Training Log Archive: blairtrewin

Headed out on a foggy morning as soon as there was enough light to read the map - the mission being to turn on the last 25 controls, and check 9 that Russell did yesterday but I hadn't got to before today. A somewhat disjointed run as you might expect for such a mission, and I actually made one significant mistake - probably 3-4 minutes climbing out of one on the lower greenish slope - which is unusual for a "check" run. Got into it better in the second half, which probably had something to do with the fact that it was predominantly downhill. Everything was where it was supposed to be and was correctly numbered, which was good.

The event seemed to go very well - I can't remember such a large number of positive comments. On an area like Kangaroo Crossing you don't need to go out of your way to make it physical, and we put a bit of a focus on what I think is the best bit of the map, the greenish gentle slopes in the north-central part of the map below the escarpment (and got across the roughest stuff via long-route choice legs that gave people the option of going around it for the most part). A few courses (notably M45A) were a bit underdone on winning time (which is a contrast with last time we were here).

I was definitely tired by the time the event was done (hadn't slept well overnight, complete with an oddball dream which involved being caught on a sprint course with no way from the third-last to the second-last control). Hard work getting home, and had to stop for a snooze at one point.

C • Weird orienteering dreams 4

Victorian Middle at Little Kangaroo Crossing. This was a bit of an interlude in a day setting things up for tomorrow. It took me a bit of time to get into the map - having spent the morning working with Alex Tarr's granite interpretations, a bit of a mind shift was required (the map was fine, just different). Dropped a bit of time on each of the first three and I think my route on #3 was poor, too, but settled down after that. Running OK but not spectacular. Several late controls were very visible which made things a bit easier. Ended up a couple of minutes behind Jim, which was probably about what this run merited. Quite a nice new area - felt more like Barambogie than the main Kangaroo Crossing.

Middle 3 - Splits

Pool session. Not really in the mood this morning but settled into it, more or less. Not really tapering for this weekend - I'm running tomorrow afternoon but the competition part is reasonably incidental (my main role is controller for the long).

Went out from home at lunchtime (after a morning false start), on a loop out around Darebin Parklands (where the bush kinder was in action) and John Cain Park, where the building seems to have just about finished. Definitely struggling with the back today and had to stretch it out a couple of times, but made it through, which I'll settle for.

Headed up to Beechworth tonight, climbing into rain showers on the way out of Tarrawingee and remembering climbing into snow showers (and then more than showers) on the equivalent weekend 22 years ago.

Ventured out for the first time for a while into the distant corners of Far Kew (whose soon-to-be-former state MP wins today's prize for self-awareness). Never a great run but kept plugging away. In amongst streets I was clearing, found a nice pocket of bush behind Kew High (in addition to the well-trodden ground along the river), although came back more directly than I'd planned after realising that I'd over-committed for a planned 60 minutes.

Advanced to 2008 today, a time when possibilities beckoned (before everyone worked out that Kevin Rudd wasn't anywhere near as good at people-managing as he was at campaigning). He did a fair bit of campaigning this time round (including, by all accounts, quite a bit in Chinese-language communities in places like Chisholm, which seems to have worked judging by the double-digit swings in the likes of Box Hill).

C • I think Aston mapped that -... 1

Took advantage of needing to drop some Ged Kearney signs from Saturday back to her office to extend my boundaries a bit on the north side of Bell Street, in the block between St. Georges and Gilbert. This run generally felt like hard work - starting with a long gradual climb is probably the least favourable scenario for my back - but did start moving better in the second half.

Today's number was a nice even one - the run brought me to the 2000 mark. The most significant thing I can remember (in a national historical sense) from 2000 was the introduction of the GST, so it was appropriate that today's run was about 10% longer than this session usually is. It would have been more appropriate still had I reached this business one street earlier than I actually did (although I guess I hadn't reached the end of the street when I saw the sign so technically I was still on 1996 at that point).

All Nations intervals on a crisp morning. Felt better than recent attempts but relatively slow (possibly because of the aforementioned crispness) - out to 66 early on, although ended up with 64/60 for the last couple.

Warm-up and down. As usual, a grind going out, somewhat better coming back. Traffic was unusually heavy this morning, possibly because of the current closure of the Mernda line (the Bell Street level crossing is no more), probably not because of spillover issues from the CBD, where it was definitely better to be on two wheels than four (it was a very smooth ride in). That, in turn, was because of road closures associated with the fire at Goldfingers. (A large fire at a strip club which had recently gone out of business; strangely, for reasons I can't fathom, the arson squad are taking an interest).

Monday morning Pilates. The regular instructor (also my regular physio) is away for three weeks so we had a stand-in, who seemed happy with how I was going. Not sure I felt quite so happy about my own performances but it was OK enough.

Forgot to mention the most memorable thing I saw on a ballot paper on Saturday - one where the voter had written a big 'Z' and 'NO WEAPONS TO UKRAINE NAZIS' (among other things). You'd expect that someone with such views voted for one of the fringe far-right groups but it was actually the Socialist Alliance.

Onwards to the pool, with chilly low cloud but no fog. Another so-so swim which never really got out of second gear, or perhaps I was just distracted by the thought of Pauline Hanson being knocked off by Legalise Cannabis (although I've had a closer look at the numbers since and suspect she won't be).

Noticed on the ride in to work that the UAP "3%" electronic billboard at the corner of Spencer and La Trobe is still there. Perhaps they want to remind us all of how much of the vote they got.