Training Log Archive: jennycas

Somehow it took me 3 1/2 hours to mark out a 7km section of the Summit to Sea route from Darlington to Seacliff, using all the tapes and signs which Terry C had thoughtfully provided, and an awful lot of chalk. As I was drawing arrows on the ground at the top of Morphett Rd, someone said to me "Jenny, what the hell are you doing?" (It turned out to be Randall Taylor from rogaining.) By the time I had finished it was completely dark so I abandoned the plan to ride home and got George to provide taxi service, since I'm leaving my car at Brighton so it will be there when I finish the run in the morning.

To the bridge at the end of the caravan park (very popular with campers currently) and back. I felt slow, but this run used to take 70, so I can't be that bad. Was pleased to see the ute when I came home, meaning George had made it back from Sydney in time to have breakfast (penguin waffles again) with our friends before they drove back to Canberra!

Definitely need a nap now - there is no point in going to bed before midnight on New Year's Eve when you are going to get woken up by:
a) fireworks
b) the dog barking at them
and then, when you've just got him settled down:
c) crackers going off
d) the dog barking at them
and so on...

Aaaargh!

AP has turned me into a W35 already :(

And as of today, Wallaringa Orienteering Club now has the grand total of zero juniors.

C • Welcome to the Masters 2

The pool was popular this morning - anyone would think the forecast was for 41 today. It was 30 already by 7.30am, and for once I wasn't the slowest person in the slow lane and actually had to overtake someone.

I had far more fun in the water last night - Lauren, Michael, Vanessa and I took Meatloaf to the beach. Of course, the one with the most legs (and the shortest legs) is the one who can't swim, so we took it in turns to walk him up and down the water's edge while everyone else got properly wet.

To/from parents' to water garden. I could smell the ocean as I was riding there so I went the extra 1km to find it - beautiful clear still morning, reminded me of going to the beach as kids. Wished I was on school holidays :) Then, out of curiosity because I saw the sign, I rode past Glenelg Community Hospital where Susanne and I were born. And I realised that I've spent my entire life so far, resident within a 10km radius of that location! (I've never even lived north of the Adelaide CBD.)

3 falls loop with John and the Hazells. Hot going up the hill with the sun on our backs but worth it for the coolness in 3rd falls valley. There is still a trickle of water falling, and I saw a grey heron. Bruce appeared at the bridge at the top of 2nd falls, which was a pleasant surprise, and then I ran down a bit faster than I had intended to because he was on my heels, but my shins didn't protest too much.

My reward for doing 6+ hours of housework today was to break in my latest pair of New Balance. They're always hard on my shins to start with and the calf/shin which got squashed when I fell through the bench a few years ago has been extra tight lately. I cut a few corners on the shortest loop option 'cos I was tired, either from the housework or from getting up at the equivalent of 4am to fly back from Sydney. (I guess I'll have to get up that early next Sunday also.)

From the hotel along the Parramatta River downstream to the ferry terminal (to check the ferry times) then up through the park to the edge of Westmead and back. Lots of historic signs I should go back to read. Came across an enormous flying fox colony which possibly dwarfs the one at Yarra Bend.

Catching the ferry became a bit of a saga. There was already quite a crowd when we went down to catch the midday ferry at Parramatta, which didn't arrive till 12.20, by which time so many other people were waiting that when the queue formed we were at the back of it and didn't make it on to the boat. So we ended up driving into the city and parking as close as possible to Circular Quay (which was expensive) in order to catch the Manly Ferry with George's sister and her husband & kids (apparently if you have kids all public transport in Sydney is $2.50/person for the day on a Sunday).

That worked out okay and we had a lovely afternoon with them - I am getting better at morphing into auntie mode - though it seemed to require all 4 adults to keep a 4-and-6-year old from getting wet at times. There are fountains which pop up underfoot from the middle of the mall in Manly! The unfortunate thing happened when, after ice cream back at Circular Quay, we had just managed to negotiate our way out of the CBD and onto the Anzac Bridge, which I could have sworn used to be a 70kph zone, but it obviously isn't now, if it ever was, as pointed out to George by the nice Mr Policeman who invoiced him for $197.

So the trip to Manly cost my sister-in-law's family $10, and it cost us $250 all up :(