Training Log Archive: Zed

Slow start after late night coughing instead of sleeping. I needed to be back for Johns Dads 93rd birthday lunch at cafe at Moana so unfortunately not enough time to go to o at Mt Crawford. Thought also coughing would impede my map reading and frighten other orienteers into abandoning their courses to seek to offer aid ! Pity as map looked like what I would've enjoyed!

Took reflux med this morning too in case suspected reflux excerbating my relentless coughing. Felt I had slightly more lung capacity today and slightly less congested . Went up QJD as yesterday and once at top followed adventure trail back home. No sign of this mornings fun run. Saw tyre tracks but not footprints. Fairly muddy and slippery, even Callum slipped once. Had to stop a couple of times to walk a bit, that time not included.

After this afternoons Rogaine meeting I heard about Sally's north face 100 experience. Sounds very tough, not surprisingly lots of ascent and decent. Expensive to enter @ $395!

Attempt at a slow jog, hoping medication was kicking in. Legs were glad to be running again, but chest still a bit tight and occasional coughing attacks a problem. Through adventure playground, up Qjd ( taking some side tracks initially) , to near top, right down dam track, back down saddle hill track , back along valley. Took Callum who was very happy to be running again.

Still sick mostly asthma, although slightly better. Went to my regular GP and now on stronger medication.

Feeling slightly better but asthma still bad. Coughing a lot.

Still sick :(

Still sick.

C • Get well soon! 2

Short run up valley past lake to vol centre then back down diverting up Nookoo spur. With Bear.

Then headed to primary school for helping with tours for 50th birthday open day. The day went really well. Caught up with a lot of ex students from my era, parents and a few teachers. Great mix of past and present families.

Feeling a bit coldy all day as with yesterday, but by late afternoon started to feel terrible, achy and very short of breath. Haven't had asthma for ages but here it is, back with a cold. Frustrating.

Part of way to Leiths soccer match at Mortlock park, CLG, and all the way home. With Bear. I am nursing a cold so pace was very relaxed. Soccer game was a close and tight match, 2 all. (L scored the goals including a great left footer). Players found it confusing as both teams uniforms are navy and gold.

Lovely day, everything looking very fresh and green.


Activity for the afternoon was going shopping with Tarn. I am glad she no longer shops in the loud music clothes shops, and we visited several outdoor shops looking at travel stuff ( for her.)

Feeling coldy. Throat very sore. :(

C • Snap... 2

Belair run, B, S, JC, A. Up valley on bitumen, back via boundary track. Hard work running without my engine, who stayed at home, confused. Good chance to do the single track in the dark without being attached to a dog!

Traffic a pain on way down. Losing my confidence a bit on roundabout, coming up from station, took forever!

Run with Lauren and Bear on a lovely morning. Up boundary track, past cottages, towards redwoods but back down spur track that ends up at Karka, back down valley, through adventure playground, down lorikeet loop track home via CP.

Despite getting up early had too many pre work things to do so only a short run, with Bear, Nookoo loop.

Lost my voice today, after screaming yesterday!

I helped Zita put out controls at school first thing, and my plan was to run the dogs and then come back after recess for my turn being the parent helper with the kids.
Turners, Archibald , lap of pine forest ( off lead time enjoyed by all), Turners, Olave hill rd. At the last bend of Olave hill rd the dogs and I were jogging quietly along the road, dogs on lead and Callum strapped to my waist belt of my bum bag as usual, when out of the corner of my eye I saw a massive ?60 kg dog (bull masstive?) appear from a yard, chain dragging and launch himself, totally unprovoked on my poor Callum. Callum yelped and yelped, I screamed and yelled trying to move us away thinking the dogs chain would pull him up. I didn't realise to begin with the end was loose. He just coming with us, on top of Callum, held firmly in his jaws with a few shakes thrown in. I thought Callum was going to die. Finally my now hysterical screams brought the owner out who eventually pulled the hideous dog off. Callum was shaken but on his feet with only one obvious puncture wound. Mr owner minimised it, didn't apologise, and told me I did just the wrong thing. The dog apparently is usually chained to something, and hates other dogs since it was attacked as a pup. Pity it didn't die then I thought , I do not see any place for crazy dogs on the planet. Ms owner also came out and did at least apologise once and show some concern. Quite shaken we walked for a bit then ran rest of way home. Tarn was home and kindly drove me and Callum to the vet where he spent the afternoon. He had a GA and some stiches. They thought all looked ok internally. Lots of bruising. So no running for at least a week for Callum, but very very glad he's ok.

Belair run should be unusually peaceful this Thursday night, but without its most enthusiastic runner.

C • Nasty! 8

Course 3 at Lady Alice Goldfield and Parra Wirra South.

Joined f, T and P at the last minute and so was chauffeured to the event and back, and enjoyed the charming company of P, when he was awake.
I mostly enjoyed this despite being tired after a poor night sleep before hand. Ok through first few controls although overly cautious on way to 2. Headed out to road for 5- probably overkill, but wanted to avoid having to keep track of where I was across the hillside and lots of little gullies however on the ground the control gully was clear enough. This control was a bit higher out of the gully than I expected, lost time there. Enjoyed the next section through the old goldfield and accompanying ruins. All ok here. Saw Robin for the first time at 10, and then kept seeing her for next few controls. Noticed she usually took direct routes on bearings and unsurprisingly does not stop and start like me. Tried to go around the spur below the yakkas on way to 14 to avoid yakkas and because I felt a bit bad just following Robin on her direct bearing! She moves faster through thick stuff I noticed. My plan was reasonable and I ended up at the right creek junction but then doubted it as it seemed to go longer than it was mapped ( and I saw no control) so decided I somehow was on earlier creek and headed off to next creek. Then I noticed Robin coming from opposite direction and bobbing into my creek which was lucky as I assumed she had punched the control, which she had. After that I just got glimpses of her in the distance from time to time. I overshot 16 and although very near took a while to find the control in the thick thick bush. Messed up 17 badly when I became distracted by R and E moving away from the control and I seemed to ditch my plan and bearing and start looking too soon. When I failed to find it I was slow to come up with plan B. Eventually realised I needed to go further down the spur, vegetation boundaries would've been a good clue had I kept on my bearing in plan A. Oh well. Cautious but accurate to 18, which was subtle, and on to finish, quite happy to emerge from the bush by then as a bit over the vagueness and thick bush of the last 3 controls.

My standard 'only have half an hour loop' up valley past Railway dam to vol centre back down via Nookoo spur.
Still managed to miss first 5 mins or so of Ls soccer match and therefore 'the best goal he's ever done' which happened in the first 30 seconds apparently!

Such a beautiful day, I didn't want it to end. Enjoyed a short horse ride after soccer and then decided to break the drought on pet chickens, and so Leith and I went and bought 3 x 1 week old chicks. Now under a lamp in Ls room.

Early run with both dogs up past railway dam to v centre back down valley and then up Nookoo spur. Started in brilliant sunshine, bush looked awesome sparkling in the morning light .

To redwoods and back in a small group. Very still night. Some light misty rain. Loving this damp weather, even if washing won't dry!

To/ from work at FMC. Very cold this morning and I had bare arms. Went a slightly longer way home to avoid narrow Hawthorndene drive in the dark.

With L and A, echo tunnel, past waterfalls, Qjd ( pausing to watch 8 police greys ( and riders) pass going down, then adventure loop home, ie single track to redwoods, up and over to Melville house, boundary track. Grippy shoes will be required for upcoming adventure loop trail run later this month. Some sunshiny moments were very pleasant.

Sad to find a dropped dead baby Joey on side of trail ( fur-less). I wondered if the mum had been chased by a dog. Rangers had said has been a problem lately.

Short wet run before work.

Crafters west run with Callum. Good running weather, light rain at times.

Up the valley with the boys to volunteer centre then back down via Nookoo hill. Light rain.

To South parklands to watch Ls soccer.

Mother's Day treat was a 2 hr walk with Tarn and a friend in the park. Tarn surprised herself by not minding the hills. She might come again !

Pleasant run with Fern and the crazy boys around pine forest and frank smith.

Like oiling rusty hinges. Lovely.

A miracle occurred today and I was in town at the botanic gardens restaurant shortly after 7 am for a fundraising breakfast. Rode from near scotch college and return, misting rain was refreshing. Got to work about 9am and was ready for a snooze rather than a days work!

Short Belair run as I took both dogs and it was too hard to manage, despite Bear's new halter. Up past playford lake, along railway back from there ( without crossing).

To Fmc and return.

About 55 mins run with Lauren, up QJD, back past dam and saddle hill track. Poor Lauren was feeling a bit unwell, not nice for her but kind of convenient as I was not feeling super bouncy and my feet were a bit sore from the weekend.

Extra 10 mins is some running around I did checking the Walford girls Yak was teaching o to this afternoon in Belair.

After work at Marion with a friend in a crowded 25 m lane. Felt great.

Still going. I see why sleep deprivation is used as torture.

Next was 77 , which I remember as being straightforward, then the vague and lots of sections route to 83. On the way up the spur which we thought would take us to 83 we met Sarah and Dion who asked where we were, and said they had lots of trouble at night. Jenny described where we thought we were. D dismissed as thought the creeks didn't match - I tired to point out they did, we had just seen an unmapped creek coming off the longer mapped one. However they weren't to be convinced, and they headed back to the main creek system, while we went on to the find the control a few minutes later. They never found it ( they had already missed at least one control, and later said they'd missed 400 points at night, quite demoralising, and confidence crushing .) This did make us wonder, for the first time, whether maybe we weren't being creamed by all the opposition, despite our less than speedy pace. ( Not that we knew they had missed this control until after the event). Next was 45 on a strong creek bend and what we thought was a straightforward leg to 91. Unfortunately our great plan turned out to be not so great as we didn't pace count ( I did time but over estimated our speed) and we looked way to soon. Distance estimates at night weren't good, room for improvement. When we finally realised ( ie JC worked out where we were) it didn't take too long to find 91. It was near 3am and unusually JC wanted to lie down, thats usually my line. I was surprised but as the ground looked pretty rocky and steep I advised against it. JC said she could be tempted to quit. It was such a way back to the HH that it didn't seem like an easy option, and it didn't think we had totally stuffed things up, so again I urged keeping going. We had been dreading the next section but we just took one leg at a time and made the most of ridges where possible. So next was 58, 69, 81 ( I was slow and tired climbing up to this ). On the way to 53 with the sky lightening and me tripping over myself I begged for a 10 min sleep. Thank goodness JC agreed. I put my layers on quickly and set the alarm for 10 mins. We both lay straight down on the ground, at that point as welcome as the softest bed, and fell promptly to sleep. 10 mins later we were up again. With me feeling much more human and now the dawn approaching. We had got through the night! 53, over the road to 33 and the a trot down the track to 22 trying to work out what we could achieve in the next 4 or so hours. This leg and the leg to 80 seemed to take for ever when I expected them to be quick. JC decided we didn't have time for 92, wisely as it turned out. We ran intermittently though this section. Then 31, 73, 62, using the track to help get to 72, north to 61. The morning excitement had worn off by now and the morning seemed to be going slowly, as did my legs. I was looking forward to finishing! Next 37 in flat terrain then a hot rather unwelcome climb to 63. On the way to 36 we debated if we had time to grab 34 as well. We decided we did, hoping this was one of the times the leg didn't feel longer and rougher than we anticipated. We had about 25 mins left and perhaps 2 1/2 rough kms to go. This went smoothly and we did the final leg running along the track. For once the HH came into view before I dared hope for it! Yippee! We even were able to walk sedately in with 8 mins to spare. We compared notes with a few teams and many had found night hard, as we had. It was a big surprise ( or would've been if I had been more awake) as the results were read and we realised teams we thought could well be ahead of us in fact were not. First place. A happy and unexpected ending. Bliss was being driven home by setter Marks assistant , Matt, and dozing at will without having to keep myself awake. Bliss was also not working the next day and going back to bed after walking L to school.

Thanks J for a fun rogaine and keeping a clear head at night!

C • Congrats on an amazing result! 8

State champs rogaine at Willow Waters east of Hawker, with Jenny.

We stayed a Craddock hotel the night before and arrived at the event site shortly before map handout. Had a fairly good planning session aiming to be fairly conservative with our kms ( less than 70 km) as going was so steep and rocky, and we weren't bounding with spare energy. We really thought that as the team of Dion and Sarah were fitter than us with more training in their legs , we'd just see how we went. Our aim to try and hold it together and enjoy the spectacular location, the stands of native pine and the perfect weather after some recent rainfall.

We headed off to the north and clockwise. Most seem to have gone south. We had an identical route to begin with to Slats and Conrad, who seemed quicker in and out of controls but somehow we kept catching up. We went to 20, 70, 55, 93 ( I stopped on way to take neurofen for my sore feet - sore feet, already!) after 93 we heard shouts of laughter from Slats and Conrad, and when we next crossed paths found that Slats had had a close call with a large coiled brown snake he stumbled across between rocks. Conrad said it was hilarious and Slats agreed but also noted his legs were shaky! We then went to 51 and down along the track to 40. 40 was at the head of a gully in a lovely gently sloping stand of native pine. It looked a great spot to stop for a picnic if one wasn't rogaining. I also thought it would be hard at night as quite subtle which other teams confirmed was the case. I could not read the subtlies as quickly as JC on the way to 54 but was happy to find the control was were JC expected. North then to 65 and a welcome fruit and water refill at 25. Then on in the late afternoon to 56, 49, 59, 84, ( where JC quickly and correctly assumed a creek was the gully we needed), then back into the native pine near sunset for 75. We walked steadily but neither seemed keen to run. It felt like we were moving slowly and I was thinking we would be off the pace, but a bit too warm and sleepy to be much bothered by this. ( note to self, don't wear 3/4 tights and gaiters unless below about 17 C, otherwise I boil.). Chatting and enjoying the lovely early evening and the native pines we lost track of where we crossed the creek on route to 82. Of course we were putting off putting on torches ( 'lets just find the control first'). I couldn't read a thing on the map at this point. ( noted my eyesight for detail is much worse than it used to be even with my o glasses, a bit frustrating ). Clarified things by going to a high point and worked out we weren't far from where we needed to be and so found the control shortly after. I talked Jenny into 35 near the track instead of the planned 41 as a confidence building handrail, then used track on the way to 66. 66 in thickish native pine took a while as it was on a creek not the creek as stated. We were short then went west and debated which creek we had found. Had another try and while wandering saw lights of another team , and heard them say how tricky the control was so then headed in the direction they came from and found the control. Next was 42. Found the junction we wanted then a careful bearing to 94 and found it fairly cleanly, although a subtle shallow gully. Next was 68. I found this a confusing leg and was glad of the compass as I couldn't read all the subtle bits. We saw Ev and her team on the way then looked too soon and too far west in one of several gullies. Took ridge route to 85. Yay for ridges which make sense! More ridges and spinafex ( ouch) to 46 then track to 24 and water and fruit. Once stopped didn't take long to get cold so we tried to be quick.