Training Log Archive: blairtrewin

The longest ride I've done so far in this period, essentially going around the southern and western side of my circle (this time going as far south as Bridge Road in Richmond, which is right on the edge). Generally a reasonably solid session, coping better with the climbs than is sometimes the case (particularly the one back up past my old place on the east side of Heidelberg); hamstring didn't fatigue as much as it has on the last couple of longer rides either. Wind not as much of a presence today - its flukiness illustrated by the fact that the Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags on different parts of the Collingwood town hall were pointing in different directions - but still nice to have it behind me at the end.

At one of the Trump-related media conferences it was mentioned that he was "asking for documents to review". It did not take long for someone to notice that in the Boris Yeltsin era, his staff were regularly saying "the President is working with documents", to the point that "working with documents" has entered the Russian language as a euphemism with much the same meaning as "tired and emotional" in English.

C • Classic! 2

Today was supposed to be the day of the Australian Long Championships. I was clearly fated not to run in a 2020 Australian Long Championships. Had the event not been cancelled because of Covid, it probably would have been cancelled because of high winds (which claimed the Tasmanian Middle at Littlechild Creek), and had it not been cancelled because of high winds it probably would have cancelled because of a nearby bushfire - and if the event had actually taken place I was injured anyway (although it's an unknowable unknown as to whether I would have been had I spent August in Slovakia's forests rather than on Fairfield's streets).

The high winds were present in Melbourne too, if not quite on the scale of St. Helens (unless you were at Melbourne Airport, ideally positioned for mountain waves in the right sort of northerlies). This called for some route choice thinking, with the additional nice-weekend-day-of-2020 imperative of spending as little of the ride as possible on paths that people might be walking on (especially people likely to be accompanied by creatures on four legs or small people on two), as well as avoiding a couple of inconveniently-positioned magpie attack sites. Eventually settled on something zig-zagging north through West Heidelberg, not going continuously into the wind for too long at once, before west across the top of Northland as far as St. Georges Road. The St. Georges path was the reward for the earlier slog - gently downhill, with a very solid tailwind (and a favourable run with the lights) - which is why that part of the ride was comparable to one a few years ago on the Hay Plains with a similarly favourable tailwind. (The difference on the Hay Plains was that it was the first half of the ride and I knew what I had to look forward to in the second half).

Lost more fluid than I thought, judging by the amount I drank in the rest of the day. The first warm day of spring will do that.

C • Littlechild Creek 2

I have driven the grand total of 177km since I last got petrol - in the last week of June. In that time, I have certainly ridden, and run, more than 177km, and although I haven't kept track of it, I suspect I've walked more than 177km too.

C • Ks 2

A warm, windy morning but mostly a fairly sheltered ride, out to Eaglemont Flats and back through the suburb (diverting along my old commute route along the railway because of roadworks on Studley Road). Got a full-force blast over the top of one hill which was enough of a reminder that it was worth staying away from exposed areas today. Felt OK riding but don't get a sense that a run is that close.

It would be fair to say that a certain amount of schadenfreude was being expressed by those I know this afternoon.

Once again failed a late fitness test so instead it was late afternoon on the bike, this time on the Boulevard with the Darebin Creek extension. A bit more traffic than I've become used to, and some sunglare too (although the greatest hazard was the rollerskiers taking up all the bike lane and a bit more besides). Felt pretty solid on the climbs, though a bit sore later on.

Out in the Kew/Balwyn direction (had been thinking of the Boulevard but downhill curves are perhaps not the best place to be in the wet). Reasonable ride without anything too startling (and didn't upset any drivers this time).

Fairfield officially completed a pestilence-free month.

Once again a lunchtime ride after not coming up for running (although I think I was bit closer than yesterday), initially up the Heidelberg hill and then west and south. Fastest I can remember being on a ride for a while, although that may be a product of no paths and not many side streets.

One sign that Melbourne is returning towards normality: drivers have started abusing cyclists again. (Not sure what I did to upset him; I wasn't even on his side of the road).

And the 2020 version of Gone In 60 Seconds: the filling up of the available 20 slots for each hour at Fitzroy Pool when bookings open 72 hours ahead. (Actually, even that's generous: 40 seconds wasn't enough for the slot I looked at). Hopefully it will be a bit less crazy once Northcote opens later this week.

Gave it a brief test running but it wasn't ready, so instead took to the bike on a gorgeous lunchtime which had fewer people out appreciating the gorgeousness than I might have expected - a fairly casual and flat loop broadly northwards, though picked my way through Preston in a different way to the usual.

Among the more amusing revelations in the reports today about Donald Trump's tax affairs was that he'd claimed $70,000 in deductions for hairdressing. I think it can reasonably be stated that that money was wasted.

C • Cost of haircuts 1