Training Log Archive: PrueD

A big climb up a 4WD track to the start of the MTBO Vic Middle Distance Championships (top of Nail Can Hill). Even most of the guns got off and walked the last bit.

Vic Champs Middle Distance event at Nail Can Hill. It was a beautifull sunny day but very icy in the morning. I might have been able to get away with a lack of bike skills in the sprint event, but the middle distance was another thing. Warnings at the start included the dangers of narrow slippery tracks above cliffs, huge jumps, deeply eroded tracks and dangerous feral neighbours! One was led to believe that one would indeed be lucky to survive this event.

Anyway, off we went. I overshot I. Walked to 2. Had my newly adjusted brakes on all the way to 3. Walked (slid) to 4. Rode most of the way to 5. Forgot 6 - straight to 7 and started to feel good. Was OK in the streets (I am very fond of bike tracks). Then had to go back to 6! Bother.

I had planned to do MTBO because I didn't want to run (hammy problem). However I had not factored in the considerable amount of walking involved getting to start, pushing the bike up steep hills and carrying it down!

Result - still 4th out of 6 but not so close. But all fun. Lesson learnt - do not wear a white cycling top and vest in a MTBO event. They might look very attractive at the start - but not so much at the finish.

Then back to Benalla to receive the numerous visitors stopping over on their way to Melbourne.

Yay, Vic sprint MTBO champs in the Albury parklands. I am not a good bike rider - however even I can do sprint events (especially when they are on bike tracks). I started in the rain and my glasses soon fogged up so that map reading or ground reading became very difficult. The course was short and interesting. We had several controls on the edge of the river cliffs - with really steep downhill descents to get there. My brakes weren't working well and I couldn't guarantee a complete halt at the river's edge (there was a high likelihood of a major dunking) so bike and I walked down these. There is a rule in MTBO that bikes and persons must stay together. However there is no rule about which one is on top. I spent about 50% of the time on the bottom!

I was quite pleased with my result W50 2nd, 3rd and 4th place were within 16 seconds. Helen Edmonds beat me into 3rd by 2 seconds. There were also some lower placings.

In the evening we all went to an Albury pub. There was a big BKV turnout and it was lots of fun. As I mentioned, I am not good on bikes, but the social side of these weekends away is always enjoyable.

C • congratulations 5

I had got home after 10pm on Thursday night and did not have dinner and then hardly any sleep - so consequently felt terrible on Friday morning. My cold had also got quite a bit worse. However, we had a conference in the pouring rain in the Yarra Valley all day and I thought I could manage that. It was pleasant enough - however we went by bus and I intended to travel to Benalla in the evening. After the conference there was general agreement that we would stay a bit longer and imbibe much (including on the bus). Well, that was everyone except me and I think I failed the 'team building' exercise. Consequently I did not leave for Benalla until 6.00 and had drive in pouring rain (with eyes that were barely open). Fortunately I got there safely..

I had a drinks party to attend tonight (end of RC) with pollies, heads of g etc. Not really my scene but I got dressed up nicely and went. I don't know why I have spent my life thinking that it is what you do that counts - when, in fact (or so I am informed), it is what you look like and who you network with that matters.

I am a bit disillusioned with today's politics. I had hoped that Kevin O7 and Barack would save the world. Great expectations but not to be. I should be pleased for the first ever female PM - but my fear is that her tenure will be amongst the shortest.

Sickness wise - I feel a bit better today.

Street-O at Mitchelhill tonight - a very hilly area that crosses Scotchman's Creek and the SE freeway, named after the late Ken. It was a crisp clear night with an (almost) full moon - a lovely night to be out. However the 4th golden rule of street-O was well and truly broken - "All competitors shall return with clean boots" - as the Scotchman's Creek area was very muddy.

I forgot the Garmin - so distance a guess. This is the first walk I have done in a week and the hamstring (and back) felt much better - but I didn't push it. Nose still very blocked up.

It is a very 'Ian' week. This is the area where his family lived and I went past the actual street (Ian Grove - not named after him or visa versa). Ian's family kept some of last horses in this suburban area. I remember riding one horse, that reared 3 times before I got on, alongside Ian who was riding a an ex-champion palomino stallion (gelded at age 8) and which was virtually wild, through the streets of Mt Waverley and along Scotchman's Creek. My most vivid memory is of us both galloping full steam towards Warragul Road, which was full of traffic in both directions. We only managed to turn at the last minute. It was a disaster in the making as these were not really the sort of horses you wanted to be riding in such an urban setting.

Hammy feels much better. However I still have a head cold. So I will convert "injured" to "sick" for today.

Yesterday I forgot to report that we got an email at work telling us not to go running at lunchtime because there was a gunman loose around the MCG precinct. He was just a kid and they caught him today.

I will walk at Street O tomorrow and am looking forward to the MTBO champs at Albury at the weekend. Entries close tonight at midnight and Ian (yes, the very late Ian) just rang and manipulated me into putting his entry in for him. This is not a once-off. I don't know why I always give in - especially as I know that this encourages repeat behaviour.

Not quite so injured today. Went to yoga after work (well, at least before the evening session, as I have few more hours of work to do) for a bit of a stretch out. The anti-hammy-strain plan is working well. I have a history of back issues and I think that this strain comes from there - so a bit less pounding and a good regular stretch out seems to be doing it good.

Other news (if that's what you call it) - I didn't sleep well last night due to fighting cats outside my window. The bloke upstairs got up to tell them off, which worked. Today is the shortest day of the year or close to it. Life always seems so grey and gloomy at this time (and my relatives have a habit of dying around this time), but by next week things will brighten up, spring will soon be here and life will again be good.