Training Log Archive: PrueD

Run at Reef Hills. 27 degrees when I started, 30 when I finished. Took ages to cool down afterwards.

Yesterday I started my venture into Facebook. I figure that, with my family history, I am likely to be around for another 50 years - so had better venture into the modern world or I will get left behind (although I am already technically behind in lots of areas).

In general my ancestors married late and had children late. My paternal grandfather would, for example, be 146 if he was still alive. My maternal grandfather not too far off this. A number of them didn't have children until they were in their 50s - so only 4 generations separate me from the first fleet. My parents were not only fairly old when they had me but they were also old fashioned - even for their generation. So I have been brought up with values that are probably 100 years out of date. However, with my family history, the positive side to this is that I might just coming into my prime :).

Its a hot day up here and I went for a swim in Lake Benalla. It has cooled down from last week and it took me a few minutes of floundering around to get my breathing right - but never really felt comfortable for the whole swim. I also got quite dirty - and needed a pretty good scrub once home to come up clean again - the dirt just stuck to my skin.

2 observations today - any trip to Safeway on Saturday morning in a country town is the next thing to a party. There are always heaps of people who want a potted summary of your life over the past few years - which is nice, except when you are in a hurry. It took me an hour to buy just a couple of things for lunch.

The second was an appreciation of why I am happy with a cheap bike for around town. You can leave it on the side of the lake while you swim and also outside shops for ages - without having to chain it up. Between visits it is in an unlocked shed in the backyard. Bikes do get stolen around here - but I wont be heartbroken if mine goes.

Still quite tired - not sure why. I speculated on one of the mysteries of life this evening - why is it that work always expands exponentially at 4.45pm on Fridays - especially when you want to go away.

Funny incident today - I was walking in town with one of the CFA Deputy Chief Officers. One of the standing jokes of non-uniformed fire agency personnel is the reference to the "bird shit on the shoulder" that the uniformed agencies use to delineate rank. Anyway, we were walking along when - out of the blue - a bird made a certain deposit on the shoulder of the said Deputy Chief Officer. It was incredibly funny and timely and I just couldn't let that opportunity go by - so exclaimed to the poor fellow, who was oblivious to the situation - "It's a sign from heaven - you must be the next Chief Fire Officer"!

He was not amused.

If anyone has lots of time and wants to read an interesting overview of the fuel reduction burning debate (upcoming RC topic), read:

http://realdirt.com.au/2009/02/18/hazard-reduction...!

Written by someone with a bit of inside information (but we don't know who).

We don't necesarily agree with everything the author has said (especially their last paragraph), but the article certainly contains a lot of uncomfortable truths and indicates what a hot potato the issue is.

Generally our position is that fuel reduction right next to assets will reduce the risk from small fires but will be totally ineffective in large fires as the threat comes from longer dfistance ember attack.

A larger burning program (of mosaic pattern) across the whole landcape offers more protection as it will slow (but not stop) larger fires and will give firefighters additional time (for warnings etc). Once out of the fuel reduced areas then a major fire will resume full speed and intensity.

Oh well - we can all look forward to some fun and media games in the next few weeks when the RC gets stuck into this one!

I woke up tired and unfortunately stayed that way today - and therefore decided to walk at street orienteering at Blind Creek tonight. Nothing to report.

I'm not normally one for complaining about maps or event organisation, as I know the effort that is involved in both and appreciate the volunteerism. However, I have been studying last night's map and have decided that the area near checkpoint 1 wasn't mapped properly - the inbound lane of the freeway was left off. This meant that when you went down a short street on the opposite side (east side) of the freeway to 1, you came across the inbound lane of the freeway (uncrossable of course) rather than to a pond and creek as marked on the map. The pond was in fact between the inbound and the outbound lanes. And hence I explain my poor performance in last night's street-O.

Footnote - an example of how tired I was yesterday was my trip home on the train. I got on at Parliament and luckily didn't get a seat - or I would have gone to sleep. After a while I noticed a friend on the train - and spent a while trying to work out why he was going to Belgrave or Lilydale - eventually deciding that he had no reason whatsoever to be there. It then occured to me that I might be on the wrong train and looked out at the sign at East Richmond. I WAS ON THE GLEN WAVERLEY TRAIN - and jumped off just in time at Burnley!

C • Oxoman 2

C • train 2

Park/street orienteering at Royal Park tonight - one of my favourite urban maps with lots of off-road running. I ran quite comfortably with no significant aches or pains. Unfortunately I made 3 navigational errors - the first was as I left the start - taking the long route to the first control. The second was at the tram track junction - I thought there was only one tram track and followed the wrong one - which completely unset my choice of route and I had to redesign it. The third error was major and involved a pillar in an underpass near the freeway. There was discussion about this checkpoint at the start but I was too busy talking and missed the critical instruction ( and I think a few other people might have been in the same situation). Arguably it was the hardest checkpoint I have ever done in a street event (and it probably wasn't vey clearly marked on the map). I spent a considerable amount of time crawling around amonst the emply bottles and cigarette packets under the bridge and crossing the creek back and forth.

The rest of the day was spent cooking things for Mum to put in her freezer so that she is well stocked and I can train rather than having to go around there every night.

I drove back to Melbourne this morning before work. Normally I'd come down on a Sunday but I correctly thought that the traffic would be light today and therefore enjoyed one more sleep in my own bed.

I had my first visit to the gym this afternoon. I started with the fitness test - all good except for the flexibility (which is part of the reason for going to the gym) which was mid range. I had to run out midway after my test was interrupted by my boss who barged in and demanded I return for 2 minutes (there are both disadvantages and advantanges of having a gym at work) . A quick sprint, speed read and I was back. The boss and I then went to the yoga class this evening. #@%$*&@! (please excuse the language) - but I am so inflexible! I also wasn't too impressed by the view in the mirror - last time I did gym work (a considerable time back) the view was perfectly presentable - but it seems to have deteriorated somewhat since then.

A leisurely ride around Benalla. One pedal was a bit loose - Bikes R not US and mechanical repairs R even less Us - but I somehow managed to tighten it up when I got home. I should have tightened it when I put it together, but didn't.

An open water swim in Lake Benalla after the ride. Because I was hot the water felt reallly cold when I first got in, so I got out again and thought about it a bit (perhaps this is why swimming is first in triathlons). Once I had cooled down I got back in and it felt warmer this time. I cannot tell you all how wonderfully relaxing it was swimming in warmish water in the open lake. I know you shouldn't swim alone - but somehow doing so took the pressure off, and that made me more relaxed, so that my breathing was more rhythmic and muscles more relaxed. Benalla has some attributes.

I am going to buy a new pair of goggles - the other pair still leak, but seem to improve after a time in the water. Maybe the plastic shrinks or something when they dry out, and then expands and fills the gap when they are cold and wet.

A standard weekend's run on bush tracks at Boho South in the Strathbogies, but done in the reverse direction to normal. What used to seem like a flattish downhill run seemed positively mountainous coming the other way. The area has cool, tall peppermint forest and is always about 8 degrees cooler than the lowlands, so it is nice on a hot day. However, with the temperature in the low 20s, Peter was freezing and had to run in a polar fleece! We then had a picnic at Lima Falls (which had no falls as the area is very very dry).

An "acquaintance" came by today and made an offer on my house. Something to think about as I have been postponing the inevitable. I like the house - it was originally built by Laurie Edwards of Bendigo Orienteers and has a full wall of windows (orienteering people must go for indoor/outdoor living) and I have fully renovated it. But my life isn't here anymore.

And his offer was a bit low - and I probably should add on a bit more for pain, suffering and legal fees. Why? Because this person once thought it would be a huge joke to tell the checkout girl in Coles, while I was queuing and he was rushing out the door, that I had put a bag of M&Ms in my bag. The young checkout girl was caught short and didn't know what to do. She didn't believe me when I said he was joking and then made me empty out my bag. I am waiting for the day when we are both in Safeway together and I'll be able to call out "Hey, that man just put a Mars Bar down his pants.." before running off.....

C • offer 2

After half a day unsuccessfully waiting for a document to arrive, I decided to drive home to Benalla and then work in the evening or the weekend if it arrives. (Hopefully it won't come until Monday).

The car registered 42 degrees on the way home but it was overcast and therefore not too bad. When I arrived home I was a bit shocked at how dry it is - even the grass is crunchy - and I've lost several plants over the past few weeks. There is no green in the paddocks at all, so all the rain we experienced down south over the past weeks must have missed up here. I'll get a better feeling for the condition of the bush tomorrow as I'm planning a run in the Strathbogies.

In a slight feeling of deja-vu, the current conditions remind me of the conditions prior to both Alpine fires in 2003 and 2006. In the week preceeding the 2003 fires, I walked up both Mt Feathertop and Mt Buffalo and was surprised that the bogs were not only dry but also had deep cracks in them. The area was shortly afterwards hit by 140 lightening strikes over two days and 137 were successfully suppressed at first attack. The remaining 3 were away from settlements and were considered to be less of a risk (famous last words!)

Of interest at that time was a submission to the 2003 post-fire inquiry from a retired Chief Fire Officer who stated that the fires were not started by lightening at all, because he was there and there wasn't any. They were, in fact, started by Osama Bin Laden shooting missiles from Afghanistan.

I went to street orienteering at East Doncaster tonight. As expected my right calf and ankle were rather tight all day and the area was hilly so I opted to walk. Still, better than nothing.

I woke at 4am this morning and decided to get up, do the washing and get ready for my 7.30 meeting. I was having a routine blood test so couldn't eat until after this. For some reason, I was absolutely starving (and I normally don't eat very much for breakfast, even though I know I should) so I gave into the bacon and egg fantasy from last weekend at morning tea time. I was busy getting stuck into a huge plate in the cafe next to work when I was spotted by Carl Dalheim. (And yes, it was a cholesterol blood test).

Work is a bit average - the document I've been working on is now in other hands and not entirely as I would like it to be. I have been entertaining the idea of writing short stories as an alternative - I have so many stories in my head ready to go (basically because I seem to attract odd people and ridiculous events)! But there is the pay issue, so in the meantime I will have to write these in my spare time. To some extent I am using AP to get my material together - so there are several motivators for the blog - including an additional one - "She who makes herself laugh shall never be bored".

Street-O tonight at Camberwell Central. It was the 2nd event I've done this week where Suzanne was the course setter. Unfortunately this time there were no opportunities to dispatch the opposition (or be dispatched). Courses were slightly shorter than usual which was OK with me. I ran most of the way - although there was an occasional short walk on the hills - but I seem to be getting fitter.

In preparation for this event I swapped around some insoles from other shoes and, although they are only off-the-shelf orthotics, there seemed to be a marked improvement in how my leg felt as compared with last week (although my slightly strained ankle was sore afterwards). I'm now thinking that it could be an alignment problem.

I have some work to do tonight so couldn't stay (yet again) for the BBQ. Hopefully next week. I booked my first appointment at the work gym today and am having a fitness test on Monday (was hoping to have Monday off - but it isn't going to happen). I'm planning to do strength work, yoga and pilates.

I had to drive to the doctor this morning in Doncaster for the annual grease and oil change. Older model, high mileage - therefore greater maintenance needs. (But fortunately the more expensive brands just keep going....)

This meant I could stop off at Studley Park on the way home for a walk on the wild side, including exploring the area around Dight's Falls. The river was up after yesterday's rain and the Falls area looked like it would be a good paddle. I still have a slightly sore leg - even though it felt much better after the weekend's cycling. I'm planning to run tomorrow regardless.

Went on a tour of the fire area today with Counsel - looking at the effect of fuel reduction burns on the fire. Travelled 400k - mostly on rough bush tracks so got a pretty good look. It poured with rain nearly the whole way - so hopefully that will result in a much reduced fire risk for the rest of this summer. It was my first visit back to Marysville, where I used to be a frequent visitor on my way to Lake Mountain. I haven't wanted to go there until now. It was a sobering experience. The area where the town used to be looks a bit like a rough clearing in the forest - not very big and not really a suitable site for a town at all. Apparently house blocks are selling for $40K more than they were before the fire - so no doubt a town will rise there once again.

Why stop when you're on a roll! I didn't even have to get changed *. I woke up this morning and the bike was ready to go and...well...I've gotta get those hours up. I rode from Blackburn, down to Koonung Creek, travelled east until Boronia Rd (hit the wall for a while - dreaming of bacon and eggs) and then wound my way along bike tracks back to Blackburn. I haven't been along some of those sections of the freeway bike track before so really enjoyed it.

(*You think I'm joking) (and distance a guess)

Went on a brisk walk, on a lovely mild morning, around Blackburn lake and creeklands. I still have problem leg so will opt for walking for a while. The problem is that it is low intensity and doesn't really do anything to improve fitness. (Oops - I seem to have walked 10,000 kms - better correct that - I think I put my time in the wrong box)!

MTBO at Lysterfield Lake tonight - with an abundance of rather flash bikes and ever flashier looking riders. Organised by the girls (Suzanne, Jane and Liliia) so it was a really well run event (of course!). Bikes R (not) Us so I did the best I could. I seemed to have an advantage on the downhills and wonder if extra weight and gravity could have something to do with it. Enjoyed the single track but there were too many serious looking riders coming the other way and of course I had to get off the track - either in a voluntary or involuntary manner. Lucky most people kept to the left (but what happens in Europe - where they keep to the right - or at the world champs?). Stuck mostly to the flattish tracks and was accompanied by Ryordan (accidentally calling him Darian) for half the course - until he retaliated by trying to push both me and my bike off the jetty at 15 (witnesses say that the bike was off and I was on my way). Nice toasties and snags afterwards.

C • bike 5

Day 12 and I won! "Survivor" that is. 5 more people fell of the perch today leaving my boss and me. And she went home early. So a million dollers is for me....isn't it? There is a prize, isn't there? I'm such a martyr and I really don't know why - because no-one ever cares. I should be spending more time doing the things I love. Hopefully this weekend I can catchup on all of this.

C • congratulations 3

Day 11 and as predicted I've hit the wall. I really was a complete waste of space today at work - even though I went early, came home late and attended all commitments in between. I forgot to mention that I twisted my ankle last night at street-O - complete with audience of course - but ran that out over the rest of the course. Today I rolled the other one on a tiny bump on the footpath (and wearing flat shoes too). No lasting damage - and at least I am now balanced (in body at least).

Train works were amazingly completed on time and the trains were back to normal this week at Blackburn. I cant believe that they got everything done in one week. Free taxis were offered on Monday at Blackburn to those who could not walk down the stairs at Nunawading while the lift was being built. The most alarming observation this week has been young guys travelling between the carriages on crowded trains in peak hour (I've seen two this week), seemingly because there is no room in the carriage! Not a place I would like to be in an accident.

Street-O tonight at Quambee Reserve. I am no expert - however I judged this course (especially the south area) to be a 9 out of 10 (there's always room for improvement), particularly for runnability and visual amenity. It was a truly lovely area for running, with a network of graded gravel paths and really interesting parks. I managed to run nearly the whole way with only a slightly tight calf at the end to complain about. I didn't stay for the BBQ because I forgot to take warm clothes and it had become quite cold.

Peter and Jenny Mitchell were there and Peter reminded me of one of the better injury recovery stories. Some years back, I had a sore foot and the physio told me that I was allowed to run 5 minutes on the 1st day and 5 minutes on the 3rd day. I went on a holiday to Thredbo with some friends, including Peter. Everyone went on a run leaving Peter (supposedly injured) and me to walk to Mt Kosciusko (about 8k return) with minimal gear and no food. Halfway there, Peter (2:10 marathon runner and ex Aus representative) announced that it was a bit cold, so we should run. At Mt Kosciusko he announced that we should do the whole circuit (30 k). At the 20k mark he announced that he needed to get back quickly and headed off - leaving me to do the last 10k on my own. I finally got back, partly saved by some DSE people with a jelly bean supply. The result was that I had a REALLY sore foot and couldn't run for the next 6 weeks. The physio couldn't understand why I hadn't got better and I couldn't bring myself to tell her that I had run 30k instead of for 5 minutes!

I went for a walk around Blackburn Lake and Creeklands this evening. Very nice! My flat, which kept the heat out yesterday, kept it all in today - and it is really hot. Like everybody else, I had a really bad sleep last night and it was literally 'a bad hair day' - but I don't feel as tired and grumpy as I did earlier year after 9 days of work. I can't say the same for other people at work though.....

As previously discussed, I have an unidentifed problem with my right leg. The ailment manifest itself as a sore shin tonight, even walking. A friend at work has the same problem with her left leg - and we have agreed that together we can make up one whole person! There have times when my back and leg have been really good - and that was when I did heaps of cross country skiing. In fact a physio once said that he would give me a medical certificate that ordered me to go skiing. The benefit comes from having to balance your entire body, which stengthens your core, for the whole time or you slip over forwards or backwards. Much of the technique, for both classical or freestyle, also relies on balancing on one foot (this also helps you go faster - as there is less friction on the snow), which also helps strengthen your core. I didn't go skiing last year (first time in about 25 years) and am feeling the absence of it - but hopefully I'll get to do more this year.

Another possibility for buiding core strength is some gym work. I am a little embarrassed to say that we have a fully equipped and staffed gym at work - right on our floor - and I look into it each day when I get to work - and I have never been!! My excuse has been that I've been too busy. My NY resolution is to join.

Pheww!!! Hot Hot Hot! After Mum's shopping (4 trips) and then my shopping I came home to a remarkably cool flat. It is double brick and, with my new bamboo blinds down during the day, it doesn't seem to have heated up at all.

The fact that I have new blinds is somwhat of a miracle. Being a woman, I have changed my mind about 4 times regarding the type of blinds and this was the third lot I'd actually bought home (the others all went back to the shop). I looked in at least 10 shops, spent many days searching and even had several blind fitting firms to visit (all of whom claimed to have bamboo blinds but then confessed that they didn't really once they had arrived). Finally, I needed someone to put them up and duly nominated Ian (yes, the very late Ian) for the job as his family's factory is well supplied with the industrial tools needed for double brick. 2 blinds went up last year and one this year - Ian finally coming good on Sunday night.

The blinds are great! But, as one of the visiting blind salesmen said - wasn't I fightened at night with no blinds? I think a very pragmatic colleague summed it up - if someone was prepared to stand for hours next door in the freezing cold, or boiling heat, waiting to see something - well - then - they deserved to see something!

Of course, having no blinds is not something you would normally advertise on "stalkers paradise" - but then, as Scammell puts it - its all in retrospect.

(Distance is an estimate only) Tonight, after another full day at work, I rode my bike down to Koonung Creek, along the freeway to Thomson's Rd turnoff, then back along the other side, which was reasonably hilly. I haven't ridden along any of Melbourne's bike tracks for ages and really enjoyed it. I thought that I knew all the parkland areas but was quite surprised to find some interesting areas where I haven't been before.

It looks as though I'm going to have to work again next weekend - and cannot be sure that I will get any time off during the week. 9 days is about my limit (last year I got up to day 11 and found that I had become quite ineffective and very grumpy). Wednesday is day 10 - street-O night - and anyone who talks to me could end up being in NO DOUBT WHATSOEVER about where the evil spirits (featured in yesterday's log) actually went.

Beacuse of various commitments this evening I could only manage a bit of stroll along the creeklands in the cool of the evening.

Worked all day today. For some reason our floor could not be air conditioned today and I suspect that buildings like ours (built before the focus on sustainability) are not well insulated, if at all, and are therefore totally dependant upon artificial climate control. So it was very hot. We couldn't open the windows and had a fan going. Beachwear was the order of the day. But overall we didn't mind as our workgroup is really nice and there was still half of a lemon tart to eat (it was huge to begin with).

Working on the weekends can have its hazards. When I first worked for the Department we were located in Bourke St. One weekend when we were on fire duty the lifts were busy all day - with members of the public going up and down almost continuously. We were puzzled about what was going on - but found out the next day when we read on the front page of the paper that a resident caretaker of a government building in the city had held an exorcism over the weekend. Needless to say, his employment ceased soon afterwards. However I have wondered ever since (especially when I look at my former long term colleagues in fire section) - where did those newly homeless evil spirits go?

It was a warm day and because at this stage I have to work tomorrow and Sunday pending, I decided to have a night off - cooking and looking around the shops instead of training. Hopefully I'll do something tomorrow - but, depending upon circumstances, that may not happen either.

No-one is too pleased about working tomorrow so a large lemon tart was brought in as a bribe (adding more killer-joules to those extra one consumed yesterday) - but it was very nice. It is also only on Fridays that I succumb to the temptation of a good coffee from downstairs. So many choices! The man who sits next to me insists on getting it - but now refuses to order me my usual "fat flat white" - stating that, similarly to other areas in your life, you only get what you ask for. Under his guidance I have at least progressed to a "skinny flat white", which I suppose is some sort of improvement in the right direction.

C • Lazy public servants 4

Chaos and mayhem and still rule supreme at the station. People going everywhere - marquees, loud speakers and lots of ordering about (often not necessarily in the right direction - necessitating calling people back). All quite amusing today - but I have to allow an extra 15 minutes or so to get to work.

I got home at 6.30 tonight and wondered "Will I make it?" Yes. No. Yes. No. Finally YES. So I rushed off the street-O at Darebin - making it by a whisker. I had a bit of sore leg after yesterday so decided to walk. There was a little bit of a soreness but not too much. This was another novelty concept event which I cant be bothered explaining. I was 3 minutes late back.

The whole area is really quite interesting and diverse. The creeklands themselves are really quite bushy and steep. There was a letter to the editor in the Age (Mon or Tues, I think) from a person in Camberwell complaining about the govt wasting money sending the fire preparedness information to people in the city. Clearly she, and no doubt many others, have no idea of the extent and risk of the multitude of bushy areas in and around Melbourne.

I may have to work on the weekend, unfortunately, to help prepare the state's submission on the fires. I was looking forward to going back to Benalla, but probably can't go now. I've been very hungry today.

Went to a "novelty" Street-O event in Hawthorn tonight. Checkpoints 5,10,15 and 20 were worth 2 checkpoints each so you had to plan your course carefully to gain the benefit of this. However, despite this, a lot of people still went a considerable distance further than the ideal route. A working knowledge of pythagoras would have been useful when selecting the ideal route between some checkpoints. Lots of people were there including Susannah and Zoe (in her first orienteering event, I think).

I ran for 30 minutes but then had to walk. I have a problem with my right leg - some sort of combination of a back problem, a past torn anterior cruciat ligament and a history of sprained ankles. I've had some fairly simplistic diagnosis in the past - a pulled hamstring - but I think it is more than this. Its been a problem for some years, so certainly isn't an acute issue. It is annoying in so far as it stops me comfortably running long distances.

Regarding photos in peculiar places. The principal of a school where I used to teach once visited Bailey's Winery at Glenrowan (before I moved to Benalla). He came back and announced that there was a photo of me on the wall. It was a cutting from the back page of the Age from about 1 year previously - a nice picture of me kayaking down the Yarra with a big smile. However it did contain the unfortunate, but true, quote "Prue Dobbin, a teacher at a Melbourne girls school, says 'I live for the weekends' ". Just the thing you want your employer to see! To this day I am still mystified as to why the winery, with which I had no connection, had this cutting on its wall.

I went for a jog tonight - about a 5k hobble and a bit of a walk. My tight hamstring is telling me to stretch and warm up more (and I hope this fixes it). My hobble pace is also required occasionally to be my sprint pace (as there is only one pace). And it has also been put to good use on the odd race occasion in the past. Recent discussions over the Benalla Triathlon Club and brushes with fame have tempted me to tell the tale about a Benalla duathlon I went it.

I turned up to the event with no bike and so was promptly matched to an unpartnered cyclist. The run was first and I went around the lake and up my street. When I eventually came staggering in at the rear of the fairly large field, there was one very agitated-looking cyclist remaining. He promptly leapt on his bike and peddled off furiously after the pack - doing well and passing almost all of them to earn us an overall third place (of which I was very proud).

However I cant understand why, despite our success, Baden Cooke (of Tour de France fame) has never since asked me to repeat the performance.

Woke up in the middle of the night wide awake - and then stayed that way for several hours - until morning, of course, when I was back sound asleep. I then stayed half asleep for most of the morning - not a good way to start the working year!

It also took me longer to get to work and get home tonight (nearly an hour tonight) - because of the works at Nunawading station. Everyone had to get off the Lilydale and Belgrave trains at Mitcham, from where they were bused to Blackburn station where they got on again (and visa versa tonight). The platform was full, there were multiple trains queued up and lots of Metro staff ordering people about with megaphones. The newspaper man, who yells out every morning "Good morning Sue" in the hope that I will buy something (but we get the papers at work) told me that the mayhem will only last a week. I hope that's the case - and it will certainly be impressive if they get all the critical works done in that time.

The office was half empty today - and would you believe it - they had all headed off to a meeting at Benalla. If someone had thought to tell me, I could have stayed home for another night.

Then tonight when I got home (the other home) I had to do Mum's weekly shopping (why do boys always pack the bread underneath all the heavy things), then my weekly shopping - so that's that - and nothing else is going to happen.

C • hassles 4

Went for a walk at Reef Hills this morning. It was a cool morning and ideal for running but I had a sore lower back, probably from too much gardening and housework (which are very bad for you). I went on a track through the bush where I haven't been before and found some new mining areas and some nice undulating spur/gully terrain. One day I hope to convince someone to map the area...

On my way to Melbourne this evening I was once again mistaken for one of my two doubles. Fortunately both these people are quite acceptable to be mistaken for, although I am not sure that they would completely agree in reverse. Oddly, they are both friends of mine from long ago and we share cross country skiing as an interest. Even more oddly, many of the instances of mistaken identity occur well away from this context.

Today, in a Hume Highway service station, I was again mistaken for Sandra Paul, winter olympic skier, by a nice man who was her husband's cousin. She comes from NZ and even at the WMOC, a NZ M70 thought that I was her and followed me about a bit. She is quite well-known and it can be a bit embarassing at skiing events (Hoppet etc) when other well-known people (e.g. politicians) come rushing up to say hello (and here's me thinking that they are rushing up to talk to me)!

The other person is Meg Warren, a sometime orienteer and rogainer. I have been thanked for Meg's good deeds (such as when she helped all day at a ski race, but I was thanked at the presentation) and in trouble when she has misbehaved (such as when she and her partner split up in a rogaine and were caught - and the next week in an orienteering event I was accused of cheating "again" by a SA orienteer [they were the days of punchcards and I was in fact lost - not doing the controls out of order as the person accusing me thought!]).

After a couple of hours gardening (which, along with housework, I am not going to count as training) under a very overcast sky, I went for a swim in Benalla Lake this morning - swimming between the 2 bridges twice. I was the only one in the lake and it was lovely - a perfect temperature and with no weed growth yet in that section. It is one of my longer-term fantasies to climb onto a water lily and be a fairy - but the lilies are only small this year and I am about 100 times too big.

That swim route is normally the swim leg of the Benalla Triathlon, which is traditionally held this weekend and which I am usually required to help administer. However it doesn't seem to be on this year and I don't know why - unless it has been moved somewhere else this year due to the unpleasant experience that competitors had last year with the weed.

Speaking of fairies - I would have expected someone to comment yesterday how out of character it is for the normal fairy to read an instruction manual. But I suppose it is not unexpected that the fairies did not do the housework or the gardening while I was away.

I have to do fairy-godmother duty myself this afternoon - down at Lima, where I used to live. Retospectivity is an annoying thing - it is only since moving that it has dawned on me that I should have called my former property "Peru".

C • One week late 2

Got home to Benalla at about 4.30pm yesterday and after all the early mornings of the 5-days really didn't feel like seeing the New Year in, so went to bed early. There was a huge storm here last night with lots of lightning. It has been terribly hot and dry for the past week so it was a good thing that the storm included a lot of rain - otherwise it could have resulted in a lot of fires. I am a bit anxious about the Strathbogies and the Warbies as they are next in line to go.

While I was away the fairies have been busy working on my new bike - one fairy reading the instruction book and the other making the necessary adjustments - so it was ready for its maiden voyage around Benalla today. It is a cheapish bike, but OK for the flattish social rides that I tend to do around here - and I will take my other bike to Melbourne (and also use it for the occasional MTBO).

I need to spend the next few days gardening and doing housework as it has all been somewhat neglected since the Aus champs.