Training Log Archive: blairtrewin

Decided to take on the Maxi 3-hour score event at Sailors Creek with the intention of treating it as a training run and staying out for around 2 hours. Bruce had the same idea and set out in the same sequence. It quickly became apparent that we were going to get all the controls well inside 3, or even 2, hours, even at less than full speed - we already had 6 on the board inside the first 10 minutes.

Bruce pulled away a bit on the second quarter of the course, mostly because he was a bit more aggressive than I was on the numerous erosion gully crossings, but I caught up again after a slightly suspect control and then a split on route choice across the green main creek (the only time all day we weren't in sight of each other). The next control was overrun by wasps - as I'd been warned on approach. I stopped to see if a safe approach could be made; Bruce went straight in, punched, got stung and fled the scene with the wasps in hot pursuit. He also dropped his map and control card in the process and wasn't about to go back in to retrieve it. We ran together from there and predictably finished way inside the distance.

I was pretty happy with this one; certainly stronger than most recent days and running hills decently well. The navigation was fairly straightforward (especially as I had Bruce to show me into so many controls in the first two-thirds) but still pleased to do nothing silly. 97 minutes was a nice length for this stage of training.

It may seem like poor course-setting to set a 3-hour score event where people get them all in just over half the time (and we'd probably have broken 90 if we'd been going flat out), but I don't think much more could have been done given the limits of the size of the map.

Thought our kilometre rate might have been a bit faster given the open nature of most of the forest (and the modest climb by Sailors Creek standards), but the gully crossings definitely add up.

C • But did you punch control 21 3

Once again feeling a bit flat - think I may be fighting off a bit of a cold. Something of a nothing run as far as the Gresswell reserve; Springthorpe is much less of a construction site than it was a few months back. Went out too early to have the rare opportunity to run in the rain.

Just about the one moment of peace in the last 24 hours. Shoulders stiff early but loosened up nicely in the second half.

I don't expect too many of you were watching Sky News at 6.05 this morning, but if anyone was, did they use the picture of me from the Barambogie event last year? (They wanted a digital photo of me to use as a backdrop and the only one I had to hand was the one off the OA website).

Current interview score: 16 (with at least one more to come). A few of these were with international wire services so I await, with bated breath, potential sightings in Aftenposten/Helsingin Sanomat/the Almaty Herald. (I won't be awaiting sightings in the U.S. - as one travel guide I saw put it, "unless the U.S. is currently bombing your country, don't expect to read about it in an American newspaper").

C • Big time 4

Another pretty uninspiring run, although better than yesterday. Had my first taste of the new bit of the Plenty River trail (linking up from the back of Viewbank to Main Road), which I suspect will become a fairly regular haunt for me on runs out to the north-east (a good place to find big hills). Saw a remarkable number of kangaroos coming back through the Gresswell reserve - they're obviously used to runners because all but one stayed still rather than scattering.

Had an uncomfortably close encounter in the last few minutes with a P-plater in a white van failing to give way whilst making an illegal right turn.

A crazy day at work today courtesy of the PM's comments on water - 7 interviews so far with several others to come.

C • I'm hiding 1

A pretty uninspiring hour around the Yarra Flats and the streets of Viewbank.

Yesterday obviously fooled me into thinking that I was still in reasonable shape. Today at the Tan was a very different story - felt weak from the outset and didn't get much better, although picked up a little (only a little) later on once it became apparent that I was in danger of failing to break 14. Somehow managed to find myself with 50 metres of clear space in front of me towards the end, which rarely happens anywhere on the Tan at any time (except possibly 3.30 a.m.).

Splits: 3.36, 3.47, 3.39, 3.37.

Going to/from the Tan. Had to stop to pull some wood out of my foot, although it was only about as long in millimetres as Bruce's was in centimetres.

The prize for most unsuccessful political media stunt of the week goes to the ACT Shadow Police Minister, one Steve Pratt (who non-Canberrans may remember as the aid worker who was arrested by the Serbs during the Kosovo war in 1999). He's been on an anti-graffiti crusade of late and took it upon himself to invite the media to bring themselves and their cameras along to watch him paint over some "graffiti". Unfortunately, the "graffiti" in question was a perfectly legal mural which had been commissioned by a local sporting group. He may now get the opportunity to find out just how soft the laws are against defacing public artwork (and his researcher is probably seeking alternative employment). Full gory details at http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21575892-2,00....

C • pratt 1

Tuesday night street-O at Windy Hill (something of a personal sacred site). Ran alternate legs hard/easy after a 15-minute warm-up. The course was long enough to keep things interesting, not always the case at score events (often the course is too short for a 60-minute time and the decision-making is only about deciding the most efficient way to get them all), but always felt like I had a little in hand, given that the controls were closer together in the second half. Finished with 2.5 minutes to spare.

Quite encouraged by the way I was feeling; didn't push it flat out but felt strong on the faster legs and could have gone quite a bit faster. The Tan tomorrow may be interesting.

A rather sluggish swim at Fitzroy after the long trip home and not enough sleep.

MFR Monday night run from Kirsten and Keith's place. Pleasant enough - didn't feel as stiff and tired as I thought I might after a hard week.