Training Log Archive: blairtrewin

First proper long run for a while (after last Sunday's false start) and ended up being a reasonably solid day's work - running a bit later in the morning than usual in the hope of missing the heaviest of the rain. A bit of groin tightness on the left side early on which continued to make its presence felt at times through the run, but that ended up as just a nuisance. Felt as if I was settling into it by the time I hit the St. Helena hills (another thing I won't be doing much of for the foreseeable future). Hit a bit of a bad patch in the middle - when hamstring was also threatening to play up - but came out of it and finished pretty well (always a good sign when your fastest non-downhill kilometres of the run is the third-last). First time for a while that I've finished a run of this length feeling as if I still had something left.

Longest training week for a while.

Also noticed that the strongest wind gust of the day at Viewbank seems to have occurred almost exactly when I was running past the site, which seems about right.

C • M35 3

First stop of a fairly full orienteering day was in Ballarat, where I was test-running a course for this year's Australian Sprint Championships (for which I'm controller). Won't give away too much but it should be interesting. Felt reasonably decent running - took a bit of warming up after 90 minutes in the car (and Ballarat's weather wasn't especially amenable to warming up), but fine once I'd started the course.

Odd advertising juxtaposition department: on an electronic billboard over the freeway, an ad for an online bookmaker was followed immediately by one for the Salvos appeal to end homelessness (some of which is presumably caused by gambling addictions).

C • Is there a control in the Nursey section? 4

Second stop of the day was the Bendigo event at Lyell Forest North. This is another of the areas east of Bendigo which has a reputation of being ultra-fast (I've done 4.6 minutes/km here in the distant past). The talk was that this end was a bit slower, and there was a little bit of coffee bush/fallen timber roughness at the southwest end, but otherwise it was still pretty quick.

Rather scrappy in the middle, notably at 8 where I missed somewhere around 1.00-1.30 after going in one gully too soon. Also small misses at 6 and 9 (although I think 6 may have been a little higher than mapped). Saw 1 from a long way away so I can't really comment on the accuracy of its placement, which was attracting a certain amount of discussion. Seem to be creeping a bit closer to the bunch on running speed than I was a couple of months ago, though; the next two weekends will be more of a test of that. Didn't seem to have any issues running hard twice in the day, and no sign of hamstring issues.

The move's getting closer; I realised on the way out of my place this morning that it might just be the last time I drive that particular piece of road (I don't expect to head in that direction again before I move, and it won't be a logical route choice to anywhere after it).

At Fitzroy where the 1-degree difference in water temperature (26 instead of 27) was enough to be noticed though not enough to deter. Started a bit slowly but moving quite well in the second half. Definitely much more awake through the day than yesterday, and somewhat distracted by the news tricking in from the UK, as well as Maurice Newman's later missive (when an e-mail did the rounds from someone looking for a fact-check on it, the immediate reaction was "are they trying to find a fact somewhere in it?").

Nearest the pin question for 3 bonus points in tonight's quiz: according to a May 2014 report by IBISworld consultants, how many fish and chip shops are there in Australia?

Running while asleep is rarely a good idea. I didn't sleep well last night (which may or may not have had something to do with eating dinner at 10pm), and while the 5.15 alarm didn't cause too much consternation in itself, it was soon apparent on the run that this was going to be a struggle. Perhaps the highlight of the first half was failing to find my new house on the first attempt, being confused somewhat by the fact that there's a Hall Street only a couple of blocks away from Rushall (my initial thought was that vandals had relieved the sign of its initial letters). Felt somewhat better after the first hour, although never what I'd call sparkling, and managed to see out the distance more or less OK. A bit of hamstring soreness at times but didn't get any worse on the run (perhaps because it was pretty flat).

Noticed coming through Albert Park yesterday a sign for the John Coleman Field - and another one underneath it saying that football boots were not permitted. In the incongruity stakes this is well up there with part of the Doug Walters Stand at the SCG being declared a dry area.

C • Stand is gone... 2

Felt a bit sleepy early on and always seemed to be struggling for any hint of pace, but slightly less slow than last time (at least I got under 11 this time). The countdown continues; this will probably be the second-last time I do this circuit.

(Packing boxes arrived today; next task is to fill them).

In a month where current haunts are about to become old haunts, today was about previous old haunts - starting from South Melbourne because of an engagement there tonight, and heading onto familiar ground, southwards along the foreshore as far as the Espy footbridge, then back through Albert Park (although in the park rather than along the lakeshore to stay out of some of the wind). Going reasonably smoothly, hint of a twinge from the hamstring towards the end but not too bad.

I sometimes got to see some interesting sights in St.Kilda on early morning runs in the mid-1990s. It's no longer quite as seedy as it was then, and I noticed that the place which boldly advertised 'DANISH BLUE MOVIES', then became a bit more discreet, now seems to have disappeared altogther. (Coincidentally, it was reported today that the parent company of another occasional run landmark in the sex, drugs and rock n'roll department, the Daily Planet house of ill repute in Elsternwick, has gone into administration).

Looks like I might have done some damage to my wrist in Sunday's fall as well as taking some skin off the hand - it was quite painful holding the handlebars on the (short) ride this morning so I might stay off the bike for a day or two. Doesn't affect writing or typing which is just as well.

Thought I might have to divert to Collingwood when there was a bit of fog on the way in (they sometimes close the outdoor pool at Fitzroy if it is foggy), but it was clear by the time I got there. A somewhat uneven swim but not too bad. Didn't have any dramas with the hand I took skin off yesterday.

Lunchtime on the Tan. Feeling in a pretty positive mood for a variety of reasons (even if work-related stresses haven't totally disappeared) and it fed through into the run. Probably the warmest lunchtime run I'll do for a few months, too (at least in Melbourne). Lots of people out as you'd expect on a day like this.