A Smaller Mountain but with Colour

Today:
Distance: 28.65 km
Time: 2 hrs 56 mins 54 secs
Rate: 6' 10" per km
Altitude gain & loss: 500 metres
Calories used: 2220
Weather: sunny, temp 5-12 degrees, humidity 75% down to 60%, wind calm,
Week: 28.65 km, May: 301.05 km, Year: 1900.15 km

We started from the Cotter Road at the old Deek's Dr car park not long after a fast group lead by Martin Dent had gone past. Nick & Softshoe ran today but we all have excuses for our current form, either sick & an injury, recovering from an excellent effort last weekend or getting over a head cold.
We headed towards Clo's crossing with a lady running and pushing a pram a little way in front. She was going very well, strong on the up hill, quick on the flat, we couldn't catch her even at under 5 min pace. With no arm movement & the effort of pushing the pram, she is certainly a strong runner. Luckily she turned off just before the base of Dairy Farmer's Hill or we could have been embarrassed.
We had also met the Marty Dent group coming back, no way we could run at their pace. We ran the outside of the cork plantation before going under Glenlock to the base of Black Mtn. Up to the top of the mountain, walked a fair bit of this, no point pushing too hard. A short stop to chat.
Then down the run-up course behind the CSIRO & Botanic Gardens to the LBG bike track. Plenty of activity on a Sunday morning including meeting Andy & waving to Speedygeoff at the Rowing sheds. Nick took the lower tracks back to our start as Softshoe & I walked up the gun barrel to the Arboretum & easy jog over to the eagle's nest on top of Dairy Farmer's Hill.
Plenty of construction work on seating and a viewing platform which will be great to entice visitors to see the city from a distance.
The last of the up hill done, a quicker run back to the start with a short detour for me to add a couple of kms to make the day really worthwhile. Also the last longish run before next Sunday's Gold Rush 42 km in Qld.
Good company today, a nice morning to run in perfect conditions.
Tomorrow, I will tell about a week of running as done by Martin Fryer. Big kms!!