Training Log Archive: PrueD

Walk around Blackburn. Knee feels better for the rest it has had this week. I spent the day entertaining my late Mum's 93 year old friend and taking him to visit some friends.

I am now using my new ultrabook for the first time - it is even tethered to my phone! (Incidentally the phone died several times this week - seems you have to update the software or it just dies). The whole process of upgrading everything has been a bit stressful - but everything now seems to work. My only issue now is that I need a magnifying glass to read the ultrabook screen.

C • font re-sizing 2

Walk around Blackburn on a nice morning. I went.to the osteopath today and was pleased that his clinical assessment of my knee pain, at this stage, was that it was an inflamed patella tendon surrounded by some muscular tenderness.

Plod around Benalla, including around some grassy ovals. Knee was painful at the start but warmed up towards the end. I have an appointment with an osteopath this week - to sort out if the problem is back related or purely a knee problem. I suspect it is a combination of both.

I spent the rest of the weekend sewing cushion covers out of peruvian woollen blankets and shopping. Things are starting to become a bit more ordered around me - although I really need a week at both houses to get the gardens etc in order.

Despite it being -4 outside, with a heavy frost, and a sign outside the Benalla pool advising the heating wasn't working well and all classes were cancelled today - I braved the pool for a swim. It turned out not to be too cold at all and I had a good stretch out. For the first time in ages, I took in a large mouthful of water and had a coughing episode. Peter later commented that it was a good thing all 3 patrons weren't drowning at once, as there was only one pool attendant!

The past few days have been cold and wet, as you would expect with the winter solstice and I've had several late nights at work, which has meant no training.

I am trying to follow the example of other AP bloggers who have better time management skills than me and get up early each morning for some activity. Running is still not possible due to sore knee - but I did manage to get to the Nunawading pool by 6.00am to be first in the queue for a (very nice) swim. And yes, the earth moved for me last night - the windows rattled and there was some noise.

Stretch in the pool after the swim.

Walk around Blackburn Lake.

Walk around Blackburn South. Back to work today.

Despite sore knee, I hobbled around the Benalla Lake alternating jogging (on the soft ground) and walking (on the bitumen). This seemed to work and I might stick to this strategy for a few days.

I finally made it back to Melbourne from Mt Gambier on Thursday evening, having travelled via Warrnambool and Port Fairy, and having visited (well, sat in the car outside) 14 steel factories. It was nice seeing the scenery along the way as it is always good to see what's happening around the countryside. However I could give the steel factories a miss next time. Ian kept me quiet by overfeeding me, so that I sat quietly in the seat like a floundered whale.

On Friday morning I drove to Benalla for a friend's farewell lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. Several old friends who I have known for many years were there and we had a great time.....although I was reminded of:
- when I rode a horse around the front yard in Corryong wearing bikinis (which haven't seen the light of day for a number of years);
- when I went running at night in Corryong followed by a bikie escort (because 'it's not safe to run at night in Corryong'); and
- when the front yard in Corryong caught on fire and the local forester refused to come out of his flat and help contain it, because he was on 'fire duty' .

Although I tried hard, the point score at the end was 2 (me) to 20 (them).

I went swimming today in the Benalla pool. My knee is still swollen and sore and I think I have reached the point where I concede it is not going to get better by itself.

C • Whats the fascination with Steel Factories? 6

Walk around the Blue Lake area of Mount Gambier in the rain and wind, followed by a nice warming coffee at the cafe. Off home today, via Warrnambool. Yesterday I looked around the shops in Adelaide in the morning. Main observation was that, if you made it around Myers ladies wear section without finding anything that you liked and which fitted, you ended up in the WeightWatchers section! Ian then collected me and we drove to Mt G via the Coorong.

We spent all yesterday sitting in the car and eating too much. Both my ankle and knee were quite swollen from the weekend. We stayed in Adelaide in some comfortable apartments and l tested out their pool this morning. It was about 12.5 m long so l did 80 laps. It was one of those glass bottom pools 6 stories up that stuck out over the street. It took me a while to master the turns as the view was a bit disconcerting and l was hoping the glass was strong. I also half expected a shark to come out - James Bond style. Ankle and knee now feel much better.

C • 80 laps? 5

KIDNAPPED! Yes - still here. I was planning on going back to work on Thursday but it appears that is not going to happen. Instead I am off on a tour of steel factories in Adelaide and then Mount Gambier. What was meant to be a long weekend has turned into a long week. Well, if I am to be kidnapped - then at least it should be in comfort!

I loved the Flinders Ranges - both the orienteering and the scenery, which was fantastic - and am glad I made the trip over. I loved the desert terrain, the dry vegetation and the dry climate. All wonderful.

Funny thing of the day - you know you are in the country when two of you order orange juice for breakfast and they say to you 'I suppose you would like that in separate glasses'.

Flinders Ranges Day 3. Awoke to a brilliant sunny day, although still cold. The event started from the same location as Day 2, so I was determined to master the technique required to orienteer in this area. This time I took a bearing then focused on the distant cliffs, then carefully kept in touch with the map. I spiked just about everything except for one control - which shoud have been really easy. I took a bit of a risk going cross country and ended up on the wrong spur line - followed by a 20 minute 'where am I?' blunder. I should have been more careful. The remainder of the course was fine. The kind ladies who thought I was upset yesterday were very encouraging, with the starter before me writing 'Good Luck' on my map! (Clearly they dont have a ladies sledge over here).

So I finished - not well, but a finish. The highlight of the day was Zootrio beating Invis! So it was Zootrio's day today!

Afterwards, Ian and I drove to Port Augusta and then the Remarkables NP. We did the Alligator Gorge walk, which was fantastic, before spending the night at Port Pirie.

C • Alligator Gorge 6

Flinders Ranges Day 2.

Ian had convinced me to take a scenic flight over the ranges the previous day - and the very unsafe looking single engine Cessna had flown clockwise around the Wilpena area. Ian got a great view of the ranges and I got a great view of the plains (as I was sitting on the outside), plus a great view of the orienteering area which was a mass of small knolls covered in native pines and which all looked the same.

In the event I felt good at the start and got a bit carried away. I soon learnt that speed was not the main thing as by control 3 I had run off the map and had to backtrack. Things just got worse from there as I had terrible trouble on the next few controls - mainly from parallel errors cause by following the wrong spur lines. Then disaster - I should have followed the fence around from 6 to 7 - but opted for the cheeky cross country risk. Soon I had no idea where I was and could not relocate. I found other controls but couldn't work out where these were on the map. I couldn't even work out where home was - so went up a hill and spotted the cars - which were on a hill. Louise would have been proud of my noodles, but I didn't wear a garmin and can't download them. So an MP. Overall, I was was acting my age and I guess general confusion is a normal part of that!

(Note - I have very runny eyes during the event, which I normally get when it is windy and cold. Funnily, some very nice ladies at the end thought I had been crying 'cos I was lost - and came to comfort me.)

Other people seemed to either have a disaster or do well. The Sprite (acting her age) won W55. And even Ian got around - hinting that he took bearings off the mountain ranges and then aimed for these (which I tried, with greater success on Monday).

After the event we walked to see some aboriginal cave paintings and then drove north on the 3-hour round trip through some fantastic gorges, where there was a sequence of interpretive signs explaining the incredible geological history of the area.

This was followed by a very nice sociable event dinner by a blazing fire in a woolshed and with great company. Thanks Jenny for organising this.

Event: Flinders Ranges June Carnival
 

Flinders Ranges Day 1 - night event. It was freezing cold and there was much discussion about what to wear - but I got it just about right as I am an overheater. The course was generally very runnable, even at night, apart from one climb over a steep shaley hill, where I was very cautious due to my ongoing ankle problems. I seemed to be a bit better at navigating in the dark, compared to the day, because I stuck religiously to handrails and didn't take risks - which I am always doing during day events. I was a bit off on my bearings towards the end. Overall, a fantastic event, which I really enjoyed. This was folowed by a very cold night in the campground.

Drove to the Flinders Ranges via a very circuitous route - via Broken Hill - where I have never been before. I thought it would be flat, but it had quite a bit of terrain, somewhat similar to Bendigo, and I commented that there could be some good orienteering there. Invis later informed me that this was the site of the Easter '99 event, which was during the period that I didn't orienteer. So I am looking forward to the next BH event.

C • Easter in BH 1

Morning swim in the Mildura AquaWaves pool while Ian visted local steel vendors. We stayed opposite the pool so I could have no excuses. The pool was lovely and warm. I love holidays!

Forgot to mention - Ian took multi-tasking to a whole new level yesterday. Driving, listening to the radio, conducting his business by phone, talking to me, holding a drink bottle and eating - all at the same time! I was glad to make it here in the one piece.

C • multi-tasking 2

Street-O at Bentleigh followed by a small (turnout, definitely not dinner) presentation evening at the RSL. I was 5 minutes late getting to the event, so missed the start. The course was fairly uneventful - apart from a pile of rubbish, guarded by a dog, at one control. I'm heading off to SA tomorrow, via Mildura.

Walk around Blackburn. It was windy but not cold. Ankle was snug inside a compression bandage.

My trip to Flinders Ranges was organised at the last minute, after considerable negotiation with Ian. We have agreed to drive over (and not via Mt Gambier - I had to convince Ian that this was not the shortest, most direct route to the Flinders Ranges). I still have to negotiate getting back - with the options including flying, looking at factory roofs for a day in Adelaide and detouring via Mt Gambier. I am hoping for a little longer looking around the Flinders Ranges, as I have never been there.

C • Flinders Ranges 5

Orienteering at Eaglemont Flats. It was a semi bush event, which was nice, except that I forgot my SI stick and, more importantly, my ankle braces. I did course A and was running quite well on the nice grassy flats - until the inevitable occured - I twisted my ankle and did a fairly spectacular sumersault down a hill (but no spectators)! It was just a twist and I hobbled a bit and decided to jog it out. But that was the end of running in the rought stuff. It's a little bit tender tonight.

I wouldn't want to take any risks - given I am now heading over to Flinders next weekend, as a last minute entry, and leaving Louise and Kitty alone to contemplate acting their respective ages.

C • Good plan :) 3

C • Not you too. 2

C • by the way... 2

Walk around Blackburn.