me. Three months (just about) of work have gone by really quickly. Conclusions? I want to do more - eventually. It's a privilege to practice medicine anywhere in the world. Working as a house surgeon, or first year doctor, is not challenging anymore. Time for some focused direction, as ever.

Anyway, so having successfully negotiated my yearly 3 month work stint - could this be the start of something? -, I have been using my new resources to full extent.

I slept most of Thursday, because I could. Between a couple of parties, I nipped for a run on the saturday morning with the Marathon Clinic of Pukekura Park. After a few weeks out for work and cold reasons, I was a little surprised when, to the question "how long is this one going to be?", the answer I got was:

- 35 kilometers or roughly 3 and a half hours. This is the big one.

- gulp -

Well I ran it - 33km in 3h15 - for better or for worse. The next day my right foot woke up feeling a little sore. Trying my best to put my underworked medical mind under wraps, I've been resting it and taking ibuprofen. I figure it's likely plantar fasciitis which is inflammation of the soft tissues of the sole of the foot. Apparently it's one of the 'Big 5' common running injuries, but it's really just a pain in the .. foot. Xav has apparently done about the same but no news of any limping.

Nevermind, though, because I've been compensating my self-enforced break from running with an added verve for surfing. This verve was in part, inspired by a movie called 'Bustin down the door' about how a bunch of talented aussie and south african surfers - who are know legends - tried to the local surf scene on the North Shore of Hawaii. Apparently it's also a book, and I recommend getting your hands on either or both.

Shaun Tomson

Wayne 'Rabbit' Bartholomew

So yesterday, Idris and I, both free for the day, went down the coast of the peninsula to find the break which most suited the weather conditions. We were in search of the best waves. Although we took about an hour to settle on a spot, a place called Kumara Patch provided some of the best surf I've been lucky enough to experience.

Kumaras and Kumara Patch - not my pics.

This surf break is not as easily accessible as most. It takes a 30 minute drive to arrive at the end of a small dirt road by the sea. At which point, one puts on a wetsuit, picks up one's board and anything else one may not want to walk 30 minutes back for. That's because, it's a bit of a trot along the beach - about a mile - to the actual break. In fact, from the 'car park', one can barely see how the waves are breaking, so the trek is always a gamble of sorts. On this occasion, luck was very much on our side as the 'patch' gave us some wonderful peeling waves. At one point the wind was so still the waves were glassy without a single ripple, as they broke left around the point. Primo.

Glassy wave - sort of like that, but not quite.

After 4 hours of paddling and actually catching the odd ride - I think I may be improving -, my body was spent... but my mind was up for another session at Back beach to catch up with my housemates who'd been sur...- err -working all day.

Still riding a surf high, I even got up at 6 am the next day for another session. After that however, I properly crashed out for a few hours on one of the 'sofas' in the lounge which is just a glorified mattress laid out on the floor.

Actually back to work this week as I have two more locum ED shifts. I'll then be truly unemployed and 'free'...

Other things I've done of late, in no particular order of interest or importance:

- watched a game of Twenty20 cricket at Pukekura park, the home side unfortunately lost.

- renewed the vehicle registration for Simon.

- bought some wetsuit glue to repair a few wholes.

- spoke to a surfboard shaper of my designs for shaping a board, he tried his best to put me off.

- played mixed beach netball, what a silly game, you can't touch anybody!

- played mixed touch rugby, what an awesome game, you can touch anybody!

- dressed up as a ninja for a fancy dress party.

- took the Blue Swallow to the surfboard shaper, to get a few dinks fixed.

Sweet as, bros...