I have a very dear friend named Tony, someone I have been close to since the days of high school when we used to engage in purile adolescent antics and debate (or trash-talk) topics ranging from football codes to female kinds.

See that smile on his face? That, in essence, is what running is all about!

Tony now lives and works in Hong Kong. However, he and his young family come back to Australia around this time every year, visiting family and friends while revelling in the beautiful summer climate of Sydney. He has been making this annual pilgramage for the past ten or so years, and every year I unconsciously hold my breath just before I’m about to meet him.

You see, Tony has one of those bodies that gains and loses weight so easily that I never know what to expect when we are about to reunite. One year, he could be just a normal-looking guy with a slight belly that could easily be excused, given his hectic executive lifestyle. Then the next year, he would turn up looking almost as big as the little 4-cylinder vehicle he usually rents. And that was indeed the last image that Tony left me of himself back in January 2012 – a round mound of jolly pounds who would not look out of place in a Michelin Man Tyre advertisement. Continue reading →