Training Log Archive: blairtrewin

Victorian State Series at Boundary Creek. Hamstring a bit sore in the car on the way up there so I wasn't too surprised that the run was a bit of a struggle, especially given the steepness. Didn't really have any running fluency on the first six - didn't really have a feel for running in this type of the terrain at the start - but settled a bit more on the long leg to 7 (I went the track option, although straight was similar). Probably a bit better in the last third, with Ian Davies around for a fair bit of it. A little disappointed not to crack single figures on the kilometre rates (just) - part of me thinks the area is a bit slower than it once was (no-one went under 8s on any course), but I'm sure most of it is me slowing down. Simon Rouse did 60.

Early session (for a Saturday) showing Jenny, who's over here for a weekend workshop, the new Darebin footbridge and associated paths. She gets out of the blocks faster than I do these days so the early pace was a little faster than I normally do these days, but settled after the first couple of kilometres. Reasonably ho-hum as a run but starting to string a few sessions together, always a good thing on one's return.

A weekend day at home felt a little bit unusual. Won't happen next weekend.

First ad of the election campaign (not sure if it's for the federal or state one); a billboard featuring the beaming face of Clive Palmer at a Port Melbourne intersection (surely he doesn't seriously think he can resurface politically?). The pedant in me noted that the billboard did not appear to have any small print which might contain the legally required "authorised by" tag.

C • Plus 7

From Fishermans Bend before getting my car serviced - the loop out past Westgate Park (a bit easier to negotiate now the roadworks at the port entrance are done). Pretty tight at the beginning and wasn't sure in the first 10-15 minutes whether I'd go on with it, but pushed through and got something at least vaguely respectable on the board. Also had the chance to familiarise myself with something which those who've been in Melbourne for the duration have been very familiar with - wind (more so on the more exposed parts of the run).

C • Wind 3

Right hamstring still a bit iffy this morning so took to the water instead (the logistics tomorrow probably work better for running anyway). First time back at Fitzroy - reacquainted myself with feet on cold concrete on the way to and from the water. Not the smoothest of swims I'll ever have and the time showed it, but got the job done.

An impressive smoke plume in the background from a big factory fire in the western suburbs.

C • I actually ran from the poo... 8

Because I can't stay in the one place for long, after all of one night at home I was back on the road - but just a flying visit to Canberra this time. (Would probably have preferred not to have done this one, but work needed someone).

Canberra was doing its winter thing this morning: -5 at the airport overnight. Being aware of the findings of Trewin (2005), I knew it would be warmer than that on the ridges, and headed from where I was staying (near the St. Clare's roundabout) for the Red Hill ridgeline, doing a section of one of my classic runs from back in the day. It's sufficiently classic that I have some of my own placenames for bits of it, on a section that runs from Hindmarsh Gap to Davidson Trig to Windy Saddle (only the second of these is an official name, but I don't think anyone familiar with the area will have trouble working out where the other two are).

This was more ambitious than most of my runs of its type recently, and I was satisfied with how I handled the climbing, although the steeper bits were definitely hard work. Later in the day I saw an information board about the environmental work that's been done on Red Hill since the cattle were removed in the 1990s, and it's certainly evident on the southern end of the ridge - in the 1980s this was almost completely covered with thistles (except for the path), but they're nowhere to be seen now. Good views as always on a clear morning (although the truly classic time to do this run is when it takes you above the fog), and the number of dog-walkers on the ridge (compared to the number on lower ground) suggests that at least some Canberrans are familiar with the principles, if not the text, of Trewin (2005). Didn't feel quite as smooth as I'd hoped on the descent, and a bit of hamstring soreness later in the day, though it seems to have settled now.

Just looked at the (disturbingly small) entry lists for the Queensland NOL events. Looks like I haven't had my last NOL top-10 after all (as long as I finish the middle). Not totally beyond the realms of possibility that I haven't had my last NOL placing...

C • NOL 4

An early run on a frosty morning; a little apprehensive about how the tightness on the outside of my knee would work out but it was fine once warmed up. Started this run by checking up on the progress of the local infrastructure projects (pedestrian bridge across the new railway cutting finished, new Chandler Highway bridge still looks some way away - suspect they'll struggle to get it done by the election), then along the river and up into Westgarth. Not the most sparkling of runs but it will do for now.

C • Infrastructure promises 3

Reacquainting myself with the pilates exercises, once I actually got there - after the train took 10 minutes to get from fairfield to Dennis I decided to cut my losses, got out and walked the rest. Session itself was fine although back was tight on some of the exercises (suspect the scheduled massage on Thursday could be pretty ugly).

The trains hadn't improved a lot afterwards, either.

First session of this kind for a couple of months, at Ivanhoe. Started somewhat later than I'd planned because my parents had forgotten where they'd left my car keys (remembering the last time I was away for this long and returned to a stone-dead battery, I'd asked them to take it out occasionally), but eventually made it. Not the sharpest of sessions as you'd expect, and a bit of tightness on the outside of my right knee - will be interesting to see how this comes up when I try to run on it (probably tomorrow).

Seem to have got through the day more or less OK. Spent most of it doing fairly intellectually undemanding things, like clearing a backlog of administrative paperwork.