Australian Mountain Running Championships - Mt Majura

Saturday:
Race Distance: 8.8km plus 3.1km warm up and cool down
Race time: 59'10"
Rate: 6'43" per km
weather: Cool part sun/cloud,temp about 12 degrees, light south breeze,humidity 50%
Week:
Distance: 58.95km
Running days: 4/7
Ave: 14.73km per run day
June:
Distance: 97.25km
Running days: 7/16
Ave: 13.9km per run day
Year:
Distance: 1974.1km
Running days: 106/158
Ave: 18.62km per run day

I entered today's Australian championships by default when John Harding rang me on Wednesday night and said I had a chance to get a placing in my age group. I said I had not done much running in the last month since Glasshouse and certainly nothing up and down mountains. So when an email came around with a list of pre entries my name was on the list with only one other in my age group. So I had to run but with no confidence of making one lap of Mt Majura let alone doing two laps. Us oldies don't have to do the third lap the open runners do.
First lap was very careful, settled into the run near last but made it up the very steep climb straight after the start walking a fair way. Managed to run from the 4 ways corner to the top and then back down, in and out of the pines which was fun and finished the lap finally into a decent rhythm. Second lap ran more of the steep section and generally thought the second lap was better than the first.
So, there being only 2 entrants in the age group, I took second place at an Australian championship, received the bottle of wine and came home with an enthusiasm rekindled for the second half of the year.
Just need to do something about the weather to help the inspiration.