Training Log Archive: blairtrewin

ACT Championships at Antills Creek. A solid effort on a long course, but lacking the sparkle of the leaders - ended up coming 5th, although the only one of those ahead of me who I was disappointed to lose to was Liggo. Plenty of DNFs, although more of the big guns finished than I was expecting, given the middle race tomorrow. Claimed BJ's scalp for the first time in a very long time (7 years?). Julian did 92, Shep 97, Kerrin 103, Liggo 109.

I went in expecting a 100+ time - couldn't see how the course could be flat enough for long enough for my km rate to get into the low 6s or high 5s. Turned out it was a bit thicker than I expected in places too. If anything I was a little too conservative early - full of running in the last 15 minutes (the downhill helped), which is perhaps a sign that I wasn't trying hard enough early on. Didn't miss much - some controls in vague areas were a little tricky to pinpoint exactly, but 26 (where I wasn't too far off line but lacked confidence coming in and probably had 30-40 seconds worth of hesitation in the last 200 metres) was my only real technical time loss. A couple of questionable routes.

Had plenty of altercations with the terrain or the vegetation - final score from four separate incidents was cuts on the head, right side, right arm and left hand, grazed knee, lump on head, bruised knee and broken compass. Only the last of these will cause any lasting damage (to my bank balance). ACT fallen timber is pretty unforgiving.

Antills Creek was an area I last ran on circa 1986, and there were quite a few retro aspects of the day, including having controls on native cherry trees. (The only new map I can recall since the mid-80s with native cherry trees was Burra Creek in 1997). The only thing that was missing was a 1:20000 map. Unfortunately I didn't have the right sound system setup to add to the 80s ambience and play some Human League or Duran Duran (or Wa Wa Nee) over the PA system.

Went home to hear Queanbeyan's most famous son dropping the f-word on international television after having Sebastian Vettel run up his backside in the Japanese GP.

C • Cherry trees 2

C • f-word 4

Event: Oceania Champs Carnival
 

A morning jaunt in Canberra before the race tomorrow, starting out around Aranda and then going across to Weetangera and finishing across Mt Painter. Not a particularly special run - didn't have much energy on the hills (and I'd forgotten how steep the west side of Painter is) - but hip the best it's been in the last couple of weeks with only a minor twinge. Obviously the needlework on Thursday had the desired effect.

Lack of sleep might have contributed to the lack of energy given the long drive up last night (although I didn't have to do it all myself this time). I think Reuben was impressed that Wa Wa Nee featured in my music collection. (I didn't copy everything across from 80s compilation CDs to IPod - those who've travelled with me before will be relieved to know that the likes of 'Aga Doo' and 'Moscow' got left behind).

One effect of the drought I noticed is that Weetangera Oval, scene of one of the two-runs-in-20-overs epics for which my cricketing career was (in)famous, has been abandoned to the weeds.

Also noted the passing of one Geoff Mahoney, a name I used to dread hearing on the radio in my childhood. He was the ABC's Sydney racecaller and hearing the words 'crossing to Geoff Mahoney at' (insert name of NSW racecourse here) meant you weren't going to get any cricket or football for at least the next 5 minutes - and they used to do it even in the final minutes of close Grand Finals. These days horse racing (or such horse racing as is actually happening at present) has its own radio station and the ABC leaves it alone except for the really big races.

Inexplicably slow - maybe it was because various muscles were still seized up after the doctor did some serious needlework on my troublesome hip last night (seems to be hurting less so it must have done me some good). Getting in and out of the pool in a cold rain was invigorating.

Will be away for the next week or so, at Oceania Champs with a conference in Sydney in between (good timing!).

Spotted a car yesterday with the driver blasting his horn and making various obscene gestures at the vehicle in front - the sort of person that made you think 'where are the police when you need them'. That was until the offtending driver turned left into the Victoria Police Centre car park.

This run was somewhat shorter than my usual Thursday session, in the run up to next weekend, and therefore might have been expected to start a bit later - except that I had to be at work early to do the 5AA interview that I mentioned in yesterday's log (this time with my clothes on), so it was another alarm in the early 5s.

The run itself was a nice one, moving smoothly and at a reasonable pace, hip seemed improved on recent days too. Managed to find a pocket of Hawthorn I've never been into before, something of an achievement after 13 years in the city.

After speculating for some time as to whether we'd be sharing speaking honours at the same conference at some stage, Neil and I will be doing exactly that this afternoon. Admittedly it's cheating a bit - I'm organising the workshop and invited him to speak.

C • Sobering conference 1

A fairly routine run as I ease up for the racing that's coming up from the weekend onwards. Pretty similar to most other runs in the last week. Started from near work and did a section along the beach and around Albert Park Lake, always a nice place to run as long as you don't want hills.

A bit of a first for me this morning: taking a media call (from an Adelaide radio station) whilst naked - I was in the shower room at the time. Would have made an even better story if I'd been on-air whilst naked, but in fact they were ringing to rearrange an interview which was already organised.

C • I hope that it wasn't a video phone! 2

Yet another run where I felt sore at the start but function OK once going - a definite improvement on last week. Fastest loop 9.13. This will be the last fast one I do before the Oceania Championships week starts.

Got to see (and smell) what's left of the Presbyterian Church on the way out.

A bit later than usual once I'd sorted out all post-trip matters (including fixing a flat bike tyre) and also a bit faster, not sure why. A useful recovery session from a big day yesterday.

As I was leaving I heard that Northcote pool is planning to bury a time capsule in their new diving pool in a ceremony on Wednesday. Not sure what they're intending to put in the time capsule but I hope that (a) whatever it is is waterproof and (b) someone remembers to document that there is a capsule there and where it is. I've only heard once in recent times of a time capsule actually being opened, and on that occasion it turned out that water had penetrated the capsule and turned most of the contents to rust or mush.

MFR Monday night from Nicola. A struggle in the first 15 minutes but got better as it went on, especially as the pace picked up in the last couple of kilometres. My hip seems to feel better the faster I run - if you're going to have an injury that sort of injury isn't a bad one to have.

We declined the opportunity to watch the tail end of Brownlow red carpet arrivals.