Training Log Archive: Mess Engineer

Now completed all SIX South Australian parkruns!
Brings my total locations to 18 and my total runs to 27.

Left parents house at 6 am and arrived in Murray Bridge in about 50 minutes (straight up the freeway) so had time to drive around and chat to some starters. The first two I talked to were also doing parkrun tourism - with one of them having their home run being Mount Gambier. They normally go to Farmers Market for breakfast afterwards but this was not on so about 10 of us went to a café instead.

Course was a 4 x 1.25 km loop (which I didn't realise from the webpage description and somehow missed in the verbal spiel).

I was amazed to be coming 2nd all the way until the end of the 3rd lap! There was no jostling to be in pole position at the start either ... and I couldn't even see people behind me after first lap.
The fastest person on the day was 22:01, followed by 23:13 followed by me at 23:47. Only 35 competitors.

My time was weirdly good considering my best ever is 23:15 and recent events Victor Harbor (into wind) was 26:22 and Lochiel (32 degrees and cooking) was 29:08.

Organisers said they are officially recognised as the "slowest" parkrun in South Australia even though their course is basically dead flat. They occasionally get "tourists" coming and blitzing it under 18 minutes but not very often looking at their 61 event history with most first finishers in the 20-22 minute range.

Drove back the long way with stops at (very dry) Falls prior to Mannum, Mannum, Birdwood, and Melba's Chocolate Factory.

Time and distance a guess.
"Waterfalls" prior to Mannum.
Massive boulders and rock outcrops interspersed with pools of stagnant water.

Parked at "Lower Carpark" and walked up until it was too much rock hopping with no trail (wasn't wearing hikers so didn't want to wreck street running shoes), and then drove to "Upper Carpark" and walked only a short distance to take in the view.

On return walk there was a massively big black snake lying on a rock .... which I took a big detour around and didn't check to see if it was active or not.

From Adelaide 2015

From Adelaide 2015

From Adelaide 2015

From Adelaide 2015

Last walk before flying home tomorrow.

C • Mannum falls 1

"Meetup" Group - Adelaide Walkers and Joggers
River Torrens Walk
9:00 am - 10:20 am (didn't record distance)
With 5 other people and talking all the way

When crossed back over to the other side of the Torrens River for the walk back it was basically on the "Lochiel" park run route .... which I recognised from my two prior runs.

"Meetup" Group - Adelaide Walkers and Joggers
Ambers Gully Ridge Track
9:30 am - 11:15 am (didn't record distance)
With 5 other people and talking all the way

Arrived 10 minutes late as Apple Maps took me up Montecute Road rather than Gorge Road. And had no internet or phone reception to tell the organiser I was still on my way and to wait.
After a frantic fast walk managed to catch up to the group.
The track where I finally caught them was so STEEP that it had concrete blocks embedded in it for at least 400 m or more as otherwise the fire fighting trucks would be unable to get up the incline.
I hadn't been through this particular area of the park before.

I hope this MRI coming up on 6th January reveals what is going on as this constant pain niggling away is getting annoying.

Joined the rest of the first world and went to see "Star Wars : The Force Awakens".

Certainly better than the three prequels but I was not overwhelmed.

Getting much harder to be interested in movies the older I get.
And I won't include any spoilers here - I had deliberately avoided reading any reviews or information at all.

"Meetup" Group - Adelaide Walkers and Joggers
River Torrens Linear Park
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm (didn't record distance)
With 4 other people and talking all the way

"Meetup" Group - Adelaide Walkers and Joggers
Semaphore Beach to North Haven and return
9:30 am - 11:30 am (didn't record distance)
With 13 other people and talking all the way

I can never remember having visited Semaphore Beach in my life.
Multiple new roads on the way out the Port Adelaide including new elevated "Super Highway" over South Road.
Walked on tar walking trail on outward journey and along the beach sand for the distance back.
Talked to one man for the first hour leg about restoration of buildings with "concrete cancer" including abseiling down skyscrapers for inspections and repairs which proved to be a very interesting conversation.

"Meetup" Group - Adelaide Walkers and Joggers
Waterfall Gully to Mount Lofty and return
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm (didn't record distance but approximately 8 km)
With 21 other people and talking all the way

I had done this trek multiple times solo.
Talked to a Latvian born accountant for most of the trip upward.
On the way down talked to an Art Supplies Shop owner (and art teacher) and his teenage son who could do 800 m in something like 2:20 (and had came 2nd in SA State Champs).

"Meetup" Group - Adelaide Walkers and Joggers
Morialta Falls
5:30 pm - 7:00 pm (didn't record distance)
With 14 other people and talking all the way

After my exploration of Deep Creek Conservation Park where I did 12 km and didn't see a single person on any track (only in carparks) I decided I have had enough of hiking solo.
So I went on the website "Meetup" which I have used in Newcastle to see what opportunities there were in Adelaide.
Joined a two groups - a Walking and a Hiking group.

Decided I would attend every group walk I could do until I leave Adelaide (I want to go home to Newcastle but most return flights booked out and its going to cost too much to cancel or change booking (and I still have to force myself to drive to Murray Bridge on Saturday)).

My shyness breaking challenge was to talk to as many individuals as possible. I have done this walk before an uncountable number of times.