Training Log Archive: blairtrewin

Probably didn't need the early start today after getting home at 11.15 last night (and it's a bit disconcerting starting a 7am session in pitch darkness outside), but worked out OK. Also seem to be properly through the worst of the issues from the last few days. Will give running a go tomorrow.

Felt somewhat better this morning and thought I'd at least try to go out, although I knew it was unlikely I'd do the full 10k M45 course (a lot of the masters courses were on the long side - 7k for M65, for example). However, given my body hasn't been retaining a lot of nutrients (or fluid) for the last three days, it wasn't surprising that I felt weak and light-headed as soon as I started to run (or attempt thereof). In this condition I thought the best thing I could probably do was do a bit of technical training on the controls in the detail around the finish, so at least I achieved something. Part of that something was making a bit of a mess of the last control, climbing up the wrong spur out of an erosion gully (at least this was a less visible misadventure than some of yesterday's last-control misadventures).

Some interesting results today, including first-time NOL wins for Patrick Miller and Mikayla Cooper - don't think too many people would have picked the junior women's top three of Cooper, Melhuish (T) and Lehtonen - and a personal-best second for Andrew Barnett. Unfortunately the two Finnish W16s who impressed in older company this weekend (Venla-Linnea Karjalainen's middle leg was important to the result of the Victorian W21 relay team) are both on their way home within the next few months, although talk is that we may not have seen the last here of Iida, at least.

The weekend might have been a write-off for me from an orienteering perspective, but even without participating, there are worse parts of the world to spend a weekend in (and the company was good, too).

C • Ring ins 14

NOL/SL2 day 2 Hard 3 - Splits

Event: National Orienteering Leagues 1&2 / NSW State Leagues 1&2
 

Any thoughts that I was on the improve were dispelled fairly dramatically around 3.30 this morning (and on multiple other occasions in the following hours). Perhaps more concerning in a running context was that I also had quite severe lower leg cramps during the night - bad enough that there was some residual soreness all day - which I took to mean that something was fairly significantly out of balance.

I wouldn't have even thought about starting in an individual race; in a relay there is the element of letting the rest of your team down, but a suitable replacement was on hand in Warren (in fact he did better than I probably would have done, even if well).

At least dehydration wasn't an issue today as the endless summer of 2018-19 came to an abrupt end (at least for now). At Orange, which is probably a good match for Hill End, it didn't get above 10 after 10am and it ended up being the coldest March day since 1987. It was even more chilling waiting outside for dinner (at least until Bridget found an appropriate use for a copy of the Daily Telegraph, namely using it in the fireplace).

Staying in the centre of town at the Royal Hotel has its advantages; it certainly has old-time character, even if the only thing which has obviously advanced since the 19th century (other than the prices) is the existence of electricity.

Landed back in Sydney this morning (narrowly missing out on being diverted because of a control tower fire alarm for the second time this year), after sleeping fitfully at best on the flight. Worked out of the Sydney office during the day; my original plan for today had been a lunchtime swim but that obviously wasn't an option in my present condition. Did start to feel better during the afternoon (i.e. I actually felt like eating this evening), so hopefully won't be a complete wreck tomorrow after a (hopefully) decent night's sleep, and at least with tomorrow's forecast dehydration isn't going to be a major issue.

It's surprisingly difficult to find non-spicy food (other than burgers) in the evenings in reasonable proximity to our office (which is close to Central Station). Normally this would not be a concern for me but it was tonight.

Had another middle-of-the night teleconference and slept very badly after it. Still attempted to go out but very quickly decided it was no good. Plan B was to try again in a late morning slot which I thought was free, but it turned out not to be free, and in any case by then I was feeling more under the weather than warranted merely by a bad night's sleep (I think) - always a bad sign when I don't feel like eating at lunchtime. (Fortunately, I had nothing more strenuous today than a couple of meetings).

Now ready to head out of Guangzhou - a less time-consuming airport passage than last time even if my bag got ripped apart three times (twice by security, once by customs) - feeling slightly better than earlier in the day. Hopefully it's just something I ate at breakfast and won't have any lasting impacts on the weekend.

No training as such today, but spent quite a bit of time in the field in the middle distance area (demonstrating in the process that Inov8s are not a good footwear choice on damp, mossy stone steps, though I didn't actually manage to end up falling over properly). Looking in pretty reasonable shape.

Perhaps it's an indication of how far I've fallen that a slow, flat 40 minutes feels like a minor triumph but that's the way it was this morning. A bit tight in the first 10 minutes, better after that but not quite as smooth as Sunday. Headed west along the road at the base of the mountain today; there seem to be two basic options here if you don't want some serious stair-climbing, turn left out of the hotel or turn right.

The humidity in the mornings isn't too bad - probably comparable to Melbourne the few days before I left - though today was the murkiest day I've seen in my recent visits to Guangzhou. Yesterday it only got to the low 20s with occasional light rain and the locals, in true Darwin style, seemed very concerned that I was underdressed for the conditions. One wonders how the city coped when it snowed a few years ago. (In this part of the world, even though it's in the tropics, very cold air of modestly-modified Siberian origin finds its way a long way south every now and again - Guangzhou and nearby Hong Kong have a couple of single-digit days in a normal winter - but usually the air which comes with this is very dry so snow is extremely rare in Guangzhou, and I don't think has ever fallen at city level in Hong Kong).

Lots of fieldwork today in the sprint and sprint relay areas; generally looking pretty good although the last part of the sprint course may need some reworking. I haven't been used to being on my feet most of the day of late, and was pretty tired by the end of it.

C • Underdressed? 10