Training Log Archive: blairtrewin

First leg of the Victorian Relays at Woodlands Park. This was a really good hit-out; after several races of slogging around and often struggling to get under 10 minutes/km, it was nice to get onto a fast area (with a bit of rock to keep it interesting) and a good head-to-head race, to get some intensity into my racing. I wasn't sure how I would handle the intensity but as it happened handled it pretty well, and with no hint of soreness for the first time in a few weeks (although strength up hills still wasn't great). Didn't miss a thing.

Map pick-up was a bit messy and I emerged from the graveyard 50 metres off the front end of the bunch. Troy and Kez had a short split early and I found myself battling with Toph and James Robertson, with Tim Hatley trying to hang on (and more or less succeeding for the first half). Toph and James missed 3 slightly giving me a chance to get onto them; they pulled away a bit on the fast and mostly downhill 4 and 5, but I kept in touch (helped by noticing which side of the ruin 5 was on). Toph, who as it happened was coming off an XC race, slowed on the climb between 6 and 7; that left James on his own. I thought there might be potential for a miss there and there was. That gave me a useful 100-metre lead going into the final loop, which then stayed intact more or less to the end. Never saw Troy and Kez but they came in about a minute ahead.

Yarra Valley was never likely to challenge MFR and Bendigo's two teams over three legs, but we hung in there better than I thought we might thanks to Russell Bulman's impressive (for an M55) 43, and ended up a respectable rather than distant fourth. The reason I still run for Yarra Valley in these is mainly in the name of preventing monopolies. MFR won, Bendigo were second and third.

This run will do a lot for my confidence, which was at a pretty low ebb on Monday - it seems at this stage that the massage was indeed a turning point, something to be noted for future reference. I probably won't get many more chances to orienteer between now and the Australian Champs - missing Kooyoora next weekend will be a pity, although a long run on Dartmoor (the present plan) is not the worst of substitutes - so it was good to get this one on the board.

The use of the extra decimal point in the distance is intentional; it makes the difference between me getting under 5s or not.

There is enough rock in the pocket we used that it could make an interesting sprint area; given its proximity to the airport, it would be well suited to an NOL weekend (if it was the March long weekend you could reasonably run it on Friday night with, say, a 6pm start).

C • NOL event 1

C • Photo on OV home page 1

Saturday morning run from my place, initially along the Banyule Flats singletrack (muddy in places, as expected), then out to the Finns Reserve bridge and back through the lower end of Bulleen - a few hills but not as many as there can be here - I'm still a bit tentative about that.

This was a very nice run at times, especially through the middle, although not as fast as I would have liked. Achilles not beyond the annoying-niggle stage, but how would it cope with more serious work? I don't know; the first hint will come with the Victorian Relays tomorrow.

In the name of distance-extending I went a slightly different route to usual and found the, seemingly new, premises of Kerrigan's Accident Repairs. Surprised they don't make more use of the Castle connection in their advertising (I'm sure you can think of some pertinent slogans).

I also saw Craig Langdon as I finished off through the Ivanhoe shops, but didn't stop to tell him that I was disappointed with his actions this week. It is a bit mystifying to hear claims that his demise was orchestrated by the faceless men of the factions; had such been the case one might have thought that the local branch secretary might be the sort of person that said faceless men (or representatives thereof) might want to have a word with. As it was the only people I heard from in the run-up to the preselection ballot were the candidates themselves (not that I was exactly the easiest person to track down in mid-2009).

First pool running session since returning, in colder conditions than I've done this in before; thought it might be uncomfortable doing something which involves my head staying out of the warm water but it wasn't too bad. Took a while to get into it but working pretty hard by the end.

Fitzroy pool is hemmed in by houses which overlook it (which must make for some interesting views at times, in both directions). Someone has taken advantage of this location to put an election poster up on their balcony to be viewed by the assembled multitude at the pool. Like every other candidate poster I've seen since polling day, it featured the smiling face of an unsuccessful contender (this time the Labor candidate for Melbourne).

Something closer to a traditional Thursday long run, though staying on the flat to the extent I could, which meant some not-always-inspiring suburban traverses to the west. Felt good at times but a bit slower than I thought it might have been. Some nuisance-level soreness, generally better than the last couple of days but flared a bit later on, a slightly worrying sign (although it hasn't tightened post-run).

The only election posters I saw were for the Greens, which may indicate they ran a particularly active campaign in Batman, or that they're less efficient at taking their posters down. (I'm pondering how to get rid of some not-easily-recyclable posters myself; if anyone feels like turning Julia Gillard or Jenny Macklin into some event direction signs, let me know).

C • Direction Signs 3

Election update: Hasluck and Boothby look unlikely now, but Brisbane is becoming more of a possibility. Despite what you may hear, Denison is not yet settled either; what we know now is that if Labor and Wilkie are the final pair Wilkie will win, but it's still plausible that Wilkie might be eliminated before getting to the final pair.

That said, the Liberals don't seem to be going out of their way to woo the independents at the moment (complete with blatantly-Liberal-sourced hatchet job on Bob Katter on the front page of today's Herald-Sun), and I've heard it suggested that they may actually prefer to go into opposition and hope that whatever government emerges falls apart. A rather courageous strategy if you ask me.

And we get to go back to the polls an extra time in our part of the world: the local state member who lost pre-selection by one vote (as noted before, I missed the ballot, otherwise he would have lost by two votes) has decided to spit the dummy and resigned, on the last possible day before a by-election wouldn't have to have been called before the general state election. This means a by-election sometime, probably in October (or on Grand Final day if the State Government wants to minimise the media exposure). Still, in 1996 we got to vote three times (federal, council, state) in the space of four weeks.

C • Brave strategy 3

Felt lively on an invigorating morning. Still confining myself to the flatter areas, this time through Banyule and up into Macleod (with the nice long descent through the Rosanna Parklands to finish). Feeling a bit better again than yesterday, although still some way short of 100% still.

There wasn't a lot of surface water where I was (although I avoided the traditional skating-rink bits of the Banyule Flats). It was a different story elsewhere. One of my colleagues remarked that going through the puddles she wished she was a five-year-old with gumboots; I couldn't resist pointing out that the last time Victoria had a month this wet she was almost a five-year-old with gumboots (she's 24). For the record, it's the first time since September 1993 that the statewide average for a month has reached 100mm; it says something about the last 17 years that prior to 1993 the average frequency of such months was almost one per year.

I probably sounded a bit down in yesterday's entry (and certainly would have seemed a bit down to anyone who was there post-run). I did note there that I have good days and bad days, and today was much better. I've come to a theory that calf tightness may be contributing to my Achilles problems (since I haven't been having my regular massages when travelling, and the soreness often surfaces during/after travel - soft ground may be a factor, but it was also happening on last year's road trip). If so this morning's massage may have helped; will have to wait and see whether it had a lasting impact.

Whatever the reason, I felt good enough for a 250 on/250 off session on the Tan at lunchtime - not 100% right but not struggling as I have the last few days. Not particularly stellar as a speed session but that wasn't really the point today. Doubt I could have kept pace with the 3.20 kilometre that Bruce had just done when I saw him.

C • Injuries 1

To/from the Tan. Full marks for stupidity to the person who drove through the red light outside the police headquarters.

A sunny, cold morning at Fitzroy. Gradually got into the swing of it as it went on and finished off quite well, in advance of a day looking closely at temperatures from Merredin and votes from Hasluck and Boothby.

C • Do you know who Boothby is named after? 2

MFR Monday night from Dion's. At the moment I have good days and bad days with the Achilles and this was a bad day. Hopefully I haven't gone back to where I was last November - if I have my season will be more or less over. Did loosen up as the run went on but never comfortable, which was a pity as it was a nice run on a nice night from the ankle upwards.