Tennent & Honeysuckle

Today:
Purpose:  strength & endurance
Distance:  5 hrs 58 mins 11 secs
Rate:  8' 19" per km
Altitude gain/loss:  1852 metres
Weather:  sunny, temp range  11-28 degrees, humidity 75% down to 25%, wind mostly calm up to NW 10 kmph

Week:  102.3 km,  Dec:  175.1 km
Year: 4303.25 kms in 49 weeks at ave 87.8 km

Part of the training to get through the Brindie 100 km in early February is to do some of the course before hand.
The Brindie run starts at Namadgi Visitor's Centre and goes up Mt Tennent on the Alpine Walking track, down the fire trail to Bushfold Flats, then past Booroomba Rocks to Honeysuckle Tracking Station. We did this section today. The Brindie run the continues on to Orroral Valley, out Smokers Trail and on to the Brindabella mountains.
We will do this next section some time in January next year.
The part I hadn't been along for a long time was between Bushfold & Honeysuckle. This turned out to be most beautiful section of single track I have run for a long time. Very runnable, we walked some of the up hill sections, but then ran other section with ease.
Met up with an instructor from Outward Bound at Booroomba Rocks who had a group out doing rescue training. Then suddenly we heard a load crash as a branch of a gum tree came down. Bit scary.
A few more on the track as we headed to Honeysuckle for a well deserved rest for a drink & eats.
The part down Apollo Road is certainly not my favourite on the hard surface but managed to survive.
Up the fire trail to the top of the mountain a second time was just hard work. Lucky a bit of shade, but it's still steep. Tried to run as much as possible, but it was getting hot. The walking pace was probably better than my feeble running efforts.
Picture perfect on top of the mountain for our last rest before down the walking track to NVC.
A few walkers here heading up, good on them as the temp was rising to near the day high of 30 degrees.
Fairly tired after the finish, but did the right recovery by stopping at Tharwa for 10 minutes in the cool river, very nice indeed.
No nana nap this afternoon, but an early night is about to happen.
Thanks to Softshoe & Bryony for their company. I enjoyed the tough day out today, hope the legs are Ok tomorrow.