Training Log Archive: PrueD

Victorian Long Distance Championships. You would think that I would learn from yesterday - but no - raced off at the start with map at 90 degrees. Quote from starter (recounted a number of times from those following me) - "Oh no, where is she going. Don't follow her". So Margie (2 mins behind) passed me at 1. Carolyn (4 mins behind) passed me at 2. It looked bad. However, I managed to regroup and started to run more comfortably, including up the hills. I passed Margie and managed to regain some of the lost time. I really enjoyed the run over the gentle spur gully terrain once I got going.

I know the course was easy - but this is the first time I have broken 10mins/k while bush orienteering.

Victorian Middle Distance Championships. Score - course setter 1 (or more) : Prue nil. It is now confirmed that I am completely stupid.

I ran off at the start, overshot everything and got hopelessly lost on 1 (still in sight of the start area) and then 3 (about 150m further away). Normally there is one control on which I make a major mistake - but today there were at least 3. For the last 5 controlsI got in a pack with Helen Edmonds and a W16. I beat them to every control but they outran me at the end.

Didn't do any training between Tuesday and the weekend. Thursday night I went to a reunion of my university faculty. Of interest was that it was held at University House and I had to walk up Tin Alley to get there - right past the site of my Big Accident when I was at uni.

Returning back to residential college on a large borrowed bike (belonging to one 6ft 5 inch giant) one afternoon, helmetless and carrying a pile of library books under my arm, I came to grief on a speed trap. When I woke up I thought 'isn't it nice here in the sun under the trees' when, suddenly, I was lifted up, put in an ambulance and taken off to Royal Melbourne Hospital. Result - concussion, (and hopefully no lasting damage), 17 stiches and a $7000 ambulance bill for a 500 metre trip.

A swim in the Benalla pool this morning. I still feel a bit sluggish from the trip and am surprised that people can actually go to work this week.

Benalla has someone on the council (and I think I know who it is) who specialises in marketing campaigns. There was that well thought out 'If you can't get to Paris then visit Benalla' campaign last year (which may have still been running during the sprints) where shops were decorated with bright pink shopping bags emblazened accordingly.

The pool has now just finished its 'Get off the couch' campaign - and the old couches, all wrapped up in 'Keep Out' tape, have been removed from the entrance foyer. The campaign doesn't seem to have been very effective as there were only two other patrons there this morning.

I decided to go home to Benalla along the Murray. I haven't been this way for some years and was also curious to see how the water had affected the area. However the trip was a bit longer than I had thought .. and hot..and little 'Bub' doesn't have any aircon.

I was delayed for a while at the ferry at Swan Reach and then should have stopped in Midura but chose to battle on. I was thinking of stopping at Robinvale - but agreed with Ilka's view of the place and decided to continue.

Soon after it got dark and there were only a few cars between there and Swan Hill. All the water had caused mass population growth and a million little bugs were squashed onto the front of my car - completely obscuring the number plate and making it difficult to see. I actually didn't feel too comfortable driving in these conditions - out alone, driving through a long distance of forest (kangaroos), hot and with millions of bugs on the windscreen. I went slowly and got to Swan Hill at 1030. I rarely eat fast food - but Red Rooster was all there was at this hour. I then snuck into a lovely caravan park and stayed the night.

In the morning it was only a 4 hour drive home from there. 850 kms! Maybe not the best way home and don't think I could have done the trip in one evening.

C • Danger 3