Training Log Archive: blairtrewin

Went looking for something flat today with the aim of just getting something on the board (if things go to plan this week, next Sunday's run is going to be flat whether I like it or not). Foot was a bit better than yesterday (and coped with the few small ramps), though still not exactly comfortable. Running a bit better than yesterday though faded a bit in the last 10 minutes or so.

Cleared up a few loose ends in Clifton Hill; have now completed the area east of Hoddle and north of Ramsden, although still plenty to do in the western and southern parts of the suburb.

Foot felt a bit better this morning so I thought it was worth seeing what it was like to run on, using the park/street "training" at Kerrimuir as my venue. The answer was that it was not too bad on the flat and gentle downhills, but was still too painful to run on on most uphills (except ones steep enough to be on the balls of one's feet). There were a few more of these than I anticipated because this particular incarnation of the Kerrimuir map goes north of the freeway as well as south. Good to get a first run on the board but still a reminder that there's a bit to go to return to normality (and certainly I'll be seeking out flat ground for my next couple of outings).

There was a big tree down near the start, which people whom I presume to be locals were taking to with chainsaws with some enthusiasm. I guess somebody's going to have lots of firewood. (There was plenty of other evidence of storm damage in my post-event excursion, doing a tour of Yarra flood sites within the allowed radius - which included seeing a torrent at Banksia Park (on the south side of the ridge) where the river had just reached the level of going over a bank and was rapidly filling a billabong a couple of metres below the main river level.

Once upon a time, there was a Northcote and District Poultry, Pigeon and Canary Improvement Society. (Wonder if it lasted long enough for Bill Lawry to be involved in it?).

Lunchtime ride, having decided that my foot is not yet up to being run on (not quite sure how far away it is). Riding was fine, though, at lunchtime (morning was rather foggy so a good one to miss). Out through Heidelberg initially then out into the middle of Thornbury and Northcote. Still seems pretty quiet despite the overnight changes, and still plenty of small debris on some of the roads (meanwhile a lot of the outer east is still waiting to get its power back).

One difference to the previous fortnight is that Pilates is back (at least as individual sessions, which seemed to be overlapping a bit). Starting to get the hang of the new routine and don't seem to have lost too much in the last couple of weeks.

Foot still uncomfortable to walk on today (the cut has gone but there's some bare skin, so it's more like a burst blister), so thought it best to do something non-weight-bearing. With high winds persisting until the middle of the day, I left the ride as late as possible whilst still being in daylight. Ended up feeling quite good on the bike - one of those days when you feel like there are more tailwinds than headwinds.

We got off more lightly than areas further east in both the wind and rain department, but there was still plenty of small debris on the road in places where there were trees upwind of it.

Found a creative way to injure myself this morning - got up in the early hours of the morning and trod on my trousers on the floor, and more significantly their belt buckle. The end result of this was a cut on the sole of my right foot.

From past experience of injuries in this area (most significantly when I ran the last hour of an NT Championships on rocky ground without a functional sole on my shoe), I suspected I'd be able to run on it on even ground. This proved more or less to be the case, although it made its presence felt on anything which wasn't smooth straight concrete (I certainly knew about it when I hit a stretch of bluestone). It was a pretty ordinary run though, and 10 minutes shorter than I'd originally been hoping for, but getting something on the board was something on the first day after an injury. Past experience suggests it will take its time healing, but should be OK to run on (whether I'm prepared to take it into terrain - which we will now have a slightly wider choice of - on the weekend is an open question).

Made good use of weather forecast information to make sure I got out reasonably early. It looked like it would get ugly after 9am and it did. (If things had gone to plan, I would have spent today at the Bungle Bungles).

All Nations intervals at lunchtime, taking advantage of a gap between showers (certainly wouldn't have been too pleasant doing it in the morning). Another incremental step up, managing a set of 8 and getting down around the best times I've done this year (62 up/58 down) despite sometimes wet and slippery ground. Starting to go a bit lactic on the last couple. Not as many people around as usual, but the conditions probably had a bit to do with that (there will be fewer this time tomorrow).

Warm-up and down. Felt like hard work coming back, an indicator that I'd been doing some hard work beforehand (calves and quads were both a bit tight at times). Stopped at the end of my street to admire the SES's work and get a bit more info from the householder whose tree it was this time yesterday.

La Trobe loop after an early-morning IOF meeting. This route is always harder in the first half than the second because of its elevation profile, but doubly so today because of a stiff north to northwesterly wind - normally the northward stretch through the top of Heidelberg and Macleod is pretty straightforward but not today. Definitely easier once the wind was behind me though. More traffic around than I expected.

Last year it took about a month before wildly unhinged Dan Andrews conspiracy theories started circulating. This year it's taken a bit over a week (and I don't think any shadow ministers were promoting said theories in media releases last time, either). Won't say much about the content except that QAnon is sane by comparison.

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It may be a rather empty long weekend coming up but at least I've got something to do with the Monday: first vaccination is booked for the oddly specific time of 1.12pm. (Only took me 15 minutes to get through on the phone, too).

C • Vaccination 29