Training Log Archive: PrueD

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.