Training Log Archive: blairtrewin

Training at Mount Tarrengower with Vanessa and Jasmine - the way it worked was that we ran the course in four quarters, starting at 30-second intervals (different order each time) and regathering at the end of each section. This isn't a bad way of doing it (especially as we each set part of the course); reminded me a bit of just about the most intense session I've ever done, a similar set-up at the old Stony Creek (west Stromlo) in 1993 with 15-second intervals and a quartet whose other members were Andy Hogg, Rob Walter and William Hawkins.

We jogged halfway up the mountain to start then began through a couple of legs of ankle-breaking descent before getting into the more substantial section - in the rock for most of the rest of it. Certainly noticed my lack of time in the terrain in the rough stuff, and in picking the good micro route choices in the heavier rock (as well as reading and thinking ahead on the map; also had a bit of trouble picking the difference between boulders and high points in bare rock, which might reflect the gradual slide towards the glasses-required age threshold, for which 45 seems to be the magic number). Will be better for this run, though. Only a couple of minor wobbles technically - my worst time loss was a deliberately experimental route choice which didn't work out - and felt stronger (but not necessarily faster) uphill than has been the case for most of the last month. Still not terribly happy with the pace. Achilles fine today.

In today's form, at least, we were a well-matched group - oddly enough, no-one caught anyone on any of the sections. Really enjoyed being out today, whilst realising that the way this season has turned out will leave me pretty underdone going into Easter.

There was a piece in the real estate section of today's Age including Woodend in a list of places within 40 minutes of central Melbourne. They must drive faster than I do.

A poor run early in the morning which improved somewhat once I could actually see where I was going. Achilles not great today.

There must be a crime shortage in Victoria this week: featuring in the "Victoria's Most Wanted" column on Wednesday was someone who'd allegedly nicked a mountain bike from a Port Melbourne garage.

Pool run at Fitzroy, starting well and truly in the dark now (the last time for a while - not that I'll have too many more Fridays in Melbourne for a while). Calves felt a bit funny (something confirmed by the masseur who was my next stop); occasionally threatened to cramp but never did.

Banner of the day - from the supporters of Schalke at their Europa League match against Athletic Bilbao, protesting against the 90-euro ticket price for the return leg in Spain: "1 euro a minute? It's football, not phone sex!"

Disrtance starting to wind down a bit now in the lead-up to Easter. Slow to start with in a reasonably hilly first half through East Ivanhoe and North Balwyn, settled down a bit after that. Never flowing but seemed to go quite quickly.

It is the last Thursday in March which means it is time for an annual ritual: the sight of Richmond supporters convinced that this is going to be their year. Usually they're disabused of this notion by about 10 on the Thursday night, and this year is going the same way.

I've also been doing a lot of looking at recent site pictures in the last couple of days. One I saw (not one of the 112 high-quality ones) gave new meaning to the expression "crappy site" - it's at the Launceston sewage treatment works and the observations have been affected in the last couple of years by large quantities of Launceston's you-know-what being dumped in close proximity to the screen. (There's a much better site at the airport which is in my set).

C • What is "the screen"? 2

C • Ti-Tree Bend 1

By overwhelming popular demand arising out of the previous discussion, here is your chance to help raise some funds for the Australian teams in 2012.

If donations to orienteering through the Australian Sports Foundation reach $500 between now and Easter Monday, I hereby pledge (*) to follow the fine example of the Ukrainian federation president mentioned yesterday, and sing the national anthem at the Easter presentation. If we get to $1000 I'll sing both verses. (* - if, on the other hand, you're so appalled by the prospect of hearing me sing that you're prepared to pay good money to see it not happen, you can nominate that with your donation, and if "not singing" donations exceed "singing" ones I'll refrain).

Donations to the Australian Sports Foundation can be directed to a number of projects, including the teams for WOC, JWOC and MTBO WOC. If you're an Australian taxpayer you can even claim a tax deduction for it (as long as you or a member of your immediate family isn't in a team you're directing your donation to). You need to fill out the donation form - you can either scan and e-mail to me or bring it to Easter (I'll also have hard copies at Easter).

C • I really think 4

Felt a bit sleepy warming up, better once trying to go fast, but only marginally faster than the last couple of weeks - certainly not hitting form leading into Easter in the way I would like. The light was pretty marginal at the start - definitely ready for daylight saving to stop.

The ride in was pretty hard work (my rear tyre was low - fortunately we have a good pump at work). There was a piece in yesterday's paper about how Audi had a model for the Indian market which included an extra heavy-duty horn; on today's evidence there might be a market for such vehicles in Melbourne as well.

3x1k on the Tan. A strange sort of run, felt like I couldn't get any sort of speed but faster (or perhaps less slow) than with a similar effort last week, down in the 3.50s. I guess this should be taken as encouraging.

Some of you will have heard of the unfortunate incident the other day in which someone from Kazakhstan won a shooting championship in Kuwait; the organisers had downloaded the wrong song from the internet and instead played the spoof "national anthem" from the Borat movie (a sample - "our prostitutes are the cleanest in the region, except for Turkmenistan"). I'm not sure if it's still the case, but usually teams are asked to bring a copy of their anthem to WOC. When Yuri Omelchenko won unexpectedly in 1995 the Ukrainians hadn't come so equipped, so the president of the Ukrainian federation got up on the stage and sang it instead. (Hopefully public anthem-singing doesn't form part of OA's presidential responsibilities).

C • OA duties 7

Going to/from the Tan, feeling half-asleep on the way there. Lots of stops for traffic both coming and going, and a more positive diversion when I saw the sports medicine person I used to go to for the first time in a couple of years. After seven years of sticking needles into my calf muscles every fortnight, she left the practice abruptly and I'd heard on the grapevine that all was not well, but she seems in good form now.

C • Karen? 2

Nothing to get wildly excited about but nothing too bad either in the first leg of the occasional Monday triathlon, from the Fitzroy pool north along the Merri Creek. Seemed to be going gently uphill for a lot of it which is puzzling as most of this run was dead flat.

In the pool at Fitzroy in the early stages of autumn (today was one of the first markers of developing autumn, the first sub-10 night in Melbourne). Felt a bit strange at times swimming, thanks to the aftermath of jamming a couple of fingers in the pantry door this morning, but settled down eventually.