Training Log Archive: blairtrewin

Bendigo Series event at Mount Tarrengower. Even by the usual standards of this map it was a pretty physical course - went almost over the top of the mountain, and then a second crossing of the ridge later on. Most of the control features were rather easy which led me into a bit of complacency in the circle at 10 - lost 30 seconds or so. Happy with the way I was handling the big climbs. More hesitant than I would like running on bare rock, something which has often been a problem for me.

An earlier-than-usual session at Richmond, which meant riding there in the dark - starting for work in the dark is always harder than coming home in the dark. Swimmers, though, operate on an earlier body clock, because when I fronted at 7.10 there were more people leaving than arriving. The swim itself was pleasantly routine.

Got a set of photos in e-mail today purporting to show a frozen sea at Cape Town. Being well-travelled is quite useful because I fairly quickly recognised the location as actually being the eastern suburbs of Toronto (see my AP entry for 17 November 2006 for a description of my run along the beach in question).

Ran starting from near work as my car was getting serviced today and I didn't want to battle the peak-hour traffic bringing it in. Started out along the Yarra going east as far as South Yarra, then southwards through Fawkner Park and St. Kilda to the Elwood Canal, back along the foreshore. Quite a bit of familiar territory from my Albert Park days.

Started out by seeing the end of a 'nightclub incident' - someone being led out of the establishment that the ABC refers to as 'a Melbourne casino', presumably by one of his friends (the person doing the leading was far too small to be a bouncer), and yelling at those back inside 'I'll (expletive deleted) throw this (expletive deleted) chair through the (expletive deleted) window, you (expletive deleted) (expletive deleted)'. (I was tempted to use similar language this morning at work when I found out that the Baw Baw rainfalls after 4.30 yesterday have gone AWOL). Wouldn't have thought 7.15 on a Thursday morning was peak time for drunks at Crown but you never know.

Not too much parading being done on the St. Kilda foreshore this morning - it was pretty wild and woolly (and there wasn't as much beach as I suspect there was this time yesterday), although the showers were short and sharp. Finished up by heading back through Port Melbourne to Fisherman's Bend, passing my great-aunt's house which was in the news a few years back when it transpired that someone had dumped a body in the concrete foundations while it was being built back in the 1980s. It was quite bizarre to read the court reports and see someone I knew being referred to as ZZ (there was a suppression order on her name), although perhaps not as bizarre as it was during the NSW police royal commission when two of the witnesses were referred to as B1 and B2.

As for the run - essentially situation normal, nothing special, but not really any trouble either, and didn't tire to any significant extent.

C • Baw Baw rainfall 1

Not a brilliant run but gradually got better as it went on. Steady rain for the second half, and a fairly stiff headwind in places too (particularly in some of the parklands coming back from Latrobe), but manageable (and invigorated at the end).

C • SBS 1

On the Tan: 20 secs on, 20 jog. Not bad, with a bit of power on the hills. Conditions certainly not as bad as I'd feared (windy in some of the CBD wind tunnels, but only light rain). I was shocked to see that the usual lunchtime numbers of the Tan were down by about 90%.

Going to/from the Tan.

Felt lively but ran slowly, although second loop was better. Fastest loop 9.18. Still slower than I would like to be this close to a major championship period.

According to the NSW RTA, due to snow on the Monaro Highway, motorists between Bredbo and Michelago are advised to 'reduce speed and exercise'. Sounds like good advice to me (although a lot of people on that road are on their way to do some exercise).

(I can relate to this, having once almost issued a seasonal outlook which said 'Winter likely in southern Australia').

C • Dubbo Forecast 11

C • weather advice 1

A not-especially-stellar session at Northcote chiefly notable for a discovery in practical chemistry. On the weekend a shampoo bottle split in my bag, causing a big mess (the car still smells of it, although I guess there are far worse things it could smell of), and in particular smothering my swimming goggles. I cleaned them as best I could but probably not completely, and then discovered this morning that they don't fog up any more. Thought this might have been coincidence, but have since talked to a couple of people who know people who put shampoo on their car mirrors to stop them fogging up in winter. I've forgotten too much chemistry since Year 12 to think about how this works, but it's useful that it does.

C • Windscreens too 1

A bit of a slow session even by MFR Monday night standards. Seemed to hit a lot of red lights on the main road crossings and was rather stop-start generally. Did a loop from Nicola's place out towards Darebin Parklands, back through some of the industrial bits at the north end of Alphington. This area is chiefly occupied by factory outlets which are the target of lots of buses on Saturdays, and there is (or was) also an establishment called the House of Bulger - Shane Crawford has a lot to answer for. (It's a brothel).

Didn't feel great on the run, probably because of overindulgence in my capacity as a guest judge in the Bureau of Meteorology Research Centre Cake Bake-Off.

In and around Shepparton this weekend on a fact-finding trip with the ALP Environment Policy Committee on things to do with water. Takes me back to the days of uni field trips (except that there wasn't anywhere near as much drinking happening). It was actually pretty interesting - absorbed a lot of new information about how the water system works in that part of the world, which, apart from anything else, will help the next time a journo asks me 'how much rain do we need to save the irrigation season' or words to that effect.

I can't remember the last time I did a long run in the afternoon. Our timetable today lent itself to doing so (as did the weather - -4 in the morning, 11 and sunny in the afternoon), and I didn't really want to be exploring a new place starting in the dark. Seemed to work out OK, on a run which was steady throughout without being brilliant, at its best in the last 20 minutes as the sun set (I often seem to feel good at sunset, especially on clear winter days).

The route was a nice one - started through the forests of the Goulburn River floodplain for the first half-hour, then looped back through Mooroopna and across the floodplain again, before a second loop up along the east side of the river into Shepparton's northern suburbs. I did, though, have the distinct feeling I'd picked the eyes out of what the place had to offer in a single run. As I don't expect to be back for any length of time any time soon that isn't a problem, but a few years back there was speculation we were going to be moving to Shepparton (I think it only got started because our then parliamentary secretary was from there). I'm not sure today's loop would have been such an attractive proposition on a February day when you've run it 60 times in the last year and it's over 35 for the tenth day in a row.

Spotted a sign pointing the way to the 'Moslem Mosque'. Presumably this is to distinguish it from all the non-Moslem mosques dotting the streets of Shepparton. (The town has a large Albanian population and a bit of an Iraqi presence too).

Will start easing back the volume now in the lead-up to Dubbo - don't plan to go as long again before then.

Felt reasonable but a bit slower than I would have liked for this run. Reacquainted myself with the Yarra Flats - not as cold as it can be at this time of year.

In a bit of a rush this morning, not helped by wasting five minutes on the bike at an intersection where the lights only got triggered if a car turned up (and, unlike most such intersections, there wasn't a convenient pedestrian light to press as an alternative). I try not to be one of those cyclists who gives all of us a bad name by going through red lights, but the powers-that-be don't make it easy sometimes....

The swim itself was nothing special, always felt as if I was thrashing around a bit, but it did do the job of loosening various bits of me up from the last two days' efforts.

Started from near work and went up as far as Strathmore and Essendon, making good use of the paths along Moonee Ponds Creek and the Maribyrnong River at times. Also continued a theme of this week by paying a visit to an infamous murder scene (Cross Keys Reserve, Essendon this time), and whilst going along the fringes of Essendon Airport saw the street that was used in 'The Castle'.

I thought it might have been a wet one but after overnight rain it turned out to be a classic cold-outbreak early morning - clear with a bracing southerly wind (on such days the showers don't usually get going until a couple of hours after sunrise, although today they're struggling to get going at all). Nice running conditions although it was hard work into the wind in a few places, like on the riverside stretch past the Merv Hughes Oval (yes, it does exist).

The run itself was a bit of a grind, lacking vigour, although I was coming off a harder evening last night than has generally been the case of late.

An odd variation on a sign you see occasionally: on the window of an Essendon florist, 'School Girls Please Leave School Bags Outside'. Is this distinction because they think boys are less likely to slip goods into bags, or because they think that boys wouldn't be seen dead in a florist?

C • Merv Hughes Oval 4

A pretty nondescript effort based around the Yarra from Clifton Hill. Encountered Dion (on his bike) halfway round. Also encountered a bit of rain after that, and some bridge repairs at Studley Park which prompted an abrupt route-choice change.

Wednesday night street-O at Belmore Parklands. Decided to have a crack tonight which I don't always do in winter. Felt good early on and not bad through most of it, but faded away a little in second half. Hint of a stitch on some of the downhills. Slower than I thought it was.

I don't think my route was particularly good, although I'm not sure there was a good way to get the middle cluster. Bryan and Adam got me by 30 seconds or thereabouts. Saw Tony Bird warming down but I'm not sure if he was running A.

It was cold in Melbourne but it's colder in Queensland and the NT - lots of places up there had single-digit highs today, as far north as Tennant Creek and Mount Isa. If it doesn't warm up in the morning (daily maximum temperatures are taken for the 24 hours ending at 9 a.m.) it will be the furthest north that a sub-10 maximum has ever occurred in Australia (and the 5 at Stanthorpe will be a Queensland record for June).

A bit disappointing, although loosened up a bit later on. Fastest loop 9.21. A stiff southerly wind and just about the latest sunrise I'll have to deal with.

The traffic on Heidelberg Road was unusually light this morning - perhaps everyone was scared to go past the Hells Angels clubhouse I mentioned yesterday?

C • money 9

One of my better sessions - gradually coming to terms with the idea that I'll go faster if both arms are doing some work.

There was a spectacular rainbow to the west as I started. I thought this might mean that some cold water (or even colder ice) from above would supplement the warm water from below, but the shower missed us.

Arrived in the CBD just after the shooting, but was far enough from the action to ensure that the only thing I saw was the resultant traffic jam.

MFR Monday night from Clare's new abode in Prahran. Smaller group than usual - only Torgeir and Dion for company on the longer loop. Also an abnormally carnivorous Monday night with all the vegetarians absent.

Headed for the Tan as usual with runs starting in the Prahran area (which is starting to become an MFR cluster). In the light of today's events in the city it was perhaps fitting that we went there via Walsh Street.

On the way home, spotted a white van with a very large and strangely-shaped dent in its side; we were trying to work out what had caused it. Later I saw the same van going into the Hells Angels premises in Alphington (the first time in nine years of Heidelberg Road commuting that I have ever seen anything enter or leave the place). Maybe the dent was caused by flying debris when their speed lab blew up. A bit surprised there wasn't a visible police presence given the alleged culprit in this morning's activity is reported to be a member of the Hells Angels. Perhaps they were all hiding in the paper mill across the road, in the fine traditions of the funeral directors across the road from the Soviet Embassy in Canberra whose top floor was occupied by ASIO.

Doing a long run on Saturday means not being quite sure about what to do on Sunday (whilst knowing that whatever one does on Sunday isn't going to be easy). On the other hand it's unusual not to be having to head out the door early on Sunday morning - spent quite a bit of the morning with the US Open on TV, Jukola on one bit of the computer screen and the Orienteering Australia accounts on another (had to get them done sometime - next job is to attempt the next stage in the saga of trying to get the WOC entry fees to Ukraine).

The run was reasonably nondescript, but there was essentially no muscle stiffness which was a major (and pleasant) surprise the day after a rogaine. Was very impressed in Rosanna Parklands when I encountered a pack of six dogs and not one of them chased me - perhaps we should send some of them to the Ukraine to replace the local ones.

Went out on the Daylesford 6-hour rogaine with Bruce and Liggo, with the plan being to treat it as a long training run with a target of about 3 hours. Not a bad run. Felt good through the middle hour and was holding myself back a bit to stay with the others (but then they were probably pacing themselves better because they were a bit stronger than me on the last climb). Tired at the end but not exceptionally so.

Unsurprisingly, there were places where the similarity between the map and the terrain was limited and some of the control placement was a bit questionable, but none of this caused us any real trouble. We spent much of the course in the eucalypt to the south of the Sailors Creek map. I remembered this as being quite thick and non-technical but it seemed more open (perhaps because of the effect of the drought on the bracken), and had a bit of decent mining in it - possibly worth thinking about for an orienteering map. We traversed a small corner of the pines and wished we hadn't - riddled with blackberries.

We got 1090 out of a possible 1890 points. I think we would have got them all if we'd stayed out for the full 6 hours, but it wouldn't have been a formality, especially if the rest of the pine plantation was anywhere near as thick as the bit we went into.

Dense fog this morning - wasn't too upset to be indoors at Richmond. Fairly routine session. Got out at the end to discover that the medium lane had been redesignated a slow lane which may be someone's way of commenting on my speed (on the other hand it might just have been because the squad had finished and they were opening more lanes to the rest of us).

I'm normally a better morning person than many, but was obviously a bit absent-minded at 5.10 this morning, the sequence of events being:

1. Go to fridge to get muffins out for work morning tea this morning.

2. About 10 minutes later, notice container of last night's leftovers on bench.

3. Conclude that said leftovers had been out all night and throw them out.

4. About 10 minutes later, go to put muffin container in bag.

5. Realise that muffin container is still in fridge and that the container I'd got out the first time was the leftovers one, which had therefore only been on the bench for 10 minutes and not all night.

The absent-mindedness extended to the run a bit too - managed to miss a turn on a route through Balwyn I've done many times (although more often in the reverse direction). The run itself was a steady one without reaching great heights. Definitely the coldest morning of the year, only +3 in the city and probably about -3 on the Yarra flats - plenty of frosted windscreens in evidence.

C • after telling me a year or so ... 6

Thought I might have been in for a hard morning's work when I woke to the sound of heavy rain, but that had gone by the time I actually headed out. A steady run, although body felt tighter than I would have expected - didn't really get in the way of the run though.

A session of 250 on/250 off around the Tan. Never loosened up properly and disappointingly slow - I race the full distance faster than that. Splits: 53, 53, 63 (uphill, and I think long), 52, 54, 49 (downhill), 52, 66 (330m).

One of the more character-building mornings at Fitzroy this year but nice once in. Didn't really get going but easing stiffness was the object of the exercise.

Went out at lunchtime - decided not to go to the Tan because I'm heading there tomorrow, but instead went west along the south side of the Yarra. This features some not-especially-attractive industrial scenery (which is even less attractive than it was the last time I was there), but there aren't many road crossings which is a plus for a central-city run. Would have been nice to get to Westgate Park but it's not quite in range on a run of this length.

After the first 10 minutes it was a very pleasant run, flowing along nicely and no sign of stiffness from the weekend.

Assuming there isn't a sudden jump today's maximum in Melbourne will be 12.7. This makes it the first day in 2007 which has been colder than Christmas Day 2006 (14.5) was.

A reasonable, but not brilliant run, on a very enjoyable course. Went out 4 minutes behind Toph in the chasing start and was never going to pull that in unless he screwed up (which he didn't). A reasonable run technically, some minor wobbles in circles and probably 45 seconds at 13, not seeing a high point which was half-buried in branches. Lacking energy a little but starting to flow well by the end.

I suspect the two finish controls may not have been quite in sync, as I scored what may be a career first - winning a finish chute split.

C • Family Gong 3

C • Finish split 1

A much better run than yesterday on all counts. Missed 3 a little, but only 20 seconds or so, and then got going nicely on the long, fast section through 4 and 5. Was mentally prepared for the tough section from 6 through 11 (heavy rock and a couple of big climbs), and thought I'd got through it OK until dropping 40 seconds or so on 11. Really enjoyed the rest of the course and running pretty well too - dropping generally downhill through the gorgeous section west of Melville Caves, a block which ranks in my top three or four areas worldwide.

Event: Inglewood 3 Day
 

A poor run both physically and technically. Didn't get off to a good start when I missed 1.5 minutes at 1, not really getting into the way the rock was mapped, and then lost another 2 minutes at 4. Feeling ordinary physically as well (at least the ankle was OK). Didn't lose a lot on fine navigation after that but didn't get good lines through the heavy rock, particularly on 8-9 which was a bit of a lottery - it perhaps summed up my day when I exited 13 up the gap between the rocks, hit a dead end and had to come back out past the control. Liggo caught me at 11 (another small wobble); I was struggling to stay with him and got dropped at the aforementioned dead end. 7 minutes down and deserved to be.

C • Dead end 2

Fairly smooth session at Richmond getting better as it went on.

Thursday morning long run, spending the first half twisting through the back streets of Ivanhoe (before stopping off at the Goddard's to sign a VOA cheque), then the second loop up through Macleod. Quads felt a bit strange - not sore, just a bit weak. Hopefully this isn't an indicator of subconsciously excessively favouring the ankle (which was a little sore in the first half but seemed fine in the second). Finished OK.

Got through an essentially normal midweek load without doing any more damage to the ankle (at least not obviously), which is a good sign. A rest day from running will hopefully sort it out properly.

Memo to Tony Mokbel: if you're trying to forge a NSW drivers licence, it's probably a good idea to include the NSW logo, not the one of VicRoads.

A nice course along the river from a Clifton Hill start. Running was going OK. Definitely noticed the ankle but soreness is only at nuisance level, not causing any impediment (except making me a bit tentative going down stairs).

I used to bestow an award each year in the national squad newsletter for the most original injury of the year, but it's hard to beat one I've just heard about from one Mario Gomez, a footballer playing in the German Bundesliga, who expressed his displeasure at being substituted off with a knee injury that he punched the first-aid kit - and broke his wrist.

Street-O at Canterbury Trails. They've fixed the map now so it now actually has the same scale in all directions (it used to be 1:11000 N-S and 1:17000 E-W).

Plan was to cruise around, mainly to see if my ankle could cope with two runs in a day (it could - noticeably better than this morning). Felt very sluggish in the first half but better later on.

Rather disappointing after my excellent recent form - never really loosened up and couldn't manage a loop faster than 9.17. Coldest morning so far this year but I can hardly blame that - for a long time my PBs for both 10k and the half-marathon were run in temperatures below freezing.

Didn't notice anything on the run but there was a bit of soreness on the inside of my right ankle after cooling down. Will bear watching.

C • Even I know 1

Coldest morning yet this year at Fitzroy. Strong through the first half but faded a bit in the second. Definitely good for loosening various muscles which were rather stiff after yesterday.

Hosted the MFR Monday night run. As is usually the case at such a remote venue as Heidelberg the numbers were a bit down - only five this time. A decent run on a nice night. Probably put a bit too much spice into the pumpkin, bean and potato red curry but everyone either liked it or was being polite.

Not quite as spooky as the equivalent run last year, when we marked the last night before the end of the world (at least according to the person who was ringing up half a dozen times a day to say that the world was going to end on 6/6/06 and it was the Bureau of Meteorology's responsibility to warn people about it) by doing laps of the Warringal Cemetery.

All the omens were promising for this one. I'd felt pretty good yesterday, had actually had two proper nights of sleep on the weekend, and it was the sort of cool sunny winter day that it's a joy to be out in. I'd hoped for a good run, but certainly didn't expect what I got - probably my best training run for several years, certainly my best long run. Hit a rhythm inside the first couple of kilometres and stayed in it, unbroken, for at least 20k, floating along - at a pace distinctly sharper than my usual long runs - without seeming to have to put in any real effort. It was the sort of morning when one becomes increasingly detached from the surroundings and doesn't want to break stride for anything (which meant an interesting moment or two with the traffic).

The last hour, coming back from Gardiners Creek through Surrey Hills and Bulleen, was tougher, with a bit of quad soreness making its presence felt, but still had plenty of energy left and was attacking hills well into the third hour, and had the confidence to come home through Bulleen the hilly way. Finished off with a bang - I can't remember doing the last Hawdon Street pinch so well at the end of a long run.

Next task is to try to run as well as that in six weeks' time.

Sight of the day: someone going down the wrong side of the road in Glen Iris in a motorised wheelchair trailing a dog on a lead behind them (presumably the condition of the footpath was too poor for them to be there).

Yarra Bend terrain loop. Definitely a bit greener and softer than it was the last time I was here (a bit slippery at times thanks to overnight rain). Started with Torgeir, a couple of minutes behind Kathryn and a couple ahead of Bruce. Felt pretty good most of the way, with a bit of strength on the hills (in marked contrast to midweek) and flowing nicely off them. Bruce got through me near the end on a route option; Torgeir sort-of hung on most of the way. Only negative was that I was a bit too tentative on the more slippery descents; Torgeir took a bit of distance out of me on a couple of them (he's more fearless than I am). Reasonably happy with this run.

Going to and from the start of the terrain loop from Bruce's place. A bit shorter than usual because the builders have packed up in our old short-cut past the Mormons' premises. Haven't ever seen any Mormons there (let alone had any try to convert us). My old home town distinguished itself some years ago when the Mormons gave up on Canberra after failing to convert a single person in 18 months of trying.

Swimming at Richmond, in a bit of a rush because I'd realised a few minutes after leaving home on the bike that I'd left my wallet behind (this means going back up the very steep Hawdon Street hill). Not a bad session despite some tightness in the body (particularly lower back). I'm starting to concentrate specifically on getting my very weak left arm to do some more work and it seems to be feeding through into some slightly-less-pathetically-slow times.

I normally pay fairly close attention to the news but I must have missed the announcement about traffic rules being made voluntary in the Melbourne CBD on Friday evenings. Will have to check the media releases on the Minister for Roads's website. I suspect the booze bus setting up on Heidelberg Road as I rode past will do good business.

C • Optional traffic rules 2