Training Log Archive: blairtrewin

Hamstring not runnable this morning so took to the bike instead for the Eaglemont loop. The sun had not long been out after a day and a bit of it not being out, with the predictable consequence that the Darebin Creek path was packed, but fewer people to go around once past that. Handled the climbing more or less OK, and found a bit of pace at the end when I realised it was going to be tight to get in under the hour (hopefully the last day we need to worry about this), something I managed by almost the narrowest possible margin.

Hamstring was feeling OK when I got up so I thought I'd see whether it would stand up to a run, picking what I thought would be the least wet period of the day (although as it turned out most of the rain held off until late afternoon). The answer was 'not really', and after Wednesday's experience I didn't think it was a good idea to press on through it (it didn't blow up post-run the way it did on Wednesday so that's one positive). Did manage to do most of the terrain controls I was looking to do. Strangely the BMX jumps were deserted today.

A bit of a disappointing morning, but at least the Raiders won in the afternoon, plus Fairfield is now officially a plague-free zone (at least for now).

Still struggling with the hamstring so went for a ride at lunchtime, doing the Boulevard (without any extras). Not too bad on the whole; started well but slowed up a bit later, probably mostly due to the wind (although it was only a proper headwind on the last bit back up Chandler Highway).

There's a bit more building happening on the paper mill site, including some rather noisy piledriving. This might well upset the neighbours, some of whom are not necessarily people you would want to upset. (I'm told that living close to the Coburg Skyrail construction site during lockdown has not been a pleasant experience).

And I'm somewhat mystified by the thought processes of any political party which thinks that wanting to kill koalas is the way to capture the hearts and minds of the Australian people.

Bit of a nothing ride this morning after a 5am meeting (which in turn was coming off one which ended close to 11 last night). It was, though, a nice morning for it, and in the first half I headed down to Yarra Bend and Dights Falls where I haven't been for a while, observing (a) that serious tree carnage from the storm a couple of weeks back happened on both sides of the river and not just one and (b) the water level below the falls has been a couple of metres higher than what it currently is, as evidenced by the depressingly copious quantity of garbage stuck in riverside vegetation to about that height.

The hamstring post-run yesterday was as bad as it's been in the last few weeks, and it was still a bit sore this morning, but didn't flare up in the last 10 minutes of the ride like it did the last couple of times.

Made it out today, but hamstring gradually worsened through the run, and although was still runnable, pulled up pretty sore afterwards (and still is), so will need to see how it comes up tomorrow.

Headed west to complete a few more bits of the mission, mostly the roads which bound All Nations Park (including the Northcote Plaza car park) with a few bits and pieces on the way to and from. The 2km circle from my place passes through the middle of Northcote Plaza so if that (rather than 5km) was the legal limit I'd be able to go to the bad Coles but not the good one - in practice I've mostly been going to neither. (At least we now have confirmation that it's only a couple of nursing homes that are a zone of pestilence in Northcote, and not the suburb as a whole).

Discovery of the day is that there is a Facebook page devoted to trig points of the ACT.

Hamstring not quite there today, so the few minutes of a run became a walk down to the slowly receding river. Not a lot improves next week but at least I (legally) get a second bite of the cherry doing something else if the first session doesn't work out (and supposedly pools will be opening from the 28th, although outdoor ones only so may not be easy to get a timeslot).

Starting a bushfire during a gender-reveal party may be an American thing but it seems our equivalent is the gender-reveal burnout. The word "bogan" does rather come to mind here.

Morning ride starting out towards Heidelberg, though different at the far end (mainly because I decided I didn't want to wait around at the Westgarth level crossing and swung past the Clifton Hill track instead). Felt a bit like hard work early with some contribution from a headwind, but the actual climbing wasn't too bad, then fairly relaxed later on. Hamstring felt a little sore in the last 15 minutes, as on Friday, but came up fine.

First day of the spring warm enough for shorts during the day.

And hands up who had bushfire started during gender-reveal party on their 2020 bingo card? As the story explains, it's not even the first time it's happened (and the last time had some "only in America" bonus points because shooting was involved). The story was sadly devoid of any indication of what was revealed, although someone on Twitter had their own ideas.