World Masters Games ... Wicked (.. Just!)

Our Masters Games experience started with some frantic packing for us and Alfie on Friday night ready for an early morning trip to Sydney. Despite packing everything that I needed for the trip including the run, Alfie seemed to end up with more baggage for his stays with Uncle Matt and Auntie Sharron on Saturday and Amy and Mitchel our neighbours on Sunday. With Alfie safely delivered and detailed instructions issued were made the two hour trip south.

On arrival at Sydney Olympic Park we set about picking up our accreditation passes and backpacks. The fact that the Games were held at real Olympic venues made the games all the more special, the wearing of passes and all that goes with being an "athlete" made me and my "accompanying person" (... Beth is now calling herself my trainer!) feel the part. We quickly moved through the trade exhibition and the merchandise stall, we spent a bit but it could have been worse. I'll settle for the t-shirt, mug, towel, stubbie holder, pin badge and commemorative coin!!! Everything was going so smoothly the show, Wicked - the musical, was booked for 2pm... it was only 11:00am ... we ambled to the athletics track to pick up the timing chip for my shoes and my number bib, then off for a planned leisurely lunch before the show which was a Beth's birthday treat. Despite being an athletics venue there was nothing speedy about the admin, and two hours later we were still in line waiting. The organisation here was poorer than anything I'd ever seen at any race, in fact the local race ten minutes down the road had a better system! To cut a very long story short I emerged with numbers aloft around 1:10pm and ran to a taxi that would now rush us to the city.



We arrived at the beautiful Capitol Theatre with about ten minutes to spare... phew... sit back relax and enjoy the show!!! Wicked was ... well Wicked... and you should go to see it should you have the chance! - It was a real spectacle. After the show it was back on the train to Olympic Park (... yes still wearing official accreditation! It was quite funny to see so many people in the city with the same lanyards and backpacks) all the public travel was free for us during our stay which was great. On arrival I did some carbohydrate loading with a bowl of pasta and just the one light beer! Then it was back into the car to our Formule 1 hotel. The same chain has a hotel in Olympic Park but were charging double the price we paid for being a 10 minute drive away. Formule 1 is very much a low budget accommodation option that I doubt Usain Bolt uses, but it did the job for us. Kitted out like a cross between a prison room and a below the water line ships cabin but as I said it did the job for the amount of time we actually spent there! ... to paint you a clearer picture hot food was available once you had put your coins in the vending machine, which dispensed your chilled meal which you then microwaved your self!!!

Then it was lay out the kit for the morning ready for the early start...