Training Log Archive: blairtrewin

A multi-loop race on Kangaroo Gully. Jim told me beforehand not to take notice of the 15k distance on the description sheet because there's been a mix-up with the descriptions and the map scales and it was only 10k. Turned out there was a double mix-up and it was almost 15k after all. I don't think most of the field were ready for this, especially its younger members.

The first 40% of the course, where all the splitting was, had its frenetic moments, not least after the mass start with the combination of map detail and sun glare (it was an 8 a.m. start). I had a relatively short early split and saw Troy from time to time, and David Brownridge for a lot of the first half. Troy moved away and David dropped back; then I was together with Liggo for a bit around halfway before we split on a long route choice, never to rejoin. He got the break on me there (and caught Bruce), and from there I was on my own, doing what I do a lot of - grinding out the second half of long-distance races, once it became clear that this was a genuine long-distance race. In the end Troy did 82, Bruce and Liggo 84, I was 87 and David 96. Felt a bit flat at times, but pulled through for a solid, if unspectacular result. Navigated OK in my first bush race since October, with one 30-seconder and a couple of minor hesitations.

Kangaroo Gully has lots of interesting mining and a few other traditional near-urban features, such as piles of building rubble and abandoned shopping trolleys. Didn't see any dumped cars or marijuana plots (the latter are probably all casualties of the drought anyway).

A nice training session on Mount Korong, largely using control points from last year's Middle Champs (but in different orders). I was coming from Swan Hill so it suited me to go to Korong en route, but I had a bit more company than I expected - Troy, Morten and the two Keelys. We ran stretches of three controls (in different start orders) before regathering. All of us butchered the second control but it was pretty good after that, and felt fairly strong too, if a little below fully flat out.

With a few hours to kill before the sprint race we then went on to Bridgewater and spent some time in the river, something that was interrupted when the local policeman turned up in pursuit of Bryan. There's obviously a severe shortage of crime in Bridgewater, because it turned out that they'd received a complaint (grossly exaggerated - I was behind them and there was very little untoward at all) that Bryan had been "hooning" on a dirt track in town and had spent the next 90 minutes combing the streets for the offending vehicle. I think the end result was a caution and an introduction to small-town syndrome.

A pretty disappointing sprint effort on the urban bush of Spring Gully. Got off to a less-than-brilliant start when I dropped my control card in the first 2 metres and didn't get a lot better from there - only got into a running rhythm in the last 5 minutes. Hit the controls well with one minor hesitation but a couple of iffy routes. Expected Troy to be sub-16 and he was, but Leon and Toph impressed as well.

Up in Mildura for work today. Had planned to go for a swim but got to the pool entrance and discovered that my gear was back in Melbourne. Not to worry.

Turned out that at the meeting I was sitting next to Tash's uncle (I guess it would be hard to move in wheat-farming circles in that part of the world without running into a Rowe somewhere). Swapped plenty of memories of the wedding in between talks. The country doesn't look quite as barren as I'd expected (mind you, the only other time I've done the Ballarat-Donald-Mildura road was going to the wedding in February 1998, which was a drought summer too), and most of the locals managed to salvage a crop of some kind out of 2006 which is better than I thought they might have done.

Never felt particularly inspired today, just grinding out the kilometres. Started from work rather than home today which meant a few interruptions towards the end courtesy of inner-city traffic - reminds me of the old days in Albert Park. Very humid again.

The emergency services seemed busy this morning - score for the morning was two (alleged) malefactors in earnest conversation with the local constabulary outside the Bureau building as I was starting, the Police Commissioner having a deep and meaningful session with a Channel 9 camera in front of HQ, a Highway patrol car in hot pursuit of someone down Clarendon Street, South Melbourne, and an ambulance leaving the scene of what I presume was a car-versus-pedestrian outside Jeff's Shed.

Started slowly with tightness (particularly on left hip) persisting longer than usual, but gradually built up and a very good last 20 minutes. A bit longer than planned, which might have had an impact later in the day.

My car is getting serviced today. My usual practice on such days is to bring my bike in the car and ride from the workshop, and I've often seen other people doing the same thing. This obviously gave someone ideas because I noticed today they now offer free loan bicycles for customers while their car is being serviced.

5k time trial on the Tan. Faster than last time but still rather disappointing - given some of the runs I've had in training in the last couple of weeks I was looking for a sub-18 at the very least. Didn't push hard enough through the uphill middle sections but finished off OK. Once again very humid - if this is sounding repetitive it's because the weather is equally repetitive.

(Some interesting local seabreeze effects today - it was about 5 degrees hotter at the Tan than it was at the Bureau's building in Docklands. I thought I might have been imagining things when it felt much hotter going there, but then it also felt much cooler coming back).

C • Why? 2

Going to/from the Tan for the time trial.

Not quite as good as last week (fastest loop 9.05) but still a pretty solid effort. Hints of back tightness at one point but that eased up. Very humid again.

Finally got the Orienteering Australia accounts finished and off to the auditors this morning - nice to have that out of the way.

Back at Fitzroy. Cooler today both in and out of the water, although still not exactly cold. A fairly routine session.

Definitely a big spectator sporting weekend for me, with two premierships to get excited about (the Canberra Capitals and the Melbourne Victory). We won't mention a certain other sporting competition in New Zealand (or for that matter the FA Cup).

A fairly slow MFR Monday night run from Suse's place, initially exploring the inside of the Botanic Gardens then around the Tan. Quite pleasant.