Another brilliant piece from a GUNNAS WRITING MASTERCLASS WRITER
Warm sun on my back.
Someone is speaking about a marathon.
I’m not thinking about a marathon.
I’m sleepy.
Sun streaming through the window.
Warm upon my back.
Marathons.
Moneghetti.
Wardlaw, the bearded runner.
My heroes.
And Herb.
Herb Elliott
Sun, Sand, Cerutty
Circuit training
Sand Hills
Portsea Camp
Who remembers?
Olympics ’56
Vladimir Kuts
Melbourne ten thousand,
Burned the Pom,
Burned them all.
The Russian,
Well, he was Ukrainian.
But from the Soviet Socialist Republic
Inspiring
I wanted to run like him.
Run like Kuts
Run like Elliott
Run like Zatopek.
Determination
Endurance
I had both.
I could do it.
But no.
Percy said no.
No girls.
No women.
Give me your daughter and
I’ll give you back a son.
I will not coach women.
No women at Portsea.
Not fair!
No girls?
Silly old coot!
I’ll train myself.
Not at Portsea.
Not with Percy
Not Circuit training.
Just surge running …
Through the bush at dawn.
Just me.
And the warm sun upon my back.