Warm & Hilly

Distance: 35.5 km
Time: 3hrs 34 mins 25 secs
Rate: 6'02" pk
Weather, cloudy to start then sunny, calm, low humidity, temperature range 17- 26 degrees

Weekly total: 124.65 km
Running days 6
Ave: 20.77 km per run

Monthly to date: 209.25 km
Running days 10 / 13
Ave: 20.9 km per run

We were blessed by a cool change overnight which lowered daytime temperature from the 40 degrees experienced yesterday where Canberra had it's 3rd hottest day on record. With the Six Foot track run now just 2 months away, it was time to get really serious and hit the mountain. Mt Ainslie is a good place to start and with doing several loops over the top as well as other undulating tracks, it does not take long to know you are in for a long day. The keys to today's run was not the height of the mountain but the continuous and seemed never ending up and down like a roller coaster. In fact part of the course we call "the roller coaster". Other sections include the powerlines, the long climb past Trent's grave and on Mt Majura the 4 ways and the zig zag. No one gets lost or confused. The run started as usual at Molonglo reach going on the outside of the golf course towards Campbell Park offices. The first 3km ended the flat part. Over to the BBQ area behind the War Memorial and up to the top of Mt Ainslie. The 1st loop wasn't too bad before the heat took it's toll, but the second loop was certainly much slower except the fast down hill off the top of the mountain. Good pace finish along the edge of the lake with the last 5.8km at under 5:00mpk pace. Great day today with good company all the way and very nice to see so many walkers out there as well enjoying the sunshine.