Training Log Archive: blairtrewin

Checking controls before the start of the Victorian Relays at Darebin Parklands. As I thought might have been the case with inexperienced setters, there were a few things which needed fixing (although they did a good job overall). Running OK in between those times. The drizzle made things pretty slippery - did the splits at one point on some bluestone steps.

The event went pretty well; we had a visit beforehand from a rather flustered ranger who was rather alarmed about the potential clash with Clean Up Australia (which in practice caused rather fewer issues than the clash with the Sporting Shooters up in Bendigo last year; they were mostly down by the creek where the rubbish was, courtesy of the flood after Christmas). Most significant technical issue was that the purple X overprint on parts of the creek which was intended to mark a prohibited crossing actually looked like a crossing point. A few of the steeper controls were also hard for the oldest competitors to get to; we probably need to apply to relays course 3 the same guidelines as we do to the shortest hard course at a normal State Series event.

Headed out on a humid morning, a little later than might have been optimal in order to reacclimatise myself to warm weather ahead of forthcoming races because I couldn't be bothered getting out of bed early. Started out doing yet another mail drop-off because the local postie can't tell the difference between Rushall and Hall, then east into Ivanhoe.

The good news was that nothing hurt in any meaningful sense, the bad news was that this was a classic post-injury lack-of-energy run. Stopped a couple of times for water and was definitely hanging on at the end. Can only go up from here, and should do so - the first 2-3 weeks of a return are always hard.

C • Rushall 3

First time back at Fitzroy for a month - the changeroom renovations are now happening, and while the temporary facilities are a step up on what was on offer at Ivanhoe while their works were going on, they're still not great (was glad I arrived after the crowd). A fairly standard session with a bit of drizzle from time to time. Sitting felt a bit better than it did yesterday.

A see-if-things-still-work run after the disappointment of yesterday. They did still work, more or less. Only mild twinges on the run but quite sore after sitting down during the day - it wasn't like this in Geneva so think I might need to organise myself a new chair.

Had a crack at street-O on my first day back but wasn't ready for it - had thought the heat would be the problem but it was more a body that refused to move. Probably should have gone home to bed ASAP afterwards but found myself in a conversation with Asha (who just lost a sprint finish to her sister) about Aboriginal communities and didn't realise how much time had passed until it was getting dark...

Looked like a good course. My planned route differed significantly from others I've seen but I think it would have been decent - don't have GPS numbers to put that to the test though.

All in all it wasn't the brightest of first days back (arriving to the news of a hammering by Malcolm Roberts in Senate Estimates wasn't really the news I wanted to come back to).

Had 3 1/4 hours between flights in Dubai, everything went smoothly with the transfer and I didn't feel too sleepy (I'd got a couple of hours sleep on the previous leg, after getting a row to myself), so I decided to head for the airport gym. This was a bonus session in a lot of ways and I think it did me some good in the getting-through-the-flight department (although that will be fully tested tomorrow). Felt better than the corresponding session in Oslo although not much more interesting; the televisual backdrop this time was a movie of the sort where it was rare for 60 consecutive seconds to pass without someone shooting at someone (except during the ads) and there was one scene which contained five different items of total implausibility in the space of about 15 seconds.

Unusual route choice from Geneva to Dubai - southeast across the eastern Mediterranean and then east across the north of Saudi Arabia. I assume this is because of winds and not because of an issue with Turkish or Iranian airspace. (Iraq, Syria and Israel are all no-go zones, so you have to pass either north or south). Highlight was a spectacular view of Mount Olympus.

C • Movie 1

Sometimes I need reminding that I can't do everything, and that trying to do an earlyish run before breakfast following a long race, a four-hour drive, a flight and a late night arrival in Geneva probably wasn't going to work out too well. This was indeed the case. Best that can be said for this one is that it was better than the last one I did in the same general area (the one I attempted to do between flights from Geneva Airport in August). Did find some new pockets of the Geneva suburbs.

Just about to head home now, after paying a morning visit to CERN (nerd alert!). Don't feel super-energetic at the moment so will have to see how things work out at the other end.

C • CERN 7