Training Log Archive: SusC

Botanic gardens loop in the evening, from home. Tried to run on grass. Was getting dark and had the bejezus scared out of me by a bat in a bush that I ran right next to.

C • any leaf skeletons? 2

24 ex, 10 reps. Still sweating madly from running right before. 27.0/25.3

With Lach, after breakfast. Power went off at dawn and then it bucketted for 15mins or so, so we ate something and waited til it eased. Turned out to be unbelievably nice conditions for running, particularly by Darwin standards and at this time of year. Spot on for a long run....would have to be the coolest Saturday morning for months, at 23c!

From Armidale St along the Hwy bike path at first and then across the Hwy (all the traffic lights were out) into Parap Gdns, to go down along Douglas St past the race course. At the end took left on Dick Ward Dve and ran that bike path back towards Fannie Bay for a bit until short cutting across the grass to the Fannie Bay oval. Some excavations going on here in the vacant land behind the oval so had to detour around via the backstreets to get to the grassy field near Lake Alexander rather than going straight through. Loo stop at Lake Alex, then into the East Pt monsoon forest on the little twisty turny tracks...so much fun in here!

Came out on the N side of the forest eventually next to the wallaby field and then followed the cliff top bike path back around to the west. Tide was way way out but gave the rocks a miss still because slippery. Followed the road a little near Dave's point and then dropped down on to the beach once the cliffs finished. Ran on the beach all the way back to the museum as the tide so far out...the furtherest I've seen. Sand all shiny and wet with water running down the beach from the rocks and cute hermit crab marks like train tracks wobbling across sand everywhere. At the museum, went up behind the school before turning back to the Goyder lights (out as well) and finishing up at the Salvos on Salonika St. Where there was a telescope, so we bought it.

C • Can you see me... 6

24 ex, 10 reps, after work while Lachlan was making dinner:)

24 exs, 10 reps, 1kgish.

In the evening with Lach, from across hwy down through gardens, across to Mindil, clifftops past school, around Vestey's Lake and home.

Aust Day Mindil Beach fun run. So many people! This must be the only place in the country where it is considered that the cool thing to do is to get up at 5.30am on a public holiday and go in a fun run. Really bizarre...

A minute and a bit slower than last year but was quite happy with that as had been expecting much worse. Totally dry conditions, it hasn't rained since Friday. Warm too, 28.9/24.7.

Off to do new-comer coaching at the CATI event in the Botanic Gdns after. There were so many new people I felt like a talking robot after a while!

C • nice work :) 5

Stuart Pk to Berrimah.

Berrimah to home. Had to back track and take a different road to stop a dog following me just outside of work.

Botanic gardens and beach combo with Lach, starting and finishing across the hwy. Along the grassy railway strip, through St John's (and over a locked gate) into the gardens, past the ponds, across to Mindil beach, left to the southern end of the beach to the creek outflow and then north to the northern creek, back on the bike path past the school and museum and then back onto the beach as far as the Trailer boat club. Back along the road to Goyder and then streets through to the Hwy.

Lots of little crab holes on the sand, with hundred-&-thousand sized sand beads drawn out of their holes and positioned on the surface in a radiating out fashion. Very unmotivated to go running but was quite pleasant after ten minutes or so. Really must try harder to get back into regular running habits.

Blahhhhh!!!

24 ex program, 10 reps

Home to Berrimah.

Berrimah to home. Bucketted down right at the end of work but cleared away before I'd ridden too far luckily.

Ten reps of 24 ex. Had to set the alarm and get up in the dark:o

From Berimah back into the city to Lach's work. Grey sky with big piley up clouds but no rain on the ride luckily....it's actually pretty exposed out along the bottom of the airport.

Out to Berimah to do bug stuff. A simpler ride than going to uni as bike path the whole way nearly, all along the bottom of the airport. No driveways or side streets:). One slow set of lights is a bit of a pain though.

To work.

Home

10 reps of 24 ex.

A bit of Stuart Pk exploring with Lachlan. Down past the bananas, up the school alley, down to the oval and then home via the fire station hill on the bike path.

Sweaty after stopping.

24 ex program.

Lots of cleaning today...finally a sunny weekend:)

A surprise visitor arriving tomorrow in the form of Jasmine Neve.

C • What's Jas doing there? 4

Same as Tues.

To work. Almost actually sunny! Figured I should use the dry weather to ride. Well, 25mm is dry compared to 70. A lot of rain can be just as irritating as none at all it seems.

Ride home. Still dry! A novelty.

Woollies is stocked pretty well with fruit and veg again, but milk and bread seem to be the immediate shortages now. Stopped past the supermarket after final Darwin dinner at the wharf with mum and dad. A bit rainy but lots of fish and porpoises to watch.

10 reps of 24 ex program. Very very light 'weights'

Empty house. Feels sort of like exams are over and I want to go out and drink lots of beer....!

Out to Brinkin in the morning to put in a coaching/mapping appearance at the TEO meeting. More mapping around CDU area, then home very indirectly via Jingili, the airport and Nightcliff supermarket.

In the aiport precinct rode around exploring the uper reaches of Rapid Creek. Took a walking trail that winds its way alongside the river: a channel of clear aqua tinged water gushing and streaming between cut away banks lined with pandanas and monsoon forest. Unusually bare earth on the ground in the rain forest as flooding has removed the leaf litter. People in tractor inners everywhere, looked like a lot of fun. Water so clean looking, creeks and drains continually flowing now.

In the supermarket just a skeric of fruit and veg remaining and it looks so very sad and sorry that it is probably the stuff they would normally chuck. Good for local growers, though not for us as we missed both sets of markets this weekend due to mapping. Oh well, time to eat lots of lentils!

C • Is this 'cos the freight trains can't get through? 15

Round about in Alawa with Lachlan for mapping after leaving Audrey's. I did the easy stuff (features in parks) while Lachlan worked on all the car parky bits near the CDU ovals. Eventually I got lazy and lay under a tree to read my book instead;).

Home after, via supermarket. Fruit and veg shelves starting to get skimpy.

To uni. Finally I see sun again! Washing from Sunday is 'dry' (although clothes in wardrobe are mouldy). Really pleasant out, not much rubbish about as has all been washed away.

Forgot my bike lock and had to go home and get it after getting nearly to the pool.

Regular Stuart Pk loop in morning as woke up a little early. Slept rather crap so thought may need more exercise.

No rain, finally, ground even dry in places. Still windy, but feeling warmer again. Apparently even Dad's cousin (a Darwin local for 41 years) says it's been an extra wet season so far.

Went to pool running but was cancelled and hadn't thought to take goggles so then went beach combing. Rather squally, few people out although one kid came down with his wetsuit and board and spent the next half an hour trying to progress more than 5m in to the ocean. Sea very muddy, had a few proper breakers. Endured a number of heavy horizontal showers and periods of sand blasting. The usual things were washed up....there's got to be a use for all those bits of wood and twigs.

On the Botanic Gardens loop. 1km before (5.36) and 2km after (11.54)

Approx 1 + 2/3 laps of 3k loop at supposed 4.45pace. Think it was actually a little slower....a few weirdos about near the slope so started the fast part without landmaking it properly. Uphill was a struggle both times but the rest of the lap felt managable.

Pleasant out, picked the break in the rain nicely! Rained most of the day, filled up the pool and made the concrete under the house all wet again. Then became windy and dried most of it out.

C • So are you back at work this week? 2

C • Breaks in the rain 2

Adulterated Runners & Walkers Stuart Pk loop. Very quiet out. Pleasant morning smells except for where 5 large rotting fish were at the mouth of a drain outlet. Someone was hoping they'd get washed out to sea perhaps?

Low tide beach run with Lachlan. Had intended to run East Point but was already after 8am when started and getting hot in the sun. From home across to Vesteys Lake, around the S side (past a tent in the mangroves - you'd have to be pretty game, the mozzies have been incredible since the big rain) to get down onto the beach, N up the beach to Lake Alexander and back along the cliff top bike path.

Lots of long green floaty plant parts and twigs washed up on the sand on the beach part. Lots of takeaway plastics, scored a small tupperware type box and a couple of stackable cups. Could have had a big round water esky but had no lid. Debated the fishing net...could have come in useful for the chook enclosure tbb. Cliffs really pretty with pinks, purples and oranges in the stone. Indiginous ladies on the point drinking VB wished us HNY while the men muttered something about hoping we didn't die...from running I presume. Sun felt burning hot out of the shade of the cliffs, happy to get a drink and turn around at Lake A. East Pt proper will need a much earlier start unless rainy.