Training Log Archive: blairtrewin

Notwithstanding the lack of new experiences at the moment, I did get into a new area today, in the name of clearing another part of a 2km circle - getting over into Fairy Hills and the pocket of streets on the river/creek side of the Boulevard (home to what I suspect is some pretty expensive real estate). Came back round the far side of Ivanhoe Grammar and through the Ivanhoe shops. All this made for a hillier run than I've been used to of late, and for the first half it was working reasonably well, but progressively tired later on (perhaps a product of the aforementioned hills) and didn't end up using the full allotted hour. Still, an improvement on the equivalents of the last couple of weeks.

Felt a bit of hamstring soreness when I got up this morning, but not an issue on the run.

Trying to do something original becomes increasingly challenging. This time I decided to do the even-numbered controls from one of the 2017 relay courses, which at least sets up a different set of legs (and even a split control I hadn't been to on previous runs this year). In truth, the navigation isn't usually the point of this (although I managed to lose concentration on the east side enough to run one track too far), it's a chance to do route choice problems and get into something resembling terrain, at least a bit. Felt a bit better than the last couple of weeks, and even managed to run up the stairs when that was the optimal route.

About the outer limits of new experience at the moment was going to the supermarket 2km ENE rather than the one 2km WNW.

Yarra Boulevard. Didn't feel especially awake this morning but thought I'd better head out early, in expectation (which was realised) of rain around lunchtime. Didn't feel very awake on the ride either, and definitely struggled on the climbs, especially compared with the equivalent ride last week. Skipped the bit with the magpie though I don't think that route option would have fitted within the allotted hour anyway.

The Canberra media used to take some pleasure in reporting it whenever anyone was charged with public urination in Weedon Close (a Belconnen street which played host to a few late-night drinking establishments). I was thinking about that this afternoon with the news that someone in Sydney had been charged with spitting in Spit Road.

C • and the other spitter 1

Headed out after another early morning meeting (5-6.30 this time) with thoughts of doing something a bit longer than I've typically done midweek, but it was soon apparent that this one was going to be hard work. This was hidden for a while by the predominantly downhill early bit through Yarra Bend park but became quite a struggle once it came to going uphill again on the Clifton Hill side. At times I thought I might have to pull up early but did make it home.

There are a couple of streets on the extreme northeast edge of Clifton Hill that fit within a 2km circle, so have cleared that part of the zone.

Something new today within current constraints, heading out initially east to the Eaglemont Flats bridge, then up through Eaglemont and Heidelberg Heights before returning south. Found the climbing hard work and perhaps not at my best after an early-morning meeting (first of two in successive days), but worked out OK in the end.

Seeing the electronic 40 km/h school zone signs out when there are (virtually) no students was slightly incongruous, although not as incongruous as seeing a lollipop person at a crossing on Monday's ride (perhaps not surprisingly, they looked half-asleep).

And there was a minor miracle of the modern era when a truck was behind me on Oriel Road and waited until I had room to move to the left side of the bike lane before trying to get past.

C • There was a lolly pop guy n... 2

Absolutely borderline today (perhaps something to do with sitting through four different meetings this morning, two of which were useful, one semi-useful and one a complete waste of time). Might not have tried to push through this on another day - or if there was a plan B available - but comforted by the fact that with this session, if I can get through the warm-up I can usually get through the reps. Still kept this to a minimum viable session, and was slowing down on the last one.

Warm-up and down. Really struggling on the way back.

Unsurprisingly Pilates was a stage 4 casualty (I was surprised it lasted this long) so this morning it was just a ride. Felt very sleepy this morning (probably a product of taking a long time to get to sleep last night) and struggled to get going on the ride - only felt properly going in the last 15 minutes. By then I was on flatter ground, having started out on such parts of the Heidelberg climb as are still legal (I can get as far as Southern Road) - spotting in the process a crane in the middle of my old street - before heading out further west (on a day when I'm feeling better than today I might cut back to Ivanhoe and do part of the climb again). Nice morning to be out albeit a little chilly; roads very quiet, which isn't a surprise but still feels strange.

Suspect sleepiness might be a bit of a feature of this week, although this week it's mostly early-morning meetings rather than late-night ones. (Switching on Friday afternoon from IOF Foot Commission (5-7) to IPCC (7-8.30) is going to require a bit of mental gymnastics).