Training Log Archive: blairtrewin

Second day of the Bendigo weekend. This year I actually did finish a 10km course for the first time since 2018 (last year I got across the line but had punched a wrong control). Probably as easy physically as a course of this length can get (as evidenced by Aston going 4.5 min/km), and was perhaps a bit over-conservative after an iffy first 15 minutes (partly because I thought the area was twice as steep as it actually was - the map says 5m contours but it was actually 2.5, cross-checked with my GPS afterwards), but good to get this down as a benchmark.

A bit scrappy in the early stuff in the mining, sometimes not pinpointing controls but nothing bigger than 15 seconds. Settled down reasonably well through the middle and actually found myself in something of a race, with Mason who I caught at #15 (I think he'd made a big mistake there). Got something of a break on him when he dropped 45 seconds or so on #19, but then handed that advantage back when I made a similar error on the vague #23, and he was a bit too fast for me at the end.

C • Contours 13

Least surprising research finding of the day: it was reported today in the Guardian that a James Cook University study of community crime groups on social media in Queensland had found that a number carried "overtly racialised content". (Whilst there are obviously issues in Alice Springs, it's also evident that vigilante Facebook groups have done plenty to fan the flames).

Hagaby A 3.0 km and 10 km - Splits

Bush sprint at Dunolly, start of the Bendigo weekend. I did pretty much everything possible to minimise my chance of a performance in this, sitting down in an OA board meeting all day and then having to drive straight up to make the start times. (Anna had the same non-preparation as me in all respects and performed almost as badly). Stepped out and my back was barely functioning, even though the terrain was interesting - it was no surprise that people started going through me (including Clare from a minute back; I sort of kept her in sight for a while, but not forever). Finally freed up enough to be able to sort of run in the last 10 minutes but by then my navigation was doing some weird things, going quite badly offline on 14 after misreading some tracks (probably 45 seconds or so lost there), and drifted on 18 too. Hopefully tomorrow, with a less bad preparation, will be better.

Sprint A 3.0 km and 10 km - Splits

I'm not always very good at listening to my body, but got a clear enough message last night that it probably needed a lighter day than I'd planned (although it took an attempted warm-up to fully convince me of this). One positive was that my sore spots were OK in the pool (flared a little on the bike coming home, but not too badly). Reasonably relaxed in the water, although it's the time of the year when sunglare can be a bit annoying at this time of day.

Whilst I may have paid more attention today to the exploits of Harry Brook than Harry Styles, the latter's concert at Marvel Stadium (which I presume is why flights from Adelaide and Tasmania were so expensive this weekend) was certainly visible in our part of town - got a good look at lunchtime at the queue which was already building to get the best seats (four hours before gates opened). If the stories Mum's told me are anything to go by, the crowd was a good deal more sedate than their grandmothers were when the Beatles and Rolling Stones hit town (although that may have changed when Harry actually turned up).

C • Styles concert 2

Park-street championships, not that I was exactly racing in championship form - next time maybe I'll try not trashing my quads the day beforehand. (That sequence wasn't my original plan, but I thought going long on Friday would be too much as four solid days in a row, especially with the heat). Also had soreness which is gradually migrating around the top of my left leg - the sore spot is on the inside now - and had some misgivings about running participating at all, but got out there on a warm night. Walked the hills, jogged the rest (not very convincingly), avoided falling into Springthorpe's traps and got a decent route (I think), and did loosen up a bit later on. Seem to have come up OK afterwards too, but the morning will be the test of that.

C • You and me both 1

The most significant thing about today was finishing a significant area - Eaglemont, and with it, all of the area bounded by Bell/Banksia Streets to the north, the Yarra to the south and east and Merri Creek to the west (although by now I've expanded a bit west of the Merri). This meant a run into the northeast corner of Eaglemont (with a few bits of Heidelberg thrown in), and thus some hills. It started out not too badly on the largely uphill first quarter, but became a bit more challenging later on - some slight hip twinges but the main issue was that I was struggling with my quads. (This could have been the steep descent into Heidelberg but I think it's more likely that I was running a bit differently to normal and loading different areas to normal, so view it with some caution). Managed to grind home the last 4k with most of the climbing out of the way, and good to get this on the board, but still some work to do.

Bit of a personal landmark in the overlap space between orienteering and science - the first published paper on which Vanessa and I (along with a few others) have been co-authors.

C • Enjoyed reading this 2

Was feeling rather tight today and an attempt at lunchtime intervals, on the last running-suitable lunchtime for a bit, was abortive, but got myself moving eventually and the last part wasn't too bad. Drew a few (somewhat wobbly) lines in the southwest part of the CBD. Hip was OK today.

The business section of the paper is often a good place to see what companies really think when they're not trying to pretend that they aren't being too greedy, so I noted with some interest that Ampol reported to the stock market that its refining profit margins last year had increased by the small matter of 150%. I suspect that they will be far from the most egregious example.

And federal Cabinet was meeting today in Port Hedland. I've previously noted here that the benchmark for whatever the opposite is of a junket was set by a Global Cryosphere Watch meeting held in February a few years back in the Russian Arctic town of Salekhard, but Port Hedland in February must be up there. At least there wasn't a cyclone.

C • Port Hedland 2

I was particularly asleep when my alarm went off this morning. I thought this might rub off into a sleepy session of this too, but it wasn't too bad (if a little disjointed because of the order in which the others were using equipment).

Moving on into the water. Felt smooth enough but again a little on the slow side, picking up at the end. Still a bit of soreness at the front of the hip; I don't get the sense that it is going to stop me from running but it's a bit annoying.