Training Log Archive: blairtrewin

We're never shy about bagging the banks (and I've sometimes been heard to say that anyone who thinks that the public sector has a monopoly on large and inflexible bureaucracies has never dealt with a bank), but I have to give the thumbs up to NAB - I filed the paperwork on Christmas Eve relating to the skimming of my card while I was away, and got the money back today. (This reinforces that, given the choice, a virtual mugging is definitely preferable to a real mugging).

The last run of 2014 won't go down as one of the year's better runs - one of those nights when the back wasn't really playing ball and I couldn't generate much power uphill, which was bad news on a reasonably hilly area (Belmore). Managed to salvage a vaguely respectable run out of it even though I never felt great, even on the downhills. Think route was somewhat suboptimal on a night which was at the long end of the usual Summer Series range.

Not a huge turnout, not surprising given the date. Not sure what is normal because I was otherwise engaged at a certain wedding the last time 31 December fell on a Wednesday. Another turnout which isn't looking great is that of internationals to the World Cup, which is rather disappointing (although the number of non-World Cup overseas entrants is good). Apart from us and NZ, only Sweden and Switzerland are sending close to full teams.

And so ends 2014, probably a similar year to 2013 in competitive terms. One positive was a lack of major injuries, with no layoffs longer than a few days (although in-race injuries cut short two of the big races for the year, the Six Foot Track and the North American Championships); the back was again troublesome from time to time but probably less frequently than in 2013. The brain-fade at WMOC was frustrating though illness would have hurt my final chances anyway. Some good signs towards the end of the year; we'll see how things go at Oceania.

Best race of the year: probably the Eureka Challenge with its course-long scrap with (a subpar) Brodie - presumably the last time this will happen.

Most enjoyable race of the year: the long day of QB3 at Sappa Bulga.

Training run of the year: almost inevitably this year, it was an overseas one - my nomination going to the long run at El Calafate (especially its second half). Honourable mentions to the intervals session a few days earlier in the national park visitors centre car park at El Chalten, the Thursday session two days after I got home, and going back a bit further, the year's longest run, the 36k at Port Fairy in February.

I competed this year in 7 countries (which isn't a PB), and trained in 15, which is. (This is more countries than I officially entered - it includes a bike session in the gym while in transit in Dubai airport - and takes in every continent except Antarctica).

I think it's been a pretty reasonable year for orienteering in Australia, with indications of further growth in participation (though we don't have final numbers yet), some encouraging results at both WOC and JWOC level, and well-run major events. Personally, it's often been a turbulent year, especially on the work front - one of the nice things about going away was not having to open the paper and wonder what half-truths and untruths were being told about me or my work today. (I sometimes have to remind myself that it's only 10%, and not 98%, of the population that believe such nonsense). Still more positives than negatives, and certainly the last couple of months will stay with me for a long time.