Training Log Archive: PrueD

It is another beautiful sunny day in Benalla and I decided to maximise my time here and not go back to Melbourne until later in the day - therefore missing the Woodlands state series event - the first one I've missed in a long time. Peter and I ran around the lake and, although I haven't run for ages, felt good and enjoyed it.

I'm a bit overfed at the moment - we went to the Thoona pub for dinner last night. Thoona is on the west side of the Warby's and a short distance from Wang and Benalla. The meals are HUGE (and I mean HUGE) and the open fire and ambience very country and very friendly. I would suggest that several other orienteers I know with appetites larger than mine would have their work cut out getting through one main meal. Needless to say they don't sell many desserts there.

I have been given a weekend repreive from hospital attendance and came back to Benalla for the weekend - totally exhausted in all aspects. However I had a decent sleep last night (the first for some time) and awoke to a fine day. After a morning pruning (surprisingly relaxing) I went to the Benalla pool where, unusually, all the lanes were full - although I still got one to myself. My time was slow but the swim was nice. Because I left Benalla in a hurry last time I forgot to take my swimming gear with me so haven't been able to swim in Melbourne.

My cold seems better and I am a bit happier. It was a sunny day and I walked around Blackburn lake. I had something good happen today - about a month ago I bought a new TV on sale from Dick Smith. When I got home I tried to put the bottom on but the screws didn't ft and the bottom kept falling off. Then, silly me, being innovative, tried some bigger screws - but they fell out - then I tried matchsticks in the holes - still no luck - then I got the glue out - still no luck. Enough said. Eventually I took it back. The DS man told me that had I brought it back without the glue all over the back, they would have given me a new one...but not now. They suggested going to Bunnings for bigger screws. However I insisted it go back to the factory to see if they could fix it. He didn't hold my hopes out and suggested it would cost.

Well, once a week I've been ringing and there's been no news. However today, they rang and advised it was back, had an entirely new back fitted, the bottom was attached and there was NO CHARGE! The DS man even carrried it out into the carpark to put in the car. I was quite impressed.

C • 1-0 3

Even more walking around Blackburn. My cold is turning a bit asthmatic and I'm having touble sleeping. It seems to be exacerbated by cold air - of which there is plenty around here. I'm not going to work at the moment - working from home for half a day in order to fit ib hospital visits. No change in current situation.

My training log is very uninspiring at the moment. I went for a walk around Blackburn North this afternoon. No improvement on the other situation.

Street-O at Bennetswood this afternoon. I entered for the running but it was clear, after about 10 metres, that this was not going to happen. Happy to amble along but wished that I could have gone for a bit longer. I also have a cold now.

I went for a walk around Blackburn this evening. It has been a stressful few days and I am getting a sore throat. My mother received food today for the first time in 7 days and came back to life remarkably quickly - sitting up to watch TV intently for 2 hours. Who knows what the next few days have in store.

Street-O at Kerrimuir tonight. It was a lovely cold crisp clear night and slightly windy. I just walked. No further news since Sunday.

Walked around Blackburn Lake in between hospital visits. Despite not eating for a week, Mum now seems a lot better and was talking OK. We're checking the diagnosis with doctors tomorrow as she is quite cheery and clearly doesn't want to go. Seems we're in for a roller coaster ride.

Street-O training run at Blackburn South. It was one of the coldest nights for several years and that meant a beautiful sunny day - perfect for running. I was late but Debbie had kindly left some maps on the back of her car. I would have succeeded in keeping my feet dry had I not followed someone through a very, very muddy park. Another shoe wash is now required.

Mum-wise - the prognosis is not good - she has suffered a stroke and cannot eat or drink anymore. Dad finished up with a tube and it was not good - so for Mum, unfortunately, it is now a waiting game. It has been quite sad and stressful week with my sister and I alternating hospital watch (as well as going to work). I was glad to go for the run.

C • {{{hug}}} 8

Street-O at Ringwood Wilds tonight in the rain and gloom. I just walked.

I had to come back to Melbourne on Monday as Mum has been hospitalised with pneumonia and a range of other infections. She is actually quite sick this time but showed some signs of improvement today. But at least she is happy - hallucinating about being at a dinner party (she could describe the menu), about birds in the room wearing fancy dress (again, a full description) and various other things. So I am working back in town again.

Yesterday I found out at rather short notice that I have to give a talk tomorrow to about 100 senior emergency service personnel. There are 3 speakers - Neil Com* re the flood report, the Fire Commissioner and me (talking about the fire season debrief findings). I dreamt last night that I opened the double doors into the conference room to be greeted by 100 men in police and fire chief uniforms. Unfortunately I was still wearing my pink pyjamas, having forgotten to get dressed.

It was a horrible cold gloomy day yesterday. My only concession towards exercise was taking Peter out on the Benalla Lake map to try and teach him orienteering. The first control was the hidden tank on Jaycee Island (which he couldn't find) and that sooned dampened down any over-confidence that he had at the start.
I am starting to feel a bit more energetic and ran around the lake and environs this morning. It's a bit sunnier today. I ran exactly the same route as Saturday and my time is the same to the 10th of a second - even though I thought I ran faster.

Another dark and gloomy day in Benalla - and I decided that I needed to stop pretending that swimming was training! So I recommenced jogging and went around the Benalla Lake and environs - slowly but steadily. I was wearing my skins - funny little things that stretch out to fit when you put them on and then slowly shrink back into their original shape (i.e. fall down) as you jog along. Although I don't seem to have the same problem with 3/4 tights. Today I will be washing runners as I am 'running' short of them - this includes my rogaining shoes (from 2 week ago) which are still in the driveway, my orienteering shoes from last weekend and my ordinary runners. A visit to the car wash is in order.

I went for a swim at lunchtime. Very nice, very relaxing.

I am starting to make some progress with my mapping project - although I am a bit out of my depth with the some of the terminology in the more advanced mapping units. But I'm not concerned - as even our data manager had a problem with the following sentence:
"Entity and attribute queries are applied when using univariate statistics to explore dataset".

C • neeeerrd 9

It is still freezing cold but at least it's not raining. I walked around the lake at lunchtime. I've just got new glasses - and they are a most terrible fit. How fussy of me to expect something that costs that much and which are supposed to be super technical to be straight and square! Needless to say I am going back to Melbourne next week to complain. Not happy!

It's a horrible wet and cold day here at Benalla. The rain is a steady drizzle and it is quite foggy. The pool, on the other hand, was a nice warm place to be - evidenced by the increased number of patrons today - several of whom I knew. This meant that I felt under pressure and had to swim a bit faster so as not to be disgraced.

Workwise I am starting to get a bit more done and a few more little interesting jobs have come in (the latest is a quick review of the WA fire inquiry report from last summer - to determine any implications for Victoria). Makes for an interesting read.

I also have some clients dropping for a meeting this arvo. We will meet in the boardroom (i.e. the kitchen). I once had a client ring up and ask - "Is that the bedroom or the boardroom? Put me through to the boardroom."

I looked at some of the GPS tracks from yesterday. Seems I was not the only person to come seriously unstuck at 6! Hopefully (please Louise), mine will be up soon.

Oh, and it took me half of last night, baking on an electric blanket, for my core to feel warm again.

C • it's up... 3

Kimbolton North. Arguably my worst effort for some years. I left Benalla late and it took 2 hours to get there. As I approached the area the rain grew more and more steady, the sky darkened and the temperature dropped. I wore tights and gaiters for the first time - but the tights soon became wet and were freezing cold. Nearly the whole map was green after the rain this year and visibility was really poor. After last month's noodle (and after looking at some other GPS tracks) I decided to give the features a miss and straightline it - which worked reasonably well up until 6.

Approaching 6, at the furthest corner of the map, the control was not where I thought it should be. I was getting colder and colder and, after 43 minutes noodling, was nearly ready to lie down and die. No-one else was around and I was convinced I was on the wrong spur - but which way to go? As there was nothing to go off. Then along came Ian (he DOES come in handy some times). Turns out that I was on the right spur but just didn't go far enough along it.

I plodded back, completing the course, but was absolutely frozen and could hardly get changed. 2 hours 23 mins!! That is the third time I have been in that area and been absolutely frozen. There seems to be an event near there in July each year and it is always freezing!

C • well done 4

Today is a big gardening day. However, because it involved the extensive use of mechanical equipment (e.g. an elderly neighbour passing by in his new 'car' [motorscooter] yelled out 'that is one mean machine' in reference to my hedgetrimmers) I will not be logging it.

But I did go for a swim in the Benalla pool - where the inevitable happened - between Thursday and today the price has gone up 20c - to $5.50. And of course I had only taken $5.30. So the inevitable conversation was held - 'No, I can't let you in - it will throw out my books'. 'The price ALWAYS goes up on the first of July.'

The assumption in the conversation was that, being from Benalla, I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN! The fact that I went on Thursday and nothing was said, or that there was no sign up, was irrelevant.

Luckily I had a 20c piece floating around in my bag and I got in. And they wonder why no-one goes! My swim was slow.