Training Log Archive: Mess Engineer

Route 3A 1A 1B 2A 3E 2H 1N 2G 1L 2J 3C 1K 3B 1J 3G 2K 1H 2D 3D 1E 2C 1D 2B 1M
for 24 Controls / 44 Points (1 point x 10, 2 point x 8, 3 point x 6) in 43:56.

Best was 54 making my percentage very high 81.4%!

Happy to be first starter and missed almost all the drizzle so my map and clue sheet lasted well with only the last few control scribbles getting damp.
I was actually shivering at the finish desk later and after changing into jeans and t-shirt to go out afterwards wished I had a jumper!

Hip/Groin was screaming for first 3 controls and I thought I would have to quit but it calmed down. Seeing specialist next Tuesday and I think that after their advice will be the end of my running for some time.

Excellent course by Viola with lots of choices about how to join them up.
I immediately wrote off the northern part of the map in the pre-planning time as I know I can get around the southern half in the 45 minutes available.
I didn't manage to fit in 1C which others did so there were about 5 people who managed to get 45.

A wide range of solutions discussed to the middle of the map.
My down-up-down-up version 2G-1L-2J-3C-1K-3B-1J.
Sam Howes up-down-up version 2G-2J-1L-1K-3C-1J (with 3B later) probably more distance efficient.

And yet again I forgot to punch the start, having to come back, much to the amusement of rockman and others. Hope to not make next week 3 times in a row.

Helped out marking for the first time this season and I have to say the use of sportident for timing totally removed about 80% of the pressure on the finish desk. "Self Service" means no longer having to look out for finishers and multiple people coming in simultaneously or unknown people "slamming" their answer sheet down on the desk and expecting us to know who they are to get their time right.

So with just Viola and I marking it was quite pleasant compared to previous experiences where it always seemed to be controlled demand peak then trough chaos. At one point she went off to pack up and I managed solo for more than 15-20 minutes it seemed.

Went to Belpiatto Restaurant 1 km up the road for 'pre birthday' dinner which is the 3rd time I have been there in the last 6 months. Their pasta and deserts are amazing.

C • Marking solo 6

C • route choice 1

Joining a work colleague to training at lunchtime 3 times a week.
Hopefully Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.
Going with someone else may restore my motivation.

Climbing rope, Krank Cycle, and miscellaneous weights.

Quick solo session on the way home.
Climbing rope for an extremely long 3 minutes, Krank Cycle, and miscellaneous weights.

Lost a lot of fitness and strength!

Used drop saw to cut up some of the scrap treated timber from cubby house to put in this weeks bin collection.

6:00 am - 8:00 am

Demolition round 2.

With wreckers bar and hammer to knock out nails I ripped up all flooring and joists.
Used mattock to break up the concrete around the supporting stumps and pulled them out of the ground.
All non treated timber disposed of in the Fire Pit.

Remaining timber I will cut into short length and dispose of in the bin progressively.
Remaining steel can get dropped off free at scrap metal merchant.

From Demolition

From Demolition

From Demolition

From Demolition

Good reasons NOT to used stumps to support a pine wooden structure

From Demolition

From Demolition

From Demolition

Took scrap steel to dump.

All timber wheelbarrowed to shed to be cut up progressively and put in bin.

Used crowbar to smash up concrete around the 5 treated pine poles for the previous elevated bridge (for the flying fox which went more than 3 years ago).

Getting tired after this weekend and still have Orienteering yet in the afternoon!

C • Tired? 1

St Josephs School.
19 Controls.
1:4000 Map.

I had been here before as this is where my twin brother got married.

I wasn't pushing hard and was first starter.
Control 8 was missing. Wasted 10 minutes looking for it.
Ran back to start to get Course Planner.
Control was about 75 metres away on a totally different tree.
After some discussion relocated it to the correct position.

I think only 3 competitors got affected by it.
But my 10 minute split made up 1/3 of my total time.

Talked to GP again and seeing specialist about hip Tuesday week

C • Glad 1

It was "The Beaches" parkrun 1st Birthday and a group of Wooters was going so I braved this for a second time despite the tide being almost a metre higher than last time.

Drizzle and pounding waves made it a lot more challenging.
Ran in bare feet again. Hip bearable.

Chatted with a range of new people afterwards and had a cooked breakfast at the Merewether Surf House.

C • Argh! 3

Time approximate and probably longer.

Normal yearly ritual of high pressure blasting pool walls to get off algae and black spot.
Run filter and chlorinator for 12 hours.
Removed filters and hosed out at least 3 separate times.

Dosed with acid and copper based algaecide.
Will get water tested on Sunday.

Hopefully this will last, with ongoing chlorination, through summer.

2:05 pm - 4:35 pm
6:00 pm - 6:30 pm

Now that I have made the very hard decision to simplify my life by giving away my dog of 9 years (to a good home with a family with 2 teenage boys and 3 other dogs, 2 cats and chickens so he will be better than solo with me) .... I decided to demolish the kids cubby house left by the previous owner.

Two reasons :

1. That way I will stop looking out the window thinking of my dog.

2. It has had white ants in it for over 5 years and comes up in every annual pest inspection. Two of the main beams holding up the floor joists have broken in half so it was on a constant lean.


The previous owner made about 60% of it from untreated pine, then placed it on tree stumps concreted into the ground. No steel posts. No white ant caps. Might as well have painted an arrow on it with a sign saying "come and eat this".

Demolished it in the reverse construction order.
Roof, Wall Cladding, Wall Noggins, Wall Joists.
Then pushed roof over.

No injuries.

From Demolition

From Demolition

From Demolition

From Demolition

From Demolition

From Demolition

Bailed out of abs again as did not want to work hip