Training Log Archive: PrueD

Saturday training event at lower Mullum.The course was well set using bush controls, which pleased me because l caught up to all the fast runners who had faltered. They then followed me to the controls, periodically shouting ' are you sure you are going the right way?' To which l replied 'yes'. However they all took off when we reached the streets, leaving me behind.
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Street O at Bayswater North. It was a well set course and hard to pick the best route. I tried to run but felt pretty heavy. Besides, my pants were falling down. I would like to think l have lost weight. However, with reference to my earlier comment, l think the elastic must have stretched.

C • Keep telling yourself... 2

Walk around Blackburn. I not looking forward to going back to work tomorrow.

Bike ride around Reef Hills on my Aldi bike, which seems to go a bit better after its $15 service (which included new pedals). My other bike is still in Tasmania and hopefully still on the back of Bruce P's car.

Walk aroud Blackburn. I need to start getting into some sort of routine before l go back to work next week.
Why is it that jobs expand to fill the time available during holidays?

Street O at 'mosquito central' (Valley Reserve). It was very very hot and the area very very hilly. Need l say more. I felt like a lump of lead.

Swim in the Benalla pool.

Bike ride around the bike tracks alongside the Murray River at Albury. Thr wetland arras were beautiful.

Swim in the Benalla pool. I've been really tired dince the trip to Tassie, and knee was sore , so have taken it essy this week.

Oceania Long Distance event at Transit Flat, west of St Helens. The day was quite a bit cooler than the previous days, so, despite starting after 11, I had a fairly comfortable run. The road/track route was an option on several legs and I took this successfully between 1 and should have used this option more, as I am slow through the bush. I think I went fairly well until 4-5, where I opted for the cross country route, which was definitely not runnable - finding myself climbing over huge grass mounds, that you could sit on and therefore losing time. 7 to 8 was a long cross country leg and although I selected a good route route - along the spur line - I probably lost a bit of time in the bracken on the side of the spur. My result was midfield, but I was pretty happy as my knee coped with the event well - the first sign that my life is starting to return to normal at last.
After the event, we drove to Hobart in order to fly out early the next morning.
Distance is a guess as the strap on my Garmin broke.

C • "strap on my Garmin broke" 2

Another rest day. Suzanne and l did a short walk at Freycinet and encoutered a sizeable proportion of the 600 + orienteers here. Afterwards we visited several wineries. I bought a couple of really nice sauvignon blancs, but they didn't last long.........they were the only things stolen when Bruce's car was broken into at Beaumaris beach, while we were having a short walk! I spotted the culprit, who was a large man with a pot belly driving a Kevin Moloney style van.

C • that's terrible 3

Decided to not run the Oceania event today as knee was somewhattender. It was a good day to miss as my course was physically very tough and it poured with rain midway through.
I cheered people on at the uphill spectator control and after observing about 100 orienteers decided it was time to lose weight!

Oceania Race 3 at Kelvedon. It was terribly hot and l started at 3 pm. I conceded it was worth going as practice, but there were no sheep stations at stake. My knee is now quite tender and l need to save it for the long distance, so walked the whole way, slowly. I still made a couple of errors. Had the weather been cooler and l fresher, it would have been a nice runable course.

Oceania middle distance at Rajah Rock. I started badly with problems ln 1 and 2 and never really understood the map. The rocky ground and fallen timber caused me considerable knee issues and l just walked. While l was disappointed with my result, it was to be expected as l have only just begun doing multiple runs in a week ando this was very tough terrain.
I had only slept about 2 hours the night before and, when l finished and was sitting listening to the commentary, fell asleep under tree for some time. When l woke up l rushed off, leaving my compass and stick behind. Luckily some of my club members found it.
I am travelling with Bruce and Suzanne. We had pancakes at Elephant Pass before heading to Lagoon Beach (nice place with free camping) near Bicheno. I iced my knee in the sea before floating around in the warm freshwater lagoon.

Social bike ride around Launceston, before heading to Bicheno.

Oceania relays at Benbullen. I ran here at an Easter event several years ago and enjoyed it. Today l ran second to Philippa L-C with Debbie Dodd third. I thought l went relatively well considering the ground was terribly rough and there were many hidden holes. Knee held up well considering. I messed up 2 to 3 purely due to poor route choice - l got stuck in the plantation when l should have gone around the road. Lesson learnt, l then took the road legs wherever possible. Had l been faster in the rough tbe choice may have been otberwise.
There are two categories of people here - 18 to 25 year olds with gorgeous legs and the rest of us complaining about our ailments ..... ' l'd look that good and run fast if only l didn't have a bung knee/ hip/ foot/ archillies etc'.

Oceania sprint champs at University of Tasmania. I was a bit slow getting started and was passed by Carolyn Jackson at control 1. After that l was fine although slowish. It was really great course and well worth coming to Tassie to visit.
I had 2 people ask me where they were. I felt like asking 'are you going to die?' It was annoying given they were almost in sight of the start.

C • "where they were" 3

Ferry O, organised by Bruce P. Bruce maximised the use of the ferry design e.g. some stairwells missed floors and in some cases you had to take a circuitous route to find the control. The turnout was good - about 20 entrants. Team Lawford won. In one obscure part of the ferrying l was accosted by ferry staff who wondered what l was doing there.

C • Ferry O 3