Training Log Archive: PrueD

I decided to work from Benalla today - which meant including a mid-morning swim. The pool was surprisingly busy and I felt obliged to swim a bit faster than I normally would.

I didn't get much work done. I drove back to Melbourne so that I was in time for the work yoga class. To my surprise there was a pair of green orienteering pants also in the yoga class - so I introduced myself afterwards. Kerrin Rattray has also discovered that the work yoga classes are good for injury prevention (or injury recovery in my case).

WIth one child with gastro and another screaming all day (the middle one, my god daughter, was good although very active) I had some sympathy for parents of lots of little children and ended up with a headache. The most I could manage today was a walk around the lake.

One amusing thing today was the arrival outside my house of a full wedding party, some in a stretch limo, who then posed for photos right there using the cattle yards and paddocks opposite my house as a backdrop!

I've got a family of 5 with 3 children under the age of 5 staying this weekend (my god daughter's family) so only had time for swim today.

I thought it was about time I went back to yoga as it seems a very good injury prevention measure. I have strained my ITB and I've been spending a bit of time stretching it out-of-session as well. It seemes to be improving. Yoga felt really good today and I could even do 'plank', although 'tree' seemed a little harder as my balance, especially on the ITB affected side, was not good.

Yesterday my sister and I went to the solicitor's office to swear our identities on the bible for my mother's will. On the will my mother somehow managed to spell my sister's name incorrectly (June instead of Jane) and gave my address at that time as 'Swansea' rather than 'Swanpool'!

Street O in Ashburton tonight. It was a nicely set course (by Suzanne) and I headed out west and north. My hip and hammy were a bit tight and finally became too sore to jog anymore. So, as suggested might happen earlier in the week, I seem to have succumbed to a bit of an injury again (same leg as previously, but further up, probably referred from my back). I walked the rest of the way - but it hasn't settled down yet, even at home. I've booked into yoga for later in the week, so hopefully that helps.

Although it was a beautiful day, I didn't get any training done as I was too busy today trying to catch up on all my work. The Dept is not allowed to recruit anyone new and they are desperately piling me up with contracts (and I have been recently asked 'Isn't there anyone else in the Dept?' ...and ...'if there is, then what are they doing?'.) So I'm working quite hard and constantly looking for shortcuts.

Anyway, last week our risk section asked me to tender for a job involving an org. wide crisis plan and exercise. I suggested it was a $100K+ job that PWC or similar would be interested in and it wasn't going to be done in a hurry. I then suggested perhaps there was a more simple solution than their proposal and suggested I work with them for a day a week for a few weeks to work out the options. Well today they sent me an email advising that they had approval to engage me for 4 hours total (1 hour a week for 4 weeks)! I had to laugh - surely there must be something in between a 4-hour job and a $100K job. Luckily it was an administrative error.

A swim in the Benalla pool. I am starting to feel at lot more energetic again so that is good. The rest of the day will be spent pottering about in the garden in the sunshine. One nice thing about living here is the glorious sound of the frogs in the river flats over the road. The wet year and high river levels means that they have multiplied accordingly.

It was another glorious sunny day in the NE and Peter and I jogged around Wang, looking at gardens. We followed his planned route - which somehow went astray in the housing commission area - leading us to the furthest point in town and resulting in a straight road slog (on a muddy grassy verge) for the last few kilometres. We arrived back to find the car in the middle of what looked like a drug deal.

I returned home to Benalla for a long weekend and, after another poor sleep, awoke to a glorious day. I have felt physically quite seized up lately - sore back, knees and hamstrings..everything. However, I swam in the Benalla pool and found that the stiffness gradually eased as I stretched out. By the end of the swim I felt as good as new - with no residual soreness. Great!!!

C • Be on the look out 2

Today's plod at street-O at Watsonia was slightly faster than yesterday's mope. At first glance the map seemed ordinary - however it is really quite tricky and tonight's course was well set (apart from the start triangle being in the wrong park) making a good route choice essential. Controls that looked close together were a long way apart around on the streets.

I just plodded along reflecting that this was mugging territory and how nice it was not to see any potential muggers. However, others were not so lucky as several people who approached number 14 towards the end of the course were physically set upon by a shouting abusive woman. Apparently the police were called - but the outcome of their visit to the woman's home is as yet unknown.

A bit of a mope around the block tonight. There was a lovely scent of blossom and a warmish wind, so it was very nice. I am starting to feel a little better although still very tired - I had a decent sleep last night and went to work for (almost) a full day today - the first time for about a month for both of these.

A nice day out at Nerrina for the Victorian Relays. I was in a mixed team doing the moderate distance course (3.1 km). Blair set an excellent technical course with no free controls - so I was impressed. I started badly - heading up the wrong track - but I wasn't going to go back past the start so headed throughthe bush to 1. OK to 2. Slightly disorientated at 3 as I couldn't visualize the terrain. Then I took a wrong bearing to 4 - ending up much further south and having to relocate. 5 and 6 good. Headed the wrong way out of 6 and arrived at 7 via the long route. 8 good. Then got very confused around 9 (the easy control) and 10 due to several circles and the start/finish all overalapping. OK once I re-orientated. 11 and 12 good. I was very confused at 13 as I arrived at a dam (I think marked as a clearing on the map) and, with several others, wasted time before relocating by heading uphill to a track. Then 14 and home. I was slow but at least I was there. It was LOVELY to be in the bush again and wished I was staying and camping out there. I would have enjoyed more of a walk on this map. Then a few off us headed off to coffee/cake in Ballarat.

C • which variation 10

Street-O at Doncaster Pines - a very hilly area where there have been a number of events in the past 6 months and all the controls seemed to be in similar places to the last couple of events there. I haven't run for ages and my muscles are quite tense / knee a bit sore - but I managed to plod (walk/jog) along.

I don't think I'll be doing W35 in orienteering for a while - at the moment I would not look or feel out of place in W75. Hopefully, now that the drama of the past month has passed, life will start to get back to normal. Actually, it won't be back to normal because I'm going to have a lot more spare time now.

PS - I haven't read anyone else's log for a week - so hopefully nothing's happened that I should know about. Thank you to all the people who sent me kind messages this week.

C • W75 5

On this beautiful sunny morning at 7.00am, and after a very hard couple of weeks, I said farewell to my lovely mother.

C • Sad news 4

I walked to the hospital and back this evening. Nice night for walking.

Street-O at Rowville. I sort of plodded along - alternating walking/jogging. This has been the third beautiful spring day with the temperature over 20 and the evening was very warm - I had too many clothes on for the warm, windy evening. It was also very nice to see everyone.

July is an evil month and I am pleased to see the end of it. Spring has now sprung with the start of August. Today was a lot warmer than it has been for several weeks and there were some lovely heavy spring scents in the air. I could have run but decided to walk around Blackburn instead - very nice.

I am starting to enjoy going to work now - especially now I don't have to. I also have a new way of looking at it - it is sort like a social sheltered workshop for the middle-aged - offering lots of different activities - and a pleasant diversion from hospital visits.