Blackwater, Rotation 6 of 10, Day 9 of 11...

Still expecting 10 rotations here - i.e. until end January, but I'm still playing the game by telling everyone there's no need for me to be here beyond Christmas - as long as we all commit to that, which is unlikely!

Anyway, still trying to get a run in whenever I can. Last night was successful with 7.05km in 42:02 at 5:57/km pace. A very even pace with no aches and pains and a good cool down at the end.

I think at best all I'm doing is maintaining whatever fitness I had before I came to Blackwater, rather than actually improving. But I guess I have to be thankful of just that.

I have some doubts over my ability to keep up the exercise over Christmas. But I think I will be kept active by all the jobs I've avoided around the house for the last 3 months.

This weekend we have a good task - putting up the Christmas tree, and a bad task - writing Christmas cards for overseas! I always start with a good intention to write an individual message in each card, but after 2 or 3 cards they're lucky to get a "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year".

Blackwater, Rotation 6 of 10, Day 6 of 11...

I went for a run yesterday out of boredom rather than any positive reason. So I probably wasn't in the right frame of mind to do anything too exceptional.

And that was certainly the result. Whilst I did complete 6.04km in 36:00 at 5:56/km pace, that included about 400m of walking at about the 4.5km mark - something I haven't had to do for a long time.

I'd intended to do 8km at 6:00/km pace, so obviously I started out too quickly as my overall pace was about right despite the walking.

So a pretty disappointing run really. I'll see how my enthusiasm level is before deciding whether to go for a run after work today.

Blackwater, Rotation 6 of 10, Day 4 of 11...

Last night was 11 days since my previous run! My mind is still keen to run, but at the end of a long day on site, my body generally can't be bothered.

But yesterday - I needed to do something to reset the frustration meter! Life here is bad enough without having to deal with arseholes.

Anyway, 7.47km in 43:47 at 5:50/km pace was an excellent way to unwind and remind my body what exercise is. Whilst I was running with my Imaginary Friend, I didn't pay too much attention to where he was. Although he does advise me when we complete each km so that's when I have a drink.

I saw the date for the Sydney Morning Herald Half Marathon was announced for 21st May 2006. This will probably be the next event that I run. So I should really think about setting a target time for that and make sure I commit to a training programme to achieve that goal.

If I publish 1:45 now - is that a commitment? I guess so.

8km Easy, Tropical Rainstorm...

I almost forgot about going for a run yesterday. After Saturday's effort just to get out for a run - my mind must have thought that that was enough for a few days. Then there was the distraction of watching the cricket on TV (England in Pakistan).

But as I looked at my watch at about 5.45pm, thinking "mmm, I'm getting hungry" - I suddenly decided to get the gear on and go out for a run.

I almost turned around and went back, because it was just starting to rain as I stepped out of the door. I looked at the sky and saw that it was likely to develop into a late afternoon tropical rainstorm.

My Imaginary Friend wasn't fussed. He just set off at his metronomic 6:00/km pace, calling out "see you in 8km".

So I pressed on. And the rain increased, and the wind, and then it started to hail - those little tiny hailstones that feel like pins as they hit your skin. It was hard going as the wind and rain / hail was fierce, but I just pulled down my cap and kept to the easy pace - didn't get too stressed and thankfully avoided increasing the speed to try to get it over and done with.

When I turned with my back to the weather, it became much easier - although by that stage I was drenched and couldn't avoid the puddles, so it was like running with an extra 5 kg (probably good training).

After about 4km, I had thoughts of binning it after 6km and had to battle with my mind to keep going. I was pleased to finish the full 8km in 46:35 - that's 5:46/km pace - so a little faster than intended, but it felt comfortable.

So even with just 2 consecutive days of running, I feel like I'm back into the routine. I plan to get out at least 3 evenings this week, just keeping to the easy paced schedule.

Not quite Easy, not quite Long...

An Easy run for me should be at 6:00/km pace and a Long run should be 10 to 20km. At least that's according to my Runners World - Training Pace Calculator.

So 9.76km last night was a bit short to be Long and the pace of 6:10/km was a bit slow to be Easy.

But who cares? At the moment, I'm just happy to be able to get out for the exercise.

I'd actually talked to my Imaginary Friend and agreed to just run for 1 hour at a comfortable pace (we chose 6:10/km). So we did achieve our target, and crossed the line together for a change. I did get away from him for a while and he caught up and passed me too. Then he really played dirty and didn't wait for me when I had to stop to tie my shoelace. But I managed to catch him up again.

I think I've realised the source of my heel soreness. My shoes seem to press in that area. I made a point of stretching my heels out before I set off, and in doing so I felt that soreness as the shoe pressed against my heel. So perhaps a new pair of shoes from Santa...?

Blackwater, Rotation 5 of 10, Day 5 of 11...

Very poor effort. 11 days since my last entry and therefore 12 days since my last run.

But there was a 4 day weekend on the Gold Coast with the girls within that period, which was excellent. We did however confirm that whilst Lian loves to watch The Wiggles on TV, she is too scared to approach the characters 'in real life' (well you know what I mean). It's the same with Santa. Last year she refused to go and sit on Santa's knee in David Jones. Probably a good defence mechanism against weirdos!

Anyway, an excellent weekend. But it did remind me of the fact that I am desperate to get out of here and return to life in Sydney. Notice I'm keeping the ... of 10 rotations in the title, as I'm more than likely to be here until the end of January.

So, back to running. I do intend to get out this evening and tomorrow as well. It's getting very hot up here, so I'll have to leave it as late in the day as possible. I'll still stick to the easy paced runs - just to work on the base fitness. Hopefully if I can maintain some level of fitness then when I return to Sydney, I can get back into a regular routine and set some goals for 2006.

Blackwater, Rotation 4 of 10, Day 8 of 11...

Well there's a chance that it'll only be 7 rotations now. I'm hoping for a finish here by Christmas! But we shall see...

I'm still getting a run in when I can. I missed my intended run on Sunday - still a bit under the weather with the cold.

But I did get out last night. I spent a bit more time warming up and stretching out my heel and ankle areas, and that seemed to pay off. No pain in the left heel at all. Although it is still sore when I push my finger into it.

I explored a few new streets but ended up running into dead ends, which slowed me down a bit while I tried to work out where to go. But still I finished 7.46km in 45:06 at 6:00/km pace.

I was struggling a bit toward the end. I was trying to pick up the pace a bit to make up for the time lost in finding my way. I probably should have kept it steady and run for longer. Now that I know where I'm going around there I can make that a longer, slower run at some time.

Blackwater, Rotation 4 of 10, Day 6 of 11...

Mmmm, a bit of an enforced break from the running these last few days. I'm struggling to shake off a cold so that I'll be fit for next weekend when we're off to the Gold Coast.

So without the running, I realise how boring this place really is! I've avoided the pub, but all that leaves is staying in my room, watching TV or videos that I have on my laptop.

Actually that's not all bad. I'm having a chance to watch Red Dwarf for the first time ever! I remember when it first was on TV in UK (1988) but I rarely saw any TV in those days. I also missed out on Black Adder too!

Anyway, I think I'll have to have a gentle trot this afternoon - otherwise I think I might just go mad! Then I'll settle down to watch the rest of Red Dwarf - Season One.

Blackwater, Rotation 4 of 10, Day 2 of 11...

Back in Blackwater, after a good weekend off with the girls. There was also a list of jobs that needed some attention since I won't be back in Sydney for 1 month (we're going to the Gold Coast for my next weekend off). So I was mowing the lawns and cleaning the pool to hopefully keep those fronts under control for a few weeks.

And back into the running last night too. 7.11km in 41:48 at 5:51/km. I started a bit slow as I was feeling a bit sore and stiff - but once I'd warmed up I felt pretty good. Again I tried to vary the route - but basically it's either clockwise or anti-clockwise with a few minor street variations.

I think I need to be patient and build my base fitness before I get too involved in a more varied programme.

Blackwater, Rotation 3 of 10, Day 11 of 11...

OK, I'm predicting 10 rotations into Blackwater now. That's based on the fact that my parents are coming to stay with us in early February, so I'll have to make sure I'm out of here by the end of January. The Australia Day holiday weekend looks convenient.

I've now got a good idea about what I need to achieve too. And I reckon to make any use of those achievements, they will need to be completed by the end of the next rotation, i.e. 2 weeks time. Then it should be plain sailing through to the end.

In the meantime, another Easy(ish) run last night. I was actually pushed for time since I needed to eat and be out again by 7pm for a colleagues leaving party. So 6.44km in 36:26 at 5:38/km was a bit faster than it should be. My Easy runs should be at 6:00/km! I varied the route by running clockwise this time. Very exciting!!!

I'm heading back to Sydney this afternoon for a bit of quality time with my girls. And no doubt plenty of jobs at home - like cleaning the pool!

A Good Way to Unwind...

A frustrating day at work yesterday. Frequent and lengthy power cuts caused by some attempts and failures to do a switch over or something! So not a lot achieved out of a long list of things to do.

But "bugger it" I thought, I was able to leave work by 6pm (so just a 12 hour day - the 8th in a row!) and got out for a run as soon as I got home. Actually, that should be as soon as I got off the phone from my boss back in Sydney. I was trying hard to ensure that there is a role for me when I finally finish this Blackwater adventure! I think I'm succeeding in this aim.

So 6.35km in 36:58 at 5:48/km pace. I'm starting to get bored of the routes available in and around Blackwater. I'll have to start running in a clockwise direction now!

The problem of being able to see my Imaginary Friend has been solved, but there's still the problem of both of us being able to see where we're going! The roads are a bit rough, there are very few pavements, and the 'nature strip' is fairly cut-up too. So I really have to be careful not to twist an ankle!

But I really enjoyed the run, never-the-less.

I'm happy just to be getting in some Easy runs at the moment. I think this is the best way to build my base fitness. But as the route boredom increases, perhaps I'll need to vary the sessions to add variety.

Wind Sprints...?

Well hardly sprinting, but it was very windy yesterday. A good but tough run.

I managed to avoid the tropical rainstorms. I can just call them tropical since we are just North of the Tropic of Capricorn - in fact I run along the Capricorn Highway! Anyone who checks out the map will see the highway (66) at the South end of the run.

Total distance was 7.05km in 39:00 at an average pace of 5:32/km. So probably a bit too hard for an Easy run but good to keep an even pace never-the-less.

I made a conscious effort to stretch out the left calf / heel afterwards. There is a bit of tenderness there.

I should probably have a rest day today, but there's not much else to do here - even Woolies isn't open on Sunday! And I'm easily diverted during the week, so maybe I should take the opportunity when I can. A real Easy run if anything though (6.00/km pace).

Blackwater, Rotation 3 of 5, Day 5 of 11...

I guess I should probably admit that my titles in this format are a bit pointless, because realistically - there'll be more than 5 rotations! I reckon I'll still be here into next year! Hopefully it'll finish by the end of January as my parents come over from UK in February for a few months!

So another Friday night in Blackwater! Having been for a few beers on Wednesday and Thursday night, I had to work hard on the temptation to go out last night too. A couple of people were having a leaving do too and it was Friday - which would be hard to pass up at the best of times.

But I did give it a miss! I got back home and got out for a run pretty much straight away. I requested my Imaginary Friend to set me a pace of 6:20/km for an hour, and he dutifully obliged.

So 10.07km in 1:02:38 at an average of 6:12/km had me finishing about 200m ahead of my Imaginary Friend. I'm amazed he doesn't get pissed off with me, always trying to beat him like that. We should really run together if that's what we set out to do, right?

I also used the backlight function for the first time (thanks again Louise). It's better than I thought as it lights up at each auto-lap so I could check my pace at each km.

I felt the soreness in the rear of my heel again, but it wears off after a couple of minutes of running. I guess that's either stretching it a bit or the endorphines helping to mask the pain. It doesn't feel too bad at other times so nothing to worry about for now. I'll see how it goes now that I hope to get back into regular training.

I intend to get out for an Easy run this afternoon or evening. Probably won't go out again either. I want to watch Australia v New Zealand in the Rugby League Tri-nations test anyway.

Not much happening at work today - the result of last nights festivities I think!

Dumb...and my Friend's not so Bright either...

So, how long have I had my Imaginary Friend? 10 weeks, I believe. And I've only just figured out how to turn on the backlight! Doh!

Thanks to Louise for that prompt! What's your blog address? I'll see if I can learn anything else.

But I didn't actually get to use that feature last night, since I was diverted to the pub for a few beers! It was potentially a good career move, since one of the guys I was out with is up from our Sydney office, and he filled me in on a lot of background information as to what's going on with the reorganisation.

But I'll definitely be out for a run tonight, with my Imaginary Friend illuminating the way!

Back in Training... in Blackwater...

Finally, all of the obstacles have been removed.

Actually the biggest and final obstacle affecting my ability to get out for a run was not having transport and therefore having to rely on some colleagues to get around and therefore fit around their timetable.

Well, now I have wheels! Nothing flash - just a typical site vehicle - Toyota Hilux 4WD.

So last night, I was able to drive home, quickly get changed and head out for a run. I almost didn't take the opportunity because I was a bit late leaving site. It was dark by the time I got back and there are not too many street lights in Blackwater! I was also conscious of finishing, showering and cooling down in time for dinner which finishes at 8.00pm.

So I didn't set too hard a target - and it was just as well. I reckon there's a little bit of fitness been lost in the last few weeks. The previous run I did was 23 days ago - September 18th! That sounded like a "Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. It has been 23 days since my last run!"

My Imaginary Friend was glad to get out too and see the stars. We had a bit of a chat and decided on 6.00/km pace, and see how far we'd go. I had an idea that 6km would be good.

It was so dark that I couldn't see where my Imaginary Friend was. It was only when I passed under street lights that I could check and adjust my pace. I really have no idea about how fast or slow I run.

So after starting out a bit fast, here were the lap splits:

• 1st km in 5:33
• 2nd km in 5:54 (11:27)
• 3rd km in 6:08 (17:35)
• 4th km in 6:17 (23:52)
• 5th km in 5:56 (29:48)
• 6th km in 6:11 (35:59)

Exactly as intended which is good. And very pleasing to have restarted the running.

I did feel the soreness in my left heel, not on the base but on the rear of the heel. It's been tender for the last few weeks - especially when I press it or when I first put weight on my foot in the morning. I should have given it plenty of rest by now, so perhaps I need to visit the podiatrist.

Hope that doesn't prevent me from carrying on with the training!

I'll have a think about a "hard" session for tonight, although I may just make that a long slow distance.

Blackwater, Rotation 2 of 5, Day 8 of 11...

I finally got a couple of MotionBased screen shots of my Blackwater runs so far.

My enthusiasm for the running is still there, I just need to adjust my schedule to make time.

Should be next week!

No Running, No Blogging...

Life's been a bit disrupted over the last couple of weeks. I've been back and forward to Sydney a few times and I'm due to go back again this weekend - which is excellent!

But it has left me feeling tired and unmotivated to run.

Hopefully that'll change next week. I'll get back into the normal routine of 11 days on and 3 days off. The 11 days on should allow me to get back into my running. I should also be a bit more flexible with my time in the evenings because I will not have to rely on other people to get to the canteen. So I can run as soon as I get back from work - then eat.

We're also planning to utilise the 3 days off better too. Rather than me flying down to Sydney via Brisbane, I should be able to get flights for Shirley and Lian to meet me in Brisbane - then we have the opportunity to see Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast, including Wiggles World at Dream World!

So life's not looking too shabby!

Blackwater, Rotation 2 of 5, Day 3 of 11...

Normally I'd be happily analysing statistics from my runs, but the main focus seems to be watching the days tick off until the next break.

I've just arrived back to site after my first long weekend break back to Sydney. Excellent to see my girls and the rest of the family, but just not enough time.

I also had 2 days in Rockhampton doing some inductions. I didn't make too much effort to explore Rocky but from what I saw on the map and from a couple of drives around (trying to find some decent food) there's not much to it. Oh, apart from being "The Beef Capital of Australia". I wonder if the Big Mac had local ingredients? It tasted the same as anywhere else!

Fortunately, I'm back to Sydney again this weekend, as we have some friends coming back from Singapore for a few days (hello, if you're reading, see you in The Orient on Friday). Just a flying visit: fly out of here Friday lunchtime and leave to travel back Sunday evening.

So no running for a few days. Hopefully once I get settled into a routine here - I can follow some sort of programme again. It's not like there's much else to do!

I've been trying to post some MotionBased screen shots to my previous posts from Blackwater, but no luck so far. I also got some Google Earth shots too, but I forgot to transfer them to my office computer! I was trying to record where I'm based. I'll try that later too.

Blackwater, Rotation 1 of 5, Day 7 of 11...

Another good run yesterday evening. 10.60km in 1:00:04 at 5:39/km pace.



I've figured out that the current map of Blackwater is wrong. I've tried to run along one road from both directions - and the middle section just doesn't exist! I ended up running through the bush to find another sealed road - and that got a bit scary at times!!

But excellent running conditions again. I'd set my Imaginary Friend off for an easy paced 1 hour at 6:00/km pace - and had no problem with that. In fact the last few kms were knocked off much quicker - and I felt like I could have carried on much further.

I'm not sure if I'll get into some running during the week. I'm up at 5.30am already, so not much chance of getting up any earlier - and we usually head for dinner straight after work, so no opportunity then either.

Blackwater, Rotation 1 of 5, Day 6 of 11...

Here I am, early on a Sunday morning, in the site office. 6.00am till 2.30pm today. Then I'll head back to camp, do some laundry (back to Dulwich Hill days...?) and watch the footy on TV.

So after a few days here, I've realised that the situation is bearable - all-be-it in the absence of my girls, although I can speak to them every day on the phone. Yesterday I was entertained by Lian singing and playing The Grand Old Duke of York on her new karaoke piano!

I also managed to get out for a run yesterday evening. The conditions were excellent! Not too hot, the sun was setting, and the roads are DEAD-FLAT! The details were 6.63km in 40:05 at 6:01/km pace. So nice and slow.


I intend to do a longer run this afternoon - after the footy on TV is finished there ain't much else to do!