Training Log Archive: blairtrewin

Sprint at Bruce CIT. This isn't the most complicated of sprint maps and the major challenges usually come from route choice legs involving the large and irregularly shaped building in the middle of the map. All three of the legs in which this was involved today had other options, but there were a few other challenges (and some route choices involving whether or not you tried to crash small bits of bush; I generally didn't). Felt reasonably smooth if a bit slow, or perhaps that was an impression I was getting through not making much of an impression on Darryl Erbacher in the bits he was running (he was walking bits too, but I'll be happy if I'm moving that well in 30 years' time). Found the climb to the finish hard work.

I've been staying at Andy's but his next move involved providing transport to a hammer throwing facility in Turner (I hadn't previously been aware there was a hammer throwing facility in Turner, although I guess I haven't had any previous need to be aware of the location of ACT hammer throwing facilities), so ran back to their place instead. Bit of a plod but felt reasonably comfortable, coming back through various old haunts and across the Golden Gate.

I'd booked a late flight in case we needed to do things at Nimmitabel today, so it was a quite relaxing afternoon. One of those days when I wouldn't have minded getting a "Sorry, we've had to cancel your flight" text from Qantas (and as it turned out, Melbourne air traffic control gave us the opportunity to have a particularly good look at the Australian Alps).

No run as such today but plenty of exercise, checking things across various parts of the Easter Day 1 and Day 2 courses - didn't do any running but still pretty tired by the end. Lots of really nice rock out there, the terrain is rough at times but not relentlessly so, but yellow should definitely be interpreted in a European summer yellow sense (still a couple of months for that to change, of course).

Neglected to mention in yesterday's entry that one of the streets I visited was Dooring Street, a name which suggests it is best avoided by cyclists. (I suspect dooring is not unknown there - it's not an especially wide street and seems to be used a bit for commuter parking). Canberra's got a few slightly unfortunate street names - the Canberra Times used to take some delight in reporting whenever anyone was picked up for public urination in Weedon Close (this happened a bit because there were nightclubs there). The sign for Bogan Place in Kaleen is reputedly Canberra's most frequently stolen.

Morning run from where I was staying on Northbourne Avenue, up through Dickson to Mount Ainslie and then on the track behind Ainslie before heading back. Initially was thinking about doing a lap of the mountain but it was obvious early on today that it was going to be a struggle, and that I would do well to get a respectable length in. It was indeed a struggle most of the way and I was originally thinking in terms of 45-50 minutes, but it was further back than I thought it was and I thought it worth doing a final loop to get it out to an hour. It then ended up being a bit more than that because my assumption that every block of significant size in Canberra has a way to get through it doesn't always hold (the large amount of construction happening along Northbourne Avenue may have something to do with that).

It was one of those days when I didn't mind the occasional pause to look at historical signs, which informed me that there was once an "airport" (of sorts) at Dickson. Another one outside the old Ainslie school said that it was opened by Stanley Bruce in September 1927 and rather dubiously claimed that it was his first official act as Prime Minister - the Bruce government was not renowned for its activism but I would assume that he did something in his first four years in the job. (What's more plausible is that it was his first official act as Prime Minister in Canberra - I'm assuming a royal did the honours for the May 1927 opening of Parliament House). Also noted that the floodway signs in creeks don't seem to have changed in design or wording since the 1970s (I'm assuming these mostly date from the 1971 Woden flood.).

Knew I wasn't in inner-city Melbourne any more on the track out the back of Ainslie when I got passed by a mountain bike peleton of a dozen Year 7s (or thereabouts) heading for Campbell High.

And I had my first taste of the Canberra light rail today.

First part of this was a short run from North Melbourne to support later-in-the-day logistics (I swapped my usual Thursday and Friday sessions for the same reason). Headed up into the east side of Kensington to draw a few lines on the map. Hip was fine, but a rather sleepy and sluggish effort.

Second stage of the session was a swim at North Melbourne, a pool I haven't been to for several years. It's a 25-metre pool but outdoors, and pleasant in the morning sun. Felt quite smooth in the first half, a bit less so later (and thought I'd made it through a post-run swim without getting any foot cramps this time but had one on the last lap).

Headed up to Canberra this evening, initially for work and then to do some checking for Easter on the weekend.

Street-O at Canterbury. Got through it this week - back a bit iffy and walked a few hills, but by no means at the worst end of the Wednesday evening range (and hip was fine). The challenge here is always to find a good way to get the controls in the middle - not sure if my route was the most efficient but didn't see a lot of other good options. Biggest turnout I've seen for a while (the numbers have been quite low so far this season, not having topped 100 yet), and saw a few regulars of the past I haven't seen at an event post-2020.

There was a sign out the front of the tennis club saying "President Richard Nixon". I don't know if he's ever had cause to say to an AGM or committee meeting "if the President does it, that means it's not illegal", but presumably he draws the line at organising the burglary of the offices of rival candidates (if there are any, which there probably aren't).

There are always a few signs of poshness in these parts - it definitely seemed right when I saw a plaque saying that the rotunda in the gardens was erected on behalf of the Empire Association. Tonight's was of the automotive (or perhaps not motive) variety in the form of the tow truck retrieving a Porsche which was kaput (although the issue didn't seem obviously more substantial than a flat tyre). This was followed up by being on the end of some road rage (of the horn-blowing/obscene gesture/words you don't need much imagination to lipread variety) by someone driving a Volvo, no less. The last time I can remember seeing a Volvo used for such purposes was when a couple of local hoons were doing circle work in one in the 2000 O-ringen car park.

C • Numbers 1

Morning run from the office before work heading down towards Port Melbourne, verifying in the process that no-one had hit the Montague Street bridge this morning. Fairly hard going for the first 10 minutes or so but hit a nice flow thereafter, one of the better days I've had in the last couple of months - maybe a light week last week did me some good. Hip now at minor nuisance level and hopefully the issue is on its way out.

I've been taking the train more than usual in the last week (since the original injury appeared while riding I've been cautious about potentially re-triggering it), which means I've been paying more attention to the disruption announcements. "Animal on tracks" seems to have been appearing a lot lately (since today's was at East Richmond I'm assuming it wasn't a roo, or a wombat).

Just entered the Monday event on the Sydney sprint weekend. I am somewhat sceptical that "Organisers will also monitor whether participants have been to a current COVID-19 case locations (sic) in NSW".

C • Track disruption 3

Monday morning Pilates. Running a bit late after a couple of minor mishaps and didn't get quite as much done as I usually do, but the session went OK. Hip no significant issue in the exercises.

Something of a rarity with a post-Pilates run (having not run yesterday, and a workshop ruling out lunchtime as an option) - headed up Merri Creek which was once reasonably familiar ground but a bit less so recently (there's now no new territory which is in range from Westgarth for a run of this length, so I didn't try). Some mild discomfort but definitely improved on anything last week, and flowing quite nicely by the final 10 minutes.