Training Log Archive: PrueD

Bike ride around Wangaratta. I crossed paths (literally) with the Biathlon team training (without guns). I used to be a member of this club so it was nice to see them again. For those who are comparing this log with others - no, I have never shot anything other than a target. But I wasn't so bad and am an ambidextrous shooter. Biathlon is a skill that should come in handy if I am ever caught in a war in the snow. Similarly useful to the Russian I learnt at school - useful, my father said, if the Russians ever invaded Australia.

Pathetic effort to run. My hamstring on the good side was tight and l felt tired, so walked. l must have spent too much effort painting.

Nice swim in the Benalla pool followed by a good day catching up with friends and doing other things.

I plan to exercise my artistic side tomorrow, doing a painting. I've bought a large canvas and a number of desert coloured paints - and plan to do a 'do-it-yourself' aboriginal painting.

Run around some of the bushier tracks of Reef Hills. It was lovely to be in the bush. I ran (slowly) all the way, including up the hills. Knee felt stiff but didn't hurt and I put it in a compression bandage when I finished as it is the swelling that occurs in the 24 hours after a run that seems to be the problem. I am in Benalla for a 4 day break and hope to get a bit of exercise. The drive up last night took nearly 4 hours, as the traffic was terrible.

C • Anti inflammatories 3

First session of yoga in a long time . My knee feels recovered enough to do the stretches, which was good, and it felt better afterwards. l'm visiting the surgeon next week but l suspect l am now recovering enough on my own (2% a week - and l am now up to about 70%).

State Series at Macedon. l decided to enter 45A as the courses were short, the area flattish and most of my regular competition was in that class. lt was a good decision as the courses were very short and the terrain very flat. The navigation was also easy so, as long as you knew the symbol for windrow and could follow one, you were OK. l didn't feel good but did OK despite that. l would have got a reasonable place but suspect the course will be cancelled due to a misplaced control (which l found after a short search). The event was followed with very nice lunch wth Louise and Jools in Woodend. Must do that again!

Swim in the very crowded Nunawading pool. lt was chaos and mayhem. The slow lane was clgged by walkers and a man in a lifejacket with snorkal.
I've had guests all week, which was great - but l'm a bit weary now.

Walk around Blackburn.

Swim in the Nunawading pool. l got the slow lane all to myself. Just taking it easy in the leadup to the sugeon's visit.
Workwise there has been lots of reshuffling going on since the appoitment of the new Premier. DSE and DPI have joined back together for the 3rd, maybe the 4th time since l have worked in this area. l must be getting old. Still, l suppose someone thought it was a brilliant idea. We now need a new nickname to go with the title DEPI.

Swim in the Nunawading pool. Tonight there's a new mini-series on TV about Mrs Ronald Biggs. My claim to fame is that l went to primary school with the Biggs children (not called that , of course) and remember Mrs Biggs (complete with the beehive hairdo shown in the series) collecting them each day in a large silver Monaro, when no-one else in the area had anything like that. They were discovered during that time, but Ronnie had already escaped to Brazil.

C • next week 3

Walk around Blackburn.

Street O started about 150 m from my house (or 50m using Crusoe measurements) so I thought l had better front up. l didn't even bother to get changed as l planned to amble and knee is still recovering from Easter. I had a nice walk. My torch was very ordinary, so much so that a policewoman l passed, as she was visiting a house, offered me a new one! l was disappointed Blair didn't set one of his usual technical challenges, but that was not possible in this type of night event, and that he hadn't placed a control on my letterbox.

C • had to laugh 2

Swim in the Benalla pool on a beautiful day. Knee feels really swollen, almost as though it has a golf ball in it (which I suppose it almost has). I am hanging out now for my visit to the surgeon in May. I think it will be bike riding and swimming until then - both of which feel OK - with the exception of the state series O, which I can't resist. Bit of shame, but the whole experience has been a lesson in getting things attended to before they get really bad.

C • SS 2

Bike ride around the bike tracks of Shepparton. that is, until l had a tyre blowout. Then a leisurely stroll to the nearest road while l waited for Peter to get the car. l forgot the garmin.

Back home again. I finally read all the advertising material in the show bags (bit late) and saw all the events I would have liked to have visited over the weekend. I noticed my workplace, the fire commissioner, was the prime organiser of the street parade - which was a bit odd, as there are only about 8 people working in this office and that was the first I had heard about it. So I am sorry I missed it. I also missed the OA dinner. We went to the Pratty's Patch Pub in Maiden Gully twice and the food was fantastic!

Easter Day 3 at Crusoe. It was great to see where the Bendigo people train and I look forward to going there again. We spent Sun arvo setting up and trying to charm the ranger (which appeared to work, as he was all smiles on Monday).

My club was organising so the day was fairly long and, as a starter, had to repeat the starting speech about 50 times. The distance to the start triangle varied from 50 to 100m, depending upon who else was helping, before finally settling on 70m. Prior to the start we found the missing maps from course 15 on Saturday, in the box for course 15 on Monday! I was tempted to play an April Fools joke on a selected few starters and give them the wrong map - but even I am not that mean.

I had a fairly good run (could run today), with the exception of no 1 which I muffed completely and lost some time. The rest was clean and fast (for me) as I was determined not to be at the bottom of the W45AS list. I caught up to Anne but then trailed her for a while. I then lost her and couldn't see her in the distance on the fairly open terrain between 7 and 8, so figured I had shaken her and took off, in order to get out of sight as quickly as possible. I felt good running and my spilts were around second or third in my class for a fair bit of the course, so that was good.

Knee felt good and held up well but swelled up fairly soon after stopping. I've written this 2 days later and the swelling is just starting to go down. But all worth it. The whole carnival was extremely well organised and run, and I had a great time, so thanks to all involved.

C • 50-100m? 4