It's been too long since my last post and even though I've been going non-stop for months now I thought the turn of the calendar was a good place to recommence documenting my triathlon and general life goings on, if not at least to clear the metaphorical spider webs building up on this page!

Not only are we now in a new year, it's a leap year, the very name suggesting it be peppered with actions of a bounding, frolicking and hi-hoing nature of which can be nothing but weightlessly positive. And the indicative first five days of my 2012 I believe it will have all of this and then some!


I'm currently temporarily residing (as I do on a permanent basis…no where in particular) in Falls Creek, a charming hamlet nestled in a silver valley of the Victorian Alps. Originally a ski village only really habituated in the winter months it was discovered in the late 70's by a small shimmy of heavily bearded wandering Pan pipers (I guess*) who also dabbled in the recently booming craze of jogging. They found the seemingly endless trails that traced the edge of the water directing aqueducts impeccably suitable for most types of jogging. At the dizzying altitude that our Great Dividing Range reaches they also realised that the benefits of physical activity in the thinner air improved the oxygen carrying capacity of their blood and therefore improved their ability to hold a F major for almost 3 times as long once back at sea level.

Soon after real runners realised that the shimmy's jogging performance had also improved considerably and the location was soon being used as a training location for some of the countries elite running fraternity. Up until recently it had remained as such until triathletes discovered the location along with the freshly sealed road and crystalline freshwater dam nearby and moved in to promote the village from 'Out of season running camp point of reference' to a 'Summer Fitness and Multisport mecca'

In any case it's an great place to train in Aus and for several weeks for the past 3 years I've enjoyed the alpine scenery accompanying whatever ridiculous pre-season slogfest I'm usually wallowing in at any given point of camp. Whether it's belting out a fartlek along a skint single trail that would see you plummet a good half skyscraper down a precipice at the slightest mislaid foot step or tallying the hairpins on the final stretch riding the climb up from the valley by gnawing them into your bar tape you can't help but be pacified by the beauty of the place…and the dangerously low blood sugar levels.

There are still several weeks of camp remaining and some things I now take for granted may not exist by the conclusion of this year opening adventure (my ability to type a whole blog without slipping out of consciousness unannounced for example; my tolerance for woodwind instruments.) But I am confident I will come out of this years camp a more complete athlete and will be leaping with a momentum that will see me through 2012.