VU Open Day - Sunday 25th August 2013

Yesterday (Saturday) I started the day with a run around the Tan running track, which circles the Botanical gardens. So many people were out running and walking the track and in the space of my half hour run, I must have seen at least 300 people! In the evening I headed out with my new flat mates, Jess and Jasmine, for dinner and drinks. We went to an Italian restaurant D.O.C where I had a yummy Tiger Prawn pizza with sweet chilli and wine (of course). We then went for dessert at another place (I had a chocolate coated strawberry) before heading to Father's Office for a drink before heading home. It was a really lovely evening, the girls are really friendly and it was nice to get to know them better and I know I will get along well with them throughout the year.

Today Victoria University had an open day and I volunteered to help out for Sport and Exercise Science, showboating the fantastic facilities which ISEAL host. I enjoyed doing this because it meant that I got to have a go and use the equipment. I spent most of the day on a velotron bike racing against Mel in a 1k time trial of a marked out hilled course, where one of us was exercising in normal conditions and the other was exercising in the Environmental Exercise Laboratory (EEL), which was set at 30 degrees and a higher humidity (we kept rotating so I had a go in the EEL). I had a lot of fun, won a few races in both conditions, completed my quickest time in the EEL condition and on one race managed to come from behind and beat Mel on line (I was pretty impressed with that one, don't think Mel was though!). By the end I think I must have done about 17 time trials and safe to say my legs were pretty dead!!!

My Working Week - Friday 23rd August 2013

I have been a busy bee this week at work and been involved in the lab lots which I have really enjoyed.

Monday - I helped out with the bloods for a Graded Exercise Test (GXT). I was measuring glucose and lactate concentrations, using the YSI 2300 Stat Plus Glucose/Lactate Analyser, which is similar equipment to what I have used once in a physiology lab at Bath.

Tuesday - I was up early to be in the lab by 7 to help out with blood sampling for a GXT again, measuring glucose and lactate concentrations. I also went into the biochemistry lab to watch Cian while he was separating and weighing his muscle in preparation for further analysis.

Wednesday - I could enjoy a bit of a lie in (well compared to Tuesday's wake up call) to be in for 9 to put the usual guys through their paces for high intensity wingate training.

Thursday - I had another early start (7.30am) to help out with the muscle biopsy and training of a guy just beginning James' training study. He had to have a total of 3 muscle biopsies done (all in a fasted state), one pre-training (at rest), one post-training following recovery (4 sets of wingates followed by a 15 minute ice bath at 10 degrees) and one 3 hour post-training and recovery. I'm not sure whether it was the fact I had seen a muscle biopsy before, or the guy didn't seem to flinch or find it painful, or that I saw the whole procedure (local anesthetic and cuts where the needles would go into the leg), but this seemed alot better to watch and as though it was less painful compared to the one I saw last week, even to the point of thinking "it can't be that bad, maybe I'll give it a go in a study" (famous last words!!!). I finished early at 2pm and headed straight to Sue's for the afternoon to chill out and have dinner (cooked chicken - yum) before heading to play netball. We were terrible! We got absolutely thrashed and played appalling. I played 2 GD (see my new position), 1 C (I know - what is happening?) and then 1 GA. I'm going to try and keep up the Thursday night netball even though it's a bit of an effort because usually it's an enjoyable game, however I am also going to look for another team to play for that has a night of training along with game time.

Friday - first thing in the morning we had wingate training for 3 of the guys for their final session of the week (3 sessions a week for 6 weeks in which they progress from 4 sets to 6 sets). The guys push pretty hard and are usually sprawled out over the lab after training (what we would say is a good sign because it shows they've worked hard!). Me and Mel decided we would give it a go after they had finished their training, with the aim of beating James' attempt of 2! We managed to do 5 sets (so 30 second maximal sprint against a percentage of our body weight, with a 3 minute 40 second rest and 20 second build up into the next sprint). I was pretty impressed with my attempt, but it was pretty tough and I had shaky legs after, struggling my way down the stairs. I have only ever done wingates once before and this was in a Thursday physiology lab, so in a hungover and half-hearted attempt after a big score on Wednesday night! You probably think that it doesn't sound that hard, but don't judge until you have given it a go and then I'll ask you what you think!!! The week finished like every other Friday, with an ISEAL seminar and drink in the bar!

Lazy Weekend - Sunday 18th August 2013

I didn't really get up to much this weekend and chilled out! I was so tired from the week that I was very much looking forward to a lie in on Saturday morning but typical, I was wide awake at 7.30am! I spent the morning in bed watching stuff on my laptop and it ended up being 11am by the time I actually got up to make cooked breakfast with Han. I went down to the local bike shop in the afternoon because I am thinking of getting a road bike! I've wanted one for a while now and thought if I get one I can ride to work from the new apartment and then can go out for rides at the weekends. They had some nice bikes (specialized make) and I tried a couple out which I like so going to have a think about it and head back in a couple of weekends. In the evening Han went to a party and I cooked steak, mushrooms and sweet potato fries for dinner for me and Sue - it was so good!!!

This morning I had a bit of a longer lie in, 8.30am and got up and got ready to head to Westfields shopping centre to make another attempt at buying some clothes! And it was a successful trip too, buying some new jeans, cardigan and top! Now all that is left to find is some new shoes!!! On the way to moving in to the new apartment I was taking Sue and Hannah for lunch as a thank you treat for putting me up and putting up with me for the past 3 weeks. We went to Groove Train in Richmond where the food was so nice. I had seafood calzone which was so yummy with scallops, calamari, prawns and more in! It was exciting moving into the new apartment for the adventure to come however also sad in a way moving because it meant I was no longer going to be living with Sue and Hannah, but I told them I'll be back every week and I probably won't even tell them when I'm coming just turn up!

My Week - Friday 16th August 2013

So, good news ... I found an apartment on Sunday! I had to make a special trip into the city just to view it which seemed a bit of an effort but it was worth it. The apartment is half way down St Kilda Road and overlooks Albert Park and Port Philip Bay, so Nan if you get on a cruise out here I'll be able to watch you sail in to Melbourne!!! I love the location of it because it is a 10 minute tram to the city and also close to the beach, which will be perfect for summer! It isn't too far to work either, about 45 minutes door to door which is a lot better than the hour and a half which I am currently doing. I'll be sharing the apartment with two other girls, Jess and Jasmine who both seem really lovely and friendly and people that I will get on well with throughout the year and enjoy living with. When I move in (on Sunday) I will take some pictures and put them on here for you to see, but just from the outside you can tell it is pretty nice!

I've been working again all this week and really enjoying it. I have been getting stuck in a lot more and becoming more involved in the labs with training and testing. On Wednesday and Friday I ran some training sessions on my own for James' study, which involved putting a couple of guys through wingate training (30 second maximal sprints at a load), followed by an ice bath. I also watched my first muscle biopsy on Thursday. For those of you that don't know this is an invasive procedure which involves taking some of the muscle fibres from the leg so that they can be analysed to provide information about their metabolic state and adaptions to training. The muscle biopsy I watched was the participant's third biopsy trial of the day (from the same muscle) and it looked pretty painful and gruesome - probably not the best one to watch for my first time! I think it looks worse though than what it necessarily is, because the needle that goes in is pretty big and wide and I just thought of it like sticking a big nail into your leg! Not sure I will be in a hurry to volunteer for one of those!!! This afternoon (being Friday), we had our weekly ISEAL seminar followed by drinks. Today one of the well respected and valued members of ISEAL, Alfonso Jimenez, was leaving so he gave an hour long speech about the development of sport and exercise science research, careers and academia, which was followed by a farewell in the bar, with food and bar tab!!!

This evening Sue invited her friend Sara (aged 23) over for dinner, wine and a girly night, which was really nice. We had a Thai take away and worked our way through 2 bottles of wine and skinnygirl cosmo. It was a really lovely, chilled out evening and I introduced strawpedo to them, which they had never heard before and found it hilarious (for those that don't know ... when you have a straw in a bottled drink like a wkd/smirnoff ice and you fold it over the top of the bottle to allow the air out and then down the drink). Sara then wanted to see it in action and got me and Han do it with a vodka cruiser. Han had a good attempt but there is a lot of room for improvement but she recons she'll get better and beat me soon! I'm sure for now she will be taking that trick to her next party and getting her friends to do it!!!

Han's Formal - Saturday 10th August 2013

Today Han had her formal (which is the equivalent to our year 11 prom) and she looked absolutely gorgeous!!! The afternoon more of less involved getting her ready and then being the designated photographer for her, whilst drinking champagne. She had pictures at home first before going to pres at a friends and Oh My God the house where the pres were held was unbelievable. As soon as we walked through the door mine and Sue's chin hit the floor and we couldn't quite believe our eyes. The size was probably about 3 times the size of an average house!!! After about an hour, we waved Han off on a double decker red bus and headed back home where we drunk more champagne while I cooked Philadelphia pasta bake for us both and then had a night infront of the tele.

Sue and Hannah - My Australian Family

Han Looking Gorgeous For Formal

In the morning I didn't really get up to much, just went for a run around the local park and then went to Westfields shopping centre (England actually copied Australia) to try and buy some more clothes to wear to work, seen as I have very few appropriate for this cold weather. For those that know me well can probably guess that I left with nothing and got bored after an hour - world's worst shopper!!!

First Full Week Working - Friday 9th August 2013

Sorry, being a working girl now I do not have time to update you on a daily basis as to what I'm getting up to, plus you will probably start to get bored, so from now on, unless I am doing something really exciting, I'll be giving you weekly summaries!

So I have worked 9-5 everyday this week and I am enjoying it. It is still quiet at the moment in terms of work load and just getting into the swing of things, but have been up to more this week, watching in on labs and testing and having inductions so that I can actually go into the labs and use the equipment to run tests and training. One of the guys, James, is currently in the middle of testing (2km and 20km time trial and graded maximal test) and training (wingate sprints) for his study, so have been in the labs with him watching and helping out a bit. I have really enjoyed getting into the labs this week and it still amazes me the advancement in equipment they have here compared to what we use in Bath.

Over the week I have gradually been introduced to more people and started to get to know others better. This has happened in the office and labs, where people would introduce me, or others would come over or at lunch (we usually lunch as a big group). Everyone has been very friendly though and have made it easy for me to settle in here at ISEAL.

I haven't really been up to much in the evenings because by the time I've made the hour and a half trek home from work it is dark and cold and I'm pretty tired. So I just chill out, have dinner, watch Big Brother Australia with Sue and Hannah and have an early night (exciting I know!). Tonight I have pretty much done the same, with the addition of some bubbly to celebrate the night before Hannah's formal (equivalent to prom), but who needs an excuse for a drink!

First AFL Game Collingwood vs. Essendon - Sunday 4th August 2013

Following a lovely, long and well needed lie in this morning, I got wrapped up warm to head to the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) to go and see my first footie game Collingwood, aka The Magpies (the team with the rough, rowdy and violent fans that everyone hates) vs. Essendon aka The Bombers (the team that has recently been in the news alot due to their drug cheat scandal).

I met Sophie and Grace about an hour and a half before the game and we went into the stadium to grab some seats. We were up on the highest tier but a couple of rows from the front so we had good seats, which were luckily undercover on this wet, rainy and cold day!

Grace, Sophie and me

I really enjoyed watching the game and managed to pick up quite a few of the rules too! I can't believe how rough the game is, anything more or less goes and I love that fights just constantly break out and the refs just let them fight it out! Maybe if we played footie back home we'd have less violence on the streets!!! Collingwood won and by quite a bit too and as soon as the game finished they had their song blasting out around the stadium which the fans sang like it was the national anthem (it did make me laugh and after being at the game I can see why everyone says you need to be missing a front tooth and have a smashed up face to be a Magpies supporter!).

I'm a bit gutted it is coming to the end of the footie season for this year, but there are some big games coming up for the play-offs and finals which everyone goes mad for, so I will have to try and get tickets to go and see one of them because I bet the atmosphere will be amazing. And come March for the next season, I will have a team to support, which at the moment is likely to be North Melbourne, aka The Kangaroos.

Anyway, I have work tomorrow and am up early, so time for some shut eye. Hope everyone is ok back home, missing you all!

xxx

Sophie Hobson (aka Shirley) Comes To Melbourne - Saturday 3rd August 2013

I had a bit of a chilled out morning today enjoying a lay in and then catching up on some English TV in bed before going for a 45 minute run around the local park. It is so much nicer to go out for a run here compared to back home because the local park has a track/trail marked out specifically for runners and cyclists, with outdoor gym equipment (cross trainer, bike and weight equipment) positioned along the path ..... see I told you they are crazy mad for sport out here! I just think it makes it so much more encouraging to go out and exercise, along with the fact that it is all free (no wonder you only see slim people the majority of the time in Australia).

This afternoon/evening I headed into a very wet and rainy city to first view an apartment and then meet Sophie Hobson, or Shirley as she is more famously known (a netball friend from Bath for those that don't know) and her friend Grace for some food and drinks. We headed to Merrywells burger bar at the Crown on Southbank for a $15 burger and beer, which was pretty good and even the beer was alright and I don't drink beer! We then trekked round to a few different places for drinks (very expensive might I add), including a rooftop bar which had a lovely view of the Melbourne skyline!

Melbourne Skyline from the Rooftop Bar

We were planning on going out out, but we didn't really know where to go, was running out of money due to the prices and I had to get a tram back, so around 11.30pm decided to call it a night. We did however plan a trip to the MCG tomorrow for my first footie game (AFL), exciting!!!

Day 2 At ISEAL - Friday 2nd August 2013

So today was my second day at work, with an earlier start at 9am which meant getting up at 7am (been a while since I've seen that time of day!).

It was fairly quiet today, but I'm just settling in and finding my feet at the moment and using the time to find my way around and get to know people and find out about the research they are conducting.

This afternoon at 3pm I went to a seminar, which is a weekly thing that ISEAL conduct on Fridays and everyone attends (PHD students, researchers, lecturers etc.). In the seminar 2 people from the department give a 20 minute presentation, with 10 minutes of questions, on the research they are in the process of or have previously completed, which I think is a good and interesting way to experience and develop understanding in a wide range of sporting topics or areas. One of this weeks presentations focused more on research methods/techniques of bootstrapping, while the other was on legal/illegal supplement use in sport. Following the seminar, for the last hour of the working day, everyone (who has decided it's the end of the week) heads to the bar for a pint. This gives a good opportunity for everyone to mix and to also ask questions or talk to the 2 people who gave presentations.

I really like the way the working week is finished by doing the presentation and then going to the bar, because it definitely creates a laid back and chilled out Friday afternoon (a common theme for Australia) and it makes you look forward to Friday afternoons.

As for this evening, me and Sue had a chilled night infront of the tele, with our skinnygirl cosmo!

First Day At Work - Thursday 1st August 2013

So today was my first day at work - the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Active Living (ISEAL), Victoria University. I was meeting with my placement supervisor - David Bishop at 11am, so made sure I left early enough to ensure I wasn't late on my first day! I got to Footscray campus with about 35 mins to spare. I know it's good to be early on your first day but god does it make you more apprehensive hanging around, I was pretty nervous as it was. The campus was lovely, it is small, very modern and new, with a friendly sort of atmosphere about it and in a way reminds me a bit of Bath. 

It wasn't long before I met David Bishop and he was very friendly and immediately made me feel very welcome. Firstly he gave me a tour of the new, $68 million building I would be working in and the equipment I would be assisting with/using over the next year. The facilities were just amazing (and that's just the physiology equipment and facilities), with multiple physiology labs, consisting of different testing/training bikes, treadmills and strength testing equipment. They have an environmental room in which the temperature, altitude and humidity can be adjusted, whilst also being big enough to have 10 participants in there at one time and also a heat chamber which has a wider range of adjustment in temperature and humidity. Additionally within their facilities they have an altitude hotel comprising of bedrooms, living area, kitchen (food is brought to them so they don't have to leave) and bathroom so athletes/participants can go and live in there 24/7 to find the effect of altitude on performance variables. A research project may be conducted soon using the altitude hotel which would be brilliant and very interesting to get involved with - not sure if you'd be saying the same if you were stuck inside for a couple of weeks! They also have a biochemistry lab which I may do a bit of work in. David told me the first few days and weeks may seem a bit quiet (settling in period), however will really quickly pick up and become busy with multiple projects going on constantly throughout the year.

So you're probably wondering what I am actually going to be up to while I am here at ISEAL and out in Aus for the year, because yes I am here to work and it's not just a long holiday!!! Well my role is a research assistant, where I will be assisting David, other researchers and PHD students with the research they are conducting. I am going to be getting involved in a range of studies, but most focusing on the effects of training and a variable on performance and the muscles, which is hopefully going to not only improve my lab skills in returning to final year but help improve my physiology knowledge and assist with pursuing a physio masters, I mean I may even change my mind following this year and want to become a sport and exercise physiologist and complete a PHD (who knows!). I am also hoping it might give me an insight into a topic for my final year dissertation (which I am currently clueless on).

The day went fairly quickly and before I knew it I was heading back to the city to do 2 quick viewings of apartments before shooting off to netball. The apartments were both alright but not somewhere that felt homey and just not for me. I had a bit of a mare after viewing the apartments because I was on 10% battery and I needed to ring Sue to find out what the plan was and where I needed to get the train to. It was so lucky I took the time to write her number down on my hand because typical my phone died before I got to make the call. I ended up just jumping on a train anyway to start heading in the direction of home and embarrassingly had to ask someone on the train if I could borrow their phone to make a call! All I can say is thank god I wrote the number down because I would be circling round god knows where right now on a train!

Anyway after the stress and mad rush to make netball on time we had a really good game and the my first win in Aus. I played WA, 2 quarters at GD (my new position I recon) and finished at GA. I actually managed to get 2 clean intercepts at GD (I'd usually be lucky to get 2 tips in a game) and infact played much better there than when I went into GA for the last quarter!

Time to go home, shower, dinner, watch big brother Australia (Sue and Hannah now have me hooked, oh and the fact it involves watching Ed for an hour haha) and crash, I have an even earlier start tomorrow!

Night all xxx