Training Log Archive: blairtrewin

I imagine it helps to go into this type of terrain a lot. It was steep almost throughout - the only flat sections on the course were a few sections traversing slopes on tracks. Gully crossings were particularly challenging with many of them having steep banks, although it wasn't until #10 that I encountered a bit of OMG-I-can't-even-stand-up-on-this. Never felt as if I was going that fast; climbing OK in the first half but less so in the second, probably drained a bit by climbing on soft ground. I think I got the route choice on the long leg (8-9) right but others will have executed it much better than I did. Hit most of the controls pretty cleanly, not something I always do on a first foray into central European terrain (though some of the sites were pretty easy), but lost 60-90 seconds on 11, a depression in green which I didn't see.

I knew the locals would be better at this terrain than me and expected the winning time to come down quite a bit from the 59 it was when I left, perhaps into the high 40s or low 50s. And then Matthias Niggli did 39....
(His allegedly-retired wife cleaned up by 9 minutes in the open women against a field of which at least 50% have run at WOC, a week after winning a middle distance by 4.5 minutes in a near-full strength field). I'll be interested to see the splits to see where I was losing most of my time - would not be surprised if the biggest losses were on the downhill legs.

Took a bit of a fall coming out of 6; not too dramatic a slide but must have caught my left little finger. It was painful while walking back from finish to assembly and I was wondering if I might have broken it, although it seems to have settled down now so hopefully just bruised.

The event could probably be described as being of roughly equivalent level to a State League in Australia, and it was interesting to see how things were done (the previous Swiss events I've done have all been major international affairs) - one surprise was not having premarked maps. (I was trying to remember how long it's been since I saw a master map in Australia - three years, maybe?). Registration was by SI card, which meant I caused some confusion because my card wasn't in the system, this being my first event with these organisers. A well-run event, though; about 500 competitors, fairly well spread across age groups.

Not unusually for here, the start and finish were both about 2.5k from the event centre (which, of course, was accessible by public transport). It didn't involve climbing a mountain this time. The event centre was at least convenient - I stayed within a few hundred metres of it last night.

And, while on the subject of public transport, another thumbs-up for it - I got on the bus to the nearest station at Huttwil, asked for a ticket to Huttwil, was asked where my final destination was and was pretty surprised to learn that the system is so well-integrated that the local bus driver could sell me a ticket to Geneva, and didn't baulk when I only had a 100-franc note to pay for it. (Any Swiss visitors to Australia who try to buy a bus ticket with a $100 note will probably learn some of the more colourful parts of Australian English in the process).

C • swiss topo 4

A change of hemisphere, a big change of time zone and not really a big change of season. I got in to where I'm staying tonight, a village in the bucolic surrounds of the Emmental, about 6.30 and headed out more or less as soon as I'd checked in and dropped my bag. In this part of the world you can't go too far wrong following yellow signs and yellow diamonds, and this particular Wanderweg took me on a reasonably solid climb, some of it through forest but mostly through fields (disappointingly, no cowbells) to a ridge with a good view of the surrounds (including the steep-looking forest where tomorrow's event is). Felt like a bit of a struggle as you'd expect after having been on the move for a day and a bit (and at 3am in the home time zone), but nothing that's going to worry me too much after a decent night's sleep, I suspect.

I was last in these parts (though the next valley over) for a couple of World Cup races in 1996, best remembered (by us anyway) for Steve Craig's encounter with a bull. (We then moved on to Leuk for an event which will never be forgotten by anyone who was there).

The trip went reasonably smoothly; slept at least intermittently for about 9 hours of the Melbourne-Dubai leg (having an empty seat next to me helped), the first leg was on time and the second leg not too far beyond it. Made the train I was hoping for, then on gradually shrinking modes of transport on the Geneva-Bern-Langenthal-Huttwil-Durrenroth route (big train to not quite so big train to little train to bus). Didn't have to do an intervals session to make my connection in Dubai this time but was a bit disappointed not to get the chance to replace my finally worn-out radio - that sort of thing is too old and boring for the airport electronics shops these days. (However, if you feel so inclined and have a spare A$660,000, there is a shop at Dubai Airport which will sell you a full set of Grange).

If I understand the directions correctly I'm staying pretty much next door to tomorrow's event centre. Will find out soon enough.

Looking at NSW Champs weekend at Molong. Assuming no other Vics want to make the trip up given there's an NOL the following weekend (though it's a terrific area), and not really wanting to do two big road trips in successive weekends, is there anyone who's interested in sharing transport from Sydney or Canberra?

C • I may be... 10

Session at Ivanhoe. Felt as if I was working a bit of stiffness out of my system (the massage last night helped in that respect, too). They've been dragging on for a long time, but the renovations here now look very close to being finished (talk in the water is the week after next or whenever the Mayor can be found to officially open the place, just in time for my departure from the district).

Departure of a different sort is on the agenda; after remaining in Australia for a full 2 1/2 months I'm off again - once again the principal destination is Geneva, although I''m taking the opportunity to do some Swiss orienteering first. Judging by the vital statistics of the course and the local topographic maps, it will be steep. (The Swiss topographic maps website is a marvel of the modern world - you can zoom in or out to pretty much any scale you want and download PDFs, all for free).

First time for a while that I've done one of my classic Thursday morning long runs, complete with the 5.15 alarm. Turned out it was a reasonably undistinguished effort; I've felt pretty tight this week (perhaps through being overdue for a massage, which happened tonight), and it wasn't until beyond 10k today that I began to feel as if I was moving respectably well. Probably at its best coming back past Willsmere around the 18k mark. Slow, especially considering that this route doesn't have all that many hills (or all that much rough track).

Didn't sleep much last night (it's been a rather turbulent few days at work), and thought I'd struggle today. First outing onto the old fartlek circuit for a while (and one of the last while I'm still here) and it showed - for the first couple of reps I didn't feel as if I was going any faster than when I was jogging. Felt faster after that but wasn't actually going any faster, and outside 11 for both loops. Had an unexpected surprise with a big bang in mid-run; initially it wasn't obvious what it was coming from. (The storm then developed more over Bulleen and Templestowe).

Interesting literal translations department: I was looking up the event information for Sunday's event in Switzerland (will certainly get some training on steep ground: M40 is 5.2km/320m). The section which tells people to park in the designated parking area, and not willy-nilly through the village where the event centre is, translates literally as "Please, no wild parking". (You can find plenty of wild parking in a country not too far to the south, especially from Rome southwards).

A decent morning's effort after the inevitable slow start, up through La Trobe Uni and Springthorpe then looping through Macleod. A bit longer than I'd planned on but not too upset about that at this stage. Also hadn't planned on morning rain but that had more or less cleared up by the time I finished. A little hamstring tightness at times.

The Rosanna level crossing gates were closed when I got there. Not being a participant in Paris-Roubaix, I didn't go around them but instead amended my route to the next crossing.

Didn't feel as if I was moving terribly well, and left shoulder feeling a bit sore at times (perhaps I was working it harder than usual and my left arm was actually doing something useful), but going a bit faster than on some recent swims. Quite a crowded lane by its usual standards today, though no great dramas ensued.

Sort of the return of the MFR Monday nights: the club AGM was tonight, at Kerrin's place in Kensington, and I went out beforehand. Thought there might have been some company but it was limited to Clara, which was enjoyable enough. Headed out initially into the newer bit of Kensington, including the path with all the cattle fences along it (this pocket of Kensington, as I think I've noted before, would make a good sprint map - though sorting out who owns what, and therefore who permission would be needed from, would be tricky). After that headed up on a loop into the south part of Ascot Vale - a surprisingly leafy pocket which I suspect provides some of the northwest's more expensive real estate. Felt a decent run after early stiffness worked itself out.

The AGM went OK, and we didn't even need to count the youngest Baker in order to reach a quorum. (I think the Australian orienteering record for the youngest contributor to a quorum is held by Belinda Lawford, who got the numbers up to the magic 30 at age minus 3.5 months at the Orienteering ACT AGM in 1991).