Euphemisms and a Summer Training Comp?

Euphemism. A substitution for an expression that may offend or suggest something unpleasant to the receiver, using instead an agreeable or less offensive expression. (definition courtesy of Wikipedia)

For example, "washroom" in Canada instead of "toilet." He "passed away" instead of he "died."

Tendinitis instead of tendinopathy. An itis sounds so much better than an opathy, doesn't it? But research I've read suggests that tendons don't (often?ever?) inflame. So you shouldn't use "itis" on them. It should be "opathy."

Still, when it comes to my own personal tendons, I like "itis." That sounds like something I can fix in a few hours. Some ice, maybe a screwdriver. A day off, even. But an "opathy?" Well, that sounds like something you need surgery for. Don't like that at all.

All this musing in the way of saying I'm now working with some opathy in my legs. Martin Fryer, a brilliant Aussie ultrarunner, says he has 3 beings inside him - the mongrel, the hippy, and the scientist. I have 3 as well, but they are - the physio, the coach, and the addicted runner. They have looooog conversations about things like opathies.

For now, I'm still running and working with slight modifications to see if I can fix myself without a month off.

Enough of that - now for the 2nd topic - a Summer Training Competition of sorts?

I've been having some good conversations with runners, sharing our "war stories" of brutal training runs in the WA heat. This sharing has provided a motivation for my own running. I'm wondering if it helps others as well. So, I'm thinking, people should email me with their best training stories for January and February and at the end of February I'll pick a winner. Can't say how at this point. Maybe I'll do a random draw or maybe we'll go by vote. I'll post the stories on a page on my website on an ongoing basis. I've already heard stories about pyramid training midday at 37 degrees and running in the middle of the night to avoid the heat. And then there was the guy who bought a $2500 treadmill to run at work up north that took over a month to arrive, got soaked in the rain, and doesn't work. And I bet there's at least one "running out of water" story from January I haven't heard yet.

The prize? Well, it should be cold, that's a given:

a 4 pack of chilled Hopman's Premium Pale de-alcoholised "beer"
a Cobber cooling neck wrap (you might like this at the WA Track Race in March)
a 6 pack of 1.5 ltr water (to use as caches for those long runs??)
a 1.5 ltr garden mister (like they recommend for Badwater)
a single serve packet of Hammer Heed Electrolyte drink, Recoverite drink, and Perpetuem.

So, send me your training stories from January and keep 'em coming for February :)