Training Log Archive: blairtrewin

Given my recent propensity for (a) struggling with my back at around the 5-10 minute mark and (b) settling it down after a pause (often through a strategically timed road crossing) at about that stage, I thought I'd try doing a more substantial run before the sprint this week, starting from near the event assembly area on a loop defined by two institutions more familiar to those of a different demographic to mine: the zoo and the Royal Children's Hospital. (As it happens, the last time I set foot in the latter was on this day 12 years ago to see my cousin and his son - born very prematurely while they were over in Melbourne for Cassie's wedding, but all's worked out well in the end - before venturing outside to see what 42 degrees at 11am felt like, and moving on to help out on what proved to be a very busy day in the office....).

(My last visit to the zoo was also memorable for reasons which had little to do with the venue: it was a conference dinner on the night Australia beat Uruguay to qualify for the 2006 World Cup. The penalty shootout took place while we were driving home).

It wasn't even half the 2009 temperature today, and the run was quite reasonable; I don't expect to sparkle on runs these days but this was one where nothing went wrong, and there was no hangover from yesterday's issues.

The warm-up plan worked: I felt significantly better than last week and it showed in the times, being (relatively speaking) about a minute closer than I was last week. Not flowing too badly and I think got most of the key route choices right, although I'd still want to be moving a bit faster. A bit more technical than last week without being super-challenging, and a pocket of Melbourne I haven't previously been to (I would occasionally do Royal Park runs in my Melbourne Uni days, but at that time this was still a psychiatric hospital).

The northeast edge of this map features a very uncrossable uncrossable fence, the boundary of an institution which seems to change its name every time I come this way but is currently the Parkville Youth Justice Precinct. It's not the most uncrossable fence I've seen on an orienteering map, that honour going to the previous map of (some of) the area used for the 1991 JWOC long distance in Berlin (the uncrossable fence in question being the Berlin Wall).