Training Log Archive: blairtrewin

My tradition of a first-Sunday-in-February epic started in the early 90s more or less by accident, after I'd noticed that I'd done my longest run of the year that day in two successive years. After a hiatus for several years (mostly through being injured at inopportune times), I resumed this practice in 2006 and have continued it through this year.

This was a multiple-loop run from the Fairfield boathouse, starting with a loop northwest through Northcote, then joining Bruce, Reuben and Dion up the Yarra on both sides as far as Eaglemont, before a final loop on my own to Darebin Parklands. Never a sparkling run, but the time passed reasonably quickly through the middle of the bunch, especially on the single-track sections (which slowed the pace a little). Had company from 40 minutes to 2.15, and appreciated it (although Bruce pushed the pace a little more around 1.40-2.00 than I was planning on), especially once the company was gone in the later stages. The last 30 minutes, and especially the last 10, was in survival mode; I'd started with thoughts of going to 3.05 or 3.10, but in the end was pleased just to be able to summon the energy for the lap of the playground that took me from 2.59 to 3.00.

A humid morning, if not excessively hot. Bruce seemed a little perturbed when he saw the spreading patch of blood on my singlet (a chafed nipple that occasionally makes its presence felt on humid days, but doesn't cause any real trouble).

Unsurprisingly very tired afterwards; the trip from the car to the shop to get some sports drink was a struggle, and once home it took me 90 minutes to summon the energy to get off the bed and have a shower.

Will be shifting the emphasis to speed and technique more from this week.

Event: Waitangi Summer Carnival
 

Again wasn't feeling brilliant before (or after) the run but fine while it was in progress, which suggests that if there's anything wrong with me it can't be too serious. Hillier than recent weeks (the competition in this department is not particularly tough - the elevation difference between my front door and the letterbox is greater than that which exists within the city limits of either New Orleans or Miami), but handled the hills with some comfort. A little on the humid side.

We've become used to seeing lots of Easter eggs on display very early, but today I saw the unusual sight of someone actually buying them.

A session in the pool at Kardinia Park, a pleasant outdoor pool (although maybe not for much longer - I saw a car parked outside with a 'Roof Kardinia Pool Now' sticker - presumably it's closed in winter at present). Definitely knew I was back in Australia from the gum leaves on the bottom of the pool. The session itself was reasonably mundane. I feel as if I'm trying to shake off a cold (not surprising given everything I've been doing the last three weeks) but whatever it is doesn't seem to be affecting my training (yet). Being woken up by the garbage truck at 4.50 this morning was unhelpful.

I now spend two (or more) consecutive nights at home for the first time since early January - in fact I'm home for a whole two weeks before my next excursion (to Korea).

Another Thursday morning long run in a new setting, Geelong this time - a little later in the morning than I sometimes do them because the conference was starting at 9 rather than 8.30 this morning. (This isn't entirely coincidental - I wrote the conference timetable). Started out around Eastern Park then down to the river along much the same stretches as yesterday morning, then a hilly loop through Queens Park at the far end. Had planned to do another lot of hills on the south side of the river too, but ran out of time. Just to show that Geelong's rust-belt image isn't completely behind it, the Queens Park loop took in an abandoned industrial site (the old cement works).

The run was pretty ordinary for the first 40 minutes with some quad soreness, but then settled quite nicely for the rest of the way. Steady rain which built from a few spots in the first hour to quite heavy by the end, nice conditions in summer.

This was a second successive 500k month, which is a benchmark for summer base training. Given that I've spent more than half of December and January travelling I'm quite pleased to have been able to get as close to normal volumes as I have.

A reasonably solid morning session with Andy (who's also at the conference), from central Geelong down to the Barwon and then along it for some distance. (This is the course of the Geelong half-marathon, which I've run a few times). Felt a little faster than usual for a steady training run, and felt pretty reasonable.

Saw a sports shop in town with a non-Geelong football jumper in the window. Perhaps it's the only one that hasn't yet been sold?

With a little influence from Ben's prodding, threw some faster sections into the afternoon run - two separate laps of the Eastern park circuit (2.4km) at what I thought was street-O pace but was actually a little faster (about 3.50). Felt very ordinary in the warm-up after a long day but pretty reasonable once the harder stuff started, although a stitch made its presence felt at times.

Down in Geelong for the annual conference of the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society - involved with the organising otherwise I probably wouldn't have come.

10x1 min in the park at the eastern end of the Geelong waterfront - quite a nice setting. Quads sore in the warm-up but fine once the reps got going. A pretty solid session on the whole.

Felt better than yesterday after a good night's sleep, with early stiffness easing, but still pretty sluggish most of the way - rather like a normal Monday run.

The stay at home was brief - I'm down to Geelong for the next few days for another conference. Not quite as exotic a destination as New Orleans but should still be pleasant enough, and it looks a pretty good conference.

C • All your runs are at 4:33-4... 2

First swim for a couple of weeks. Not a lot of energy, and quads felt quite weak (although I didn't really notice that until it came time to get out of the pool). Less crowded than I would have expected at Ivanhoe for a public holiday, but perhaps I was a bit too early.