Fri 18 May 07, resting

I was considering a lunchtime run, but it was pouring rain and I was in two minds, so with loads of work and deciding to rest up and the rain, I stayed DRY!

Last night I seen myself on TV, in a commercial for Run to the G on Channel Ten, I'm in the first few seconds on Christie Malthouses left shoulder, wahoo :-)

To answer Tesso's question, I run when I can, I prefer not to run at lunchtime due to time issues only, personally running anytime is good and I have no real preference, except I don't enjoy doing interval work in the early mornings, esp in winter. But saying that, I do prefer to run longer runs (> 75 min) in the mornings.


An extra bit & late addition:

When I first started running I remember reading about the young and upcoming runners here in Australia, there were two young Ethiopian guys who stayed here as refugees after the World Juniors, Sisay & Mizan, tonight sadly I read on CR that Mizan took his life, which is sad that he had decided that he had nowhere to turn.

Mizan Mehari takes own life in Canberra
Mizan came out to Australia in 1996 for the World Junior Champs in Sydney; together with 4 other athletes he stayed in Australia. Mizan and Sisay made Canberra their home, were in and out of clubs, AIS etc and have represented Australia at Olympics and World Champs.

From his IAAF bography he had a pb of 13:20.85 for 5000m and 7:54.97 for 3km.

Mizan took his own life last week on Mt Ainslie. He had been troubled for sometime largely due to the absence of a family base and finances.

Mizan's death notice is in the Canberra Times today, they are trying to raise funds to send his body back to Ethiopia and the local distance running fraternity are likely to organise a memorial service/Run in Mizan's honour.

He was one of the most talented runners we’ve had in Australia but he suffered a series of injuries that curtailed his running. He ran 13:20 for 5km as a 19 year old and finished 12th in the final of the 5000m at the Sydney Olympics (the only Australian male to make a track final). He won the National XC in 97, 98, (ahead of Moneghetti) - as he was born in December 1980 he would have been just under 17 the first time he won.

He was super talented but just kept getting injured. He was still trying to make a comeback. Many of his training sessions are still talked about. Things like 6 laps of Mount Rogers faster than we could do one. Runs up Mount Stromlo 1min faster than anyone else. Coming out and doing the group’s session in the afternoon as an easy run after running really hard in the morning. Destroying everyone including Shaun Creighton and Darren Wilson in training sessions when they were in great shape.

Mizan was 27. His Funeral is on Saturday at O’Rourke Funerals, 113 Crawford St Queanbeyan.

I also read on CR a post by a friend of Mizan which I found very moving and I wanted to post it here:

Thank you for starting this thread as it is worth remembering this dynamic individual we all knew as Mizan.

I consider myself lucky to have been his close friend as he opened my eyes to the strength, stoicism, and conflict of the human spirit.

He had a penetrating smile, and an amazing, positive energy that was contagious. I once scratched my brand new car door and he looked at it saying "oh it's a beautiful design"

But there was also a Mizan that was tortured inside and frustrated with lonliness and isolation.

He told me often in his darkest times he wanted to die but qualified it by saying that God would not let him.

He truly believed God had a plan for him that he would restore him to running full strength

Running was his passion and it was also his outlet and meditation. He loved running on Mt Ainslie and would always say "you have to go at 6 am when the air is fresh, it will make you so powerful, you will just feel it, you will fly"

We can all remember what a fantastic runner he was often having conversations about the Stromlo record and the Mizan record.

Mizan was an iconoclast associating with the bohemian fringe of Canbera's inner city by night and his athletic minded friends by day.

You would see him at the AIS dining hall for lunch and then later at a Civic club dancing all night.

He had boundless energy and he told me he had to dance to release his energy.

I believe Mizan at his core was a dancer and to him running was his favorite dance.

I'd say to him, "Mizan you have to rest so you can train" but he would say "if i don't go out and dance I will just lie in bed and burn."

For those of us that knew him we could testify to his stobborness and i know that this attribute often distanced him from those who tried to help him.

Mizan desperately needed to be loved and sought everywhere to find it. I wish I could have been there more for him or done more for him but I also understand that there was a void in Mizan that could not be filled. There was this profound sense of loss he felt through the separaration from his family and country at a young age. He clung to intense rituals and training sessions as a means of providing some sense of comfort and solace.

The Mizan I will miss dearly and always remember is not an athlete, not a lost young soul, but a man who selflessly leant his passion to those he knew in an attempt to ignite and inspire us.

He told me he once dreamed of a Rosella parrot coming to him and leading him away to a better place.

I hope you are there my friend

Love always,

Brian

The entire thread can be found here. If you choose to read, make sure you read James Harrison's post too (Dr JH) a moving post too. :-(