Wednesday 27th, Thursday 28th September, 2006
The Hunt for the Tan
I’ve seen it mentioned so often.
Running the tan.
Training run at the tan.
Run the tan.
I’m sure Deeks and Mona have both referred to it!
I wasn’t sure whether it was a track, a stadium or just a local nickname for a stretch of road,but I too wanted to experience the tan ,and so it as with a mixture of delight and surprise that I noticed,that on a tourist map of Melbourne that I picked up in the motel foyer,that there around a large park area was dotted out a track, with a little running figure,and in teeny tiny writing it as labelled, ‘the tan’.
I’m not sure why I let Driver Dick convince me to turn right,when I knew I should have turned left .I let my conviction that I had gone the wrong way subside when we found ourselves driving along a park,and a lake,and then when I spotted the pool where the swim events were held during the Commonwealth Games my seduction was complete.
However,the climax which lead me to conclude we were absolutely in the right spot was when Driver Dick said,
‘Hey, I think this is where they do the formula racing car thing’
(Looking around and noticing circuit like thing on the left)
“You think so?”
(Noticing road we are on looks kind of like a pre-circuit warm-up track)
“I think it is”
“Wow, really??”
“Um,maybe you should take your foot off the accelerator a little’
This had to be the place! We were surrounded by cool sports stuff!! And to top it off, Driver Dick noticed a track around the lake
Anyhow long story short,I ran it.It as only about 4 and a half kms and there were a lot of black swans and cygnets around the lake.
Pretty uneventful,but at least I had now run the tan.
Or, had I?
That night I remembered the wrong turn.
I checked the map again and noticed that in the middle of the park which the tan traced, was a Botanical Garden! And the Yarra River should have run along side it.nd there was no big lake!
In fact, there was no swimming stadium nearby either!
That wasn’t the bloody tan!!
But,the next day,I found it,and I ran it and it as everything I had hoped for,cept maybe less Botanical Garden-ish (they were inside the park on the other side of the fence,the tan runs along the exterior of the fence line)
But there was a lovely bit through a tunnel of foliage
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k160/sylvie_011/thetan.jpg
And this little piddly creek called the Yarra running across the road
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k160/sylvie_011/yarra1.jpg
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k160/sylvie_011/yarra2.jpg
There was also an adjacent park with (yet another) impressive war memorial,and I did a Rocky up the stairs,and then made Driver Dick come take a picture of it later.
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k160/sylvie_011/gonnafly.jpg
And the view from the top.
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k160/sylvie_011/view.jpg
She’s a grand old city isn’t she?
:)
I’ve seen it mentioned so often.
Running the tan.
Training run at the tan.
Run the tan.
I’m sure Deeks and Mona have both referred to it!
I wasn’t sure whether it was a track, a stadium or just a local nickname for a stretch of road,but I too wanted to experience the tan ,and so it as with a mixture of delight and surprise that I noticed,that on a tourist map of Melbourne that I picked up in the motel foyer,that there around a large park area was dotted out a track, with a little running figure,and in teeny tiny writing it as labelled, ‘the tan’.
I’m not sure why I let Driver Dick convince me to turn right,when I knew I should have turned left .I let my conviction that I had gone the wrong way subside when we found ourselves driving along a park,and a lake,and then when I spotted the pool where the swim events were held during the Commonwealth Games my seduction was complete.
However,the climax which lead me to conclude we were absolutely in the right spot was when Driver Dick said,
‘Hey, I think this is where they do the formula racing car thing’
(Looking around and noticing circuit like thing on the left)
“You think so?”
(Noticing road we are on looks kind of like a pre-circuit warm-up track)
“I think it is”
“Wow, really??”
“Um,maybe you should take your foot off the accelerator a little’
This had to be the place! We were surrounded by cool sports stuff!! And to top it off, Driver Dick noticed a track around the lake
Anyhow long story short,I ran it.It as only about 4 and a half kms and there were a lot of black swans and cygnets around the lake.
Pretty uneventful,but at least I had now run the tan.
Or, had I?
That night I remembered the wrong turn.
I checked the map again and noticed that in the middle of the park which the tan traced, was a Botanical Garden! And the Yarra River should have run along side it.nd there was no big lake!
In fact, there was no swimming stadium nearby either!
That wasn’t the bloody tan!!
But,the next day,I found it,and I ran it and it as everything I had hoped for,cept maybe less Botanical Garden-ish (they were inside the park on the other side of the fence,the tan runs along the exterior of the fence line)
But there was a lovely bit through a tunnel of foliage
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k160/sylvie_011/thetan.jpg
And this little piddly creek called the Yarra running across the road
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k160/sylvie_011/yarra1.jpg
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k160/sylvie_011/yarra2.jpg
There was also an adjacent park with (yet another) impressive war memorial,and I did a Rocky up the stairs,and then made Driver Dick come take a picture of it later.
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k160/sylvie_011/gonnafly.jpg
And the view from the top.
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k160/sylvie_011/view.jpg
She’s a grand old city isn’t she?
:)
posted by Wanda Ring at 9:04 AM
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