Training Log Archive: blairtrewin

Got back out into the bush again, at a mass-start race in a patch of previously-unused bush near Heathcote - some decent pockets of mining, although the gully-spur parts had a high track density. I wasn't alone in looking for some bush practice before Easter. Was quickly reminded that I wasn't in Spain this week by collecting a spider web in the first couple of hundred metres (that's if I hadn't already got the message from the assorted roadkill on the way to the event - saw the first ex-kangaroo before making it past Craigieburn).

The splitting system was sufficiently comprehensive that I didn't see anyone on my course for a long time after the first couple of controls, although I did see people on other courses (seemed to cross paths regularly with Carolyn Jackson). Felt pretty ordinary to start with but gradually settled into it, and navigated pretty well with just a few 10-second stops in control circles. Ended up getting into a scrap with Geoff Lawford for the last 3km or so (not the first time this has happened at an early-season mass start event). The last few controls were technical and I conceded a critical 20 metres by going the wrong side of a knoll on the third-last, although I think he would have done me in the sprint if it had come to that. Thought I was going to get outsprinted by Ted too, but he was a (short) lap down.

Pleased to hear the reports of some good 5k times over the last week (Pat, who won today, was particularly impressive in almost breaking 16). The other news of the day was the creation of an orienteering club at Federation University in Ballarat. We may need to give some thought to their club abbreviation.

C • At least 1

Achilles was very tight when I woke up this morning and only loosened a bit in the course of walking to the newsagent and back; was in two minds about running but gave it a go and it worked out OK. Not a bad run, reintroducing myself to the pleasures of going past Saturday morning cricket matches in progress at Yarra Bend (seeing one somewhat inelegantly-struck four to square leg and one very big wide).

I then moved on to some walking the streets in the name of democracy, with a generally positive response (not too surprising as we were north of Bell Street). One house I visited would probably have received us better had we been promising to abolish the import tax on BMWs; there were five in the driveway and a sixth in the street. (Also knocked on a door to be greeted by the colours of a well-known bikie gang; he was polite enough but I didn't linger).

Sleep patterns update: got woken up not much after 4 by a crying baby, which puzzled me somewhat since, unless they've been keeping it very well-hidden, my neighbours don't have any children. (I'm assuming either they had guests or were looking after a niece/nephew for the night). Did get back to sleep, though.

So much for getting jet lag sorted: I set my alarm for 5.45 to get a run in pre-massage, and ended up waking up at 2.45....

The run itself turned out to be pretty reasonable, up through Thornbury and back along the Merri Creek on a nice morning (dark early now though). Achilles, a minor nusiance for most of the run, worsened in last 10 minutes; ankle felt quite stiff through the rest of the day.

Fairly predictably, not my most productive afternoon at work.

C • Jet lag 6

Slept a pretty normal amount at a pretty normal time (and didn't feel unwell in the same way as yesterday afternoon), but still a pretty lousy run - a battle throughout. Achilles a bit iffy but not disastrously so.

This was the prelude to a slightly misadventurous trip in; first my bike tyres were very low and I didn't want to risk them failing altogether so bailed out at Clifton Hill, then discovered that I'd left my Myki at home (first time in the 8 years the system has been in). At least this means I now have a spare card for visitors.

Spent the day trying to stay awake. I'd originally had thoughts of getting out to tonight's street-O (which might not have ended well), but was feeling out of sorts in the afternoon - presumably ate something which didn't quite agree with me in transit (or perhaps it was just the airline feeding us dinner at 3.30am Sydney time?) - and decided to give it a miss today.

Politics clearly hasn't got any more edifying in my absence. Today's highlight was that news emerged that some Coalition sources were trying to circulate a rumour that Bill Shorten had made a former staffer by the name of Shannon pregnant. The steam rather went out of the rumours when it transpired that Shannon was a bloke. I guess people can be made to believe anything these days, as demonstrated by those who believed that Hillary Clinton was running a paedophile ring out of the basement of a Washington DC pizza shop. (That particular bit of fake news almost turned into something tragic when someone turned up, in possession of their full Second Amendment entitlements, with the apparent intention of liberating the "victims").

(My flight reading: Timothy Garton Ash, 'Free Speech: Ten Principles for a Connected World'. I've made it as far as number 7).

Even by my standards, Oslo-Frankfurt-Geneva-Doha-Sydney-Melbourne is a bit of an epic. Didn't go totally plan but the bits of it not going to plan were at the minor-nuisance level (getting picked out for extra screening at two different airports, and my original Sydney-Melbourne flight getting cancelled). Managed to get a bit of sleep on both of the longer legs, although not as much as I might have hoped.

It may be somewhat unfashionable to be such, but I definitely feel like a citizen of the world when I do this job. We had info from 80-odd countries this year.

Starting on the long haul back: Oslo-Frankfurt-Geneva-Doha-Sydney-Melbourne. Left Oslo a bit early to do something there (the -18 morning might also have been a deterrent, although with no wind it should have been manageable) and thought Geneva was the most promising prospect to do something. The not-quite-going-to-plan part (so far) is that my bag spent a few hours longer in Frankfurt than I did, but turned up in Geneva in time to be loaded onto the next leg.

I'd come prepared for this eventuality (and knew that Geneva Airport has lockers in its station). The conditions weren't quite as brutal as I thought they might have been, except in one spot where the buildings formed a wind tunnel, but you certainly knew that it was a cold day whenever you were running in any direction other than southwest. Started out feeling as bad as the last time I tried to do a run from Geneva Airport, but back settled down and was running OK by the end (but didn't feel like doing a few more minutes out and back at the airport itself).

One advantage of going out in -3, -18 dewpoint and 70 km/h gusts - no sweat. Waiting to head to Doha now.