Training Log Archive: blairtrewin

Money in sport (an occasional series). In last night's Premier League game, Norwich City's starting 11 cost 6 million pounds, Manchester City's starting 11 cost 406 million pounds. Norwich won :-).

C • I thought you’d like that result! 1

Flew in about 8.45 - slept 3-4 hours on the flight despite having a middle seat (almost everyone seems to check in using an app which appears to only be available in China, so those checking in at the airport get stuck with the dregs). Took to the pool for a post-work swim after a not-spectacularly-productive day; took a long time indeed to get going but was finally feeling reasonable by the last couple of laps.

Almost ready today, but not quite. Got the chance to have a closer look at the path around the lake though - OK for shake-out-the-cobweb runs for World Cup teams who will be staying here. Spent some more of the day in the middle area, plunging myself into some of its crappier areas so the rest of you don't have to, and doing one reasonably inelegant arse-plant on a damp mossy pavement (shoe choice will be one of the more important things to test out at the model event). Saw most of what I wanted to see, though, and it was good to have the TV producer here this weekend so he, I and the setters/mappers could work through what was wanted and make decisions on the spot.

There was a group which had just finished a run at the lake when I went out. One of them perhaps still has a bit to learn about optimal performance as his post-run recovery method involved a cigarette.

Flew home tonight. The passage through Guangzhou airport was smoother than it sometimes is (this is an airport where you definitely want to allow at least 2 hours, and 2.5 is better), but there aren't a lot of eating options once through security.

C • Middle terrain 2

Still not good today, although to be honest I'm not too upset to have a reason not to be running on this visit - the conditions are draining and being out in the field (sprint relay today) is hard work in itself, albeit slightly cooler today after an early-morning thunderstorm. A few locals were venturing into the murky waters of the lake next to where we're staying but I think you'd have to be a local to know what nasties might (or might not) be lurking therein (at least there are no crocodiles).

We were working through an auto-translation of the draft Bulletin 3 and were somewhat amused by a reference to the "media shooting area". I know the virtues of a free press aren't universally recognised in this part of the world, but I think this is a reference to photography.

Still pretty tight after the flight, and I think I needed a day to get used to the humidity anyway - it was enough of an effort walking around all the sprint controls today (in the afternoon it reached 35-36 degrees with dewpoints around 27 - even Darwin in the build-up doesn't normally manage that). Forecast for tomorrow is a bit kinder.

It's the mid-autumn festival here (given the aforementioned weather conditions, I'm wondering where the "mid-autumn" comes from). As one might expect for a festival in China, this is being accompanied with the enthusiastic use of pyrotechnics - quickly learned not to be too perturbed when something went bang in the vicinity.

One for the "you know you're an orienteer when": you see an article in the Cathay magazine about the great lost city of southern India (once the world's second-largest city after Beijing, but abandoned after being conquered in the 16th century), and the first thing that captures your attention is all the granite boulders on the hills behind the ruins.

C • You know when you are an orienteer when... 2

Actually managed to get a run in - a few hip twinges at times but back was fine today. This was what's becoming a semi-regular thing for me before earlyish flights, a loop through Airport West on the way to the airport (for those playing at home, the suburb's name refers to Essendon Airport, not Tullamarine), although a bit different to last time because it was light enough to discover a parkland strip I hadn't seen previously. Not exactly a lightning-fast run, but good to at least get one in the book.

First leg of the flight was fine (and the seat next to me was empty, which always helps), and there don't seem to be any issues tonight at Hong Kong airport - about to head on to Guangzhou.

Got a start, at least, but that was all; the first (small) hill was enough to set me off. Getting closer though (and felt better during the day).

Switched a planned morning swim from tomorrow to this evening, with a post-work session at Fitzroy (felt in any case that I needed a cleansing immersion in water after exposure to Craig Kelly's Facebook page). Not too bad a session; drifted out of it a bit in the later stages, but certainly nothing like last time I tried. One foot cramp at the end. Had a bit of a sore shoulder to start with after a tetanus shot yesterday, but that was no problem once under way.

There was a piece in the latest RACV newsletter with Steve Moneghetti naming his six favourite runs in Victoria. Some were expected (Lake Wendouree), some were familiar territory (Two Bays), and one took me by surprise a bit.

Tightened up again significantly last night; not quite as bad in the morning as I thought it might have been, but still not really in the shape to run on. A bit annoyed about this as I don't expect where I'll be in the later part of this week to have especially running-friendly conditions - Guangzhou morning dewpoints at this time of year are normally in the mid-20s. (World Cup aspirants will be pleased to know that the humidity usually drops away substantially from about the first week of October onwards, although last year it took until the 26th before the end of the last period of 20+ dewpoints).