Training Log Archive: blairtrewin

A run in three parts. The first part was at the usual level of sluggishness, but without any real signs of injury. The second part was the best I've felt on a run for ages (certainly since the calf injury), moving smoothly and feeling like I had a bit of strength for the small ups and downs. The path alongside the road between St. Pauls and Koonya, though, seemed fine at the time, but its ups and downs were enough to set the Achilles off a bit, so the last 2.5km was a bit of a struggle. Made it home, though, and stretching the boundaries a little bit further.

A bit of a thunderstorm was lingering over the bay to the north, but it didn't come our way. I was wondering if there might have been lots of people on the beaches collectively blowing the storm towards the MCG.

A nice change this morning - a reasonably normal run. Obviously the calf work yesterday had the desired effect because the Achilles had only the mildest of twinges today. (I did take the precaution of avoiding the sand today - back down the peninsula but stuck to the streets and suburban paths, so got the many small ups and downs but not the softness).

Dug this out from the archives. I was right that New Zealand would be more formidable at home - they creamed us, with help from some very New Zealand terrain (this was the year of Kapamahunga).

Achilles getting worse rather than better during the early stages of the run. At least I ended up with some tangible evidence that I wasn't imagining things when the physio/masseur thought my calf (which is the trigger for this) was the tightest she's seen for a long time - which prompted some serious needlework.

And there was a false start for this as well - I thought I'd booked in for pilates at 10 and massage at 6 (with the cricket in between), but was under way with this when the masseur dropped past and wondered where I was - I'd got the appointments the wrong way round...

...but at the second attempt it worked out as planned (which is more than can be said for most of today's batting on both sides). Was a bit apprehensive about this because, post-needles, I'd barely been able to walk during the lunch and tea breaks at the cricket, but the ride from the MCG to Northcote loosened me up nicely and the session was fine.

Thought I was feeling better at the start today but it was a different story when I hit the sand (mostly Achilles this time - clearly overdue for a massage), so quickly switched from thoughts of an hour or more to minimum viable training unit. I guess we can just about classify this as such, although it's a tight call. Hoping for something better tomorrow.

Back playing up today so, after an initial attempt, instead had my first go at the new pool - certainly one of the nicer views you get from a pool (there's a good view to the north as far as Arthurs Seat, although no ocean). A fairly routine session once in, ahead of a reasonably inactive day in front of the cricket (with one eye on the WA current observations).

A Christmas morning run from a new base, and a very nice setting it was - the first half along the back side of the peninsula, first along the clifftops at Bridgewater Bay and Pearses Beach, then through the bush for a while once the track runs inland. A cloudless sky and a timeless scene - I think teenagers have been jumping off the rock tower above the Bridgewater Bay rockpool since before the word "teenager" was invented (certainly at least as far back as when my parents were that age).

This was a bit shorter than most recent Christmas efforts, but still a reasonable run - tougher in terms of terrain than anything I've done since the injury (lots of short hills, and a bit of sand which was slow going, especially the climb out of Pearses). Reasonably happy with the way it went; back only briefly troublesome although Achilles sorer than they have been recently.

Nice not to have to drive anywhere on Christmas Day, either...

Didn't get a lot of sleep last night because of a persistently barking dog (presumably left behind by its owners who have gone elsewhere); eventually moved to the front room. Felt like I was rather lacking energy for the swim and it showed in the performance; at least the brilliant sunshine woke me up. (The new goggles also worked pretty well).

An old Canberra Christmas tradition which I thought had disappeared in the big city was leaving beer out for the garbos (along with the carrots for the "reindeer" and the beer for "Santa" - I recall asking if the latter would put Santa over the legal limit for driving a sleigh), but there was one lot of it on top of a bin this morning. This (and other similar episodes elsewhere in the suburb) would explain why the garbage was a bit late in being collected.

There's not a lot of traffic around in the inner city on a Christmas Eve Monday, although I did steer well clear of the Queen Victoria Market.