The Year was 2008 and the wombat was trying to emerge.

I started the year with good intentions and had hoped to be back racing at least on a state level. Instead I only managed to clock a mere 754 miles for the year. 173 for January, 186 for February,261 for March, 78 in April, 13 in May and 45 in July. The year started out slowly initially with 1 mile a day then 2 miles then 3 and then two runs of 3 miles a day. long runs of 10 miles crept back and I began to feel like a runner. I introduced one session a week in February and continued this into March.

In April I lined up for the Bridges and felt confident...On this day the wombat came out to play and cost me dearly. Selecting to run in racing flats rather than trainers and a savage 3.04s first km say the arse of this little wombat beginning drag. Holding position through to 6km my right calf cramped badly and I pulled up, some light stretching and back onto the path but the damage was done.. The calf bruised the wombat deserted me. I nursed my calf home worried about tearing it only to have it cramp again in the final km. There were no excused I toed the line and was beaten soundly finishing in a solid 34m3s but disappointed in myself.

The lip dropped for the next few weeks and token runs began to fill the diary. A token run for the wombat warrior is 2 miles or less and let me tell you I did a few of these..(reminded me of the time I ran on the spot in my bedroom just so I could say I had not missed a day's training.)

Committed myself to helping a mate out in the Busso Iron man in may and tried to get focussed again.

Covering 56 miles in the time between this run and May 2nd I covered a piss poor 56 miles.. not nearly enough to run a half marathon. A trip across Australia in the car and a spasmed ham string only added to my depression and after the may race the towel was thrown into the ring....

A brief stint in in July then not another step until a race in the blackwood marathon and then finally the wombat went back into hibernation....