It was certainly a weekend I was looking forward to with Sammy on duty freeing me up to do more of the things I wanted not just things I had to do.

That was the plan anyway.

The problem was the dreaded lurgy which struck midway through last week.

With just two of us on deck at the moment there's never a good time to fall sick but I did lock myself away in the office to avoid passing on the germs that I assumed I'd picked up either at the Mount Isa Show or the McKinlay Races the previous weekend.

So we muddled through the week but it seemed that by Friday night my body rebelled and simply shut down.

There went plan one, a Saturday morning parkrun, at what is now a Mount Isa institution run by dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers. The talk there is of the rescheduled Outback to the Stack half marathon now brought back to mid September giving athletes (and would-be athletes like this geriatric editor) more time to get fit.

Sadly I had to pass on Saturday's dawn parade down Tharrapatha Way and spent most of the day in bed.

That meant I also missed the rugby league nines planned for Alec Inch Oval that afternoon, and most disappointingly the Annihilation Series Fight Night event at the Irish Club that night.

I'd be the first to admit I'm not a huge fan of boxing but the prospect of seeing Robbie Katter, John Doyle, Tony Toholke and Jon James butt heads in the ring for charity was delightful (for the audience anyway).

Sadly I was still spluttering and sneezing Saturday night so no Irish Club for me.

Similar I was frustrated Sunday morning having signed up for the 10km trail run as part of the Great Western Games Dash or Dawdle at Lake Moondarra.

The only dawdling on Sunday I was doing was cursing the manflu from my bed.

Sick of feeling sick and bedridden I did get out for a lovely Sunday afternoon walk to clear my head and my sinuses.

I'm feeling better now so I'm ready for the best the Great North West winter can throw at me - Derek Barry