Mid Month Slump

Running:

April: 

Distance: 74.1 kms
Altitude gain:  1034 metres

Year:
Distance:  1073.3 kms in 16 weeks at ave  67.08 km per week
Altitude gain:  20,246 metres in 16 weeks at ave  1265 metres per week

Suffering a mid month slump but as I knew, this was to be expected.
I had predicted a while ago, that post CBR 100 km in March, the events leading up to and including the AnzacUltra, would take away the opportunity to get back to routine running.
Lucky, the mountain bike riding and the recovery/freshening up has worked well.
I am slowly getting back into normal routine and the running is coming back nicely. Even found a slight improvement in pace, but I'm sure that will disappear as the length of the long runs increase.
Basically, the rest time has helped, but the winter cold won't.
As mentioned before, what I actually focus on doing later this year will depend on how the next couple of months go.
All going well, I will head outback for a long run in spring.
If not, I'll look a couple of short ultras like Surf Coast Century or Great Ocean Walk, both in Victoria in Sept/Oct or Hume & Hovell in NSW in Oct. All three are 100 kms, very doable off a good solid base of winter training.

A Week At Stromlo

Running: 

Distance -  1037.5 kms in 15 weeks at ave 69.2 kms p.w.

Altitude gain:  19878 metres in 15 weeks at ave 1325 metres p.w.

Very little running this month ( 39 kms ) due to being very busy at the Anzac Ultra at Stromlo Forest Park since Friday 3rd.
I managed to get some mountain bike riding done as I marked then demarked the course over the 75 km lap. All up bike riding over some easy bike paths & some difficult undulating trails finished with 146 kms.
Given my lack of endurance bike riding, just short commute to and from home to work during the week, I managed to ride comfortably with strong legs.
I think this relates to being a runner that rides rather than a cyclist that runs.
A hectic week at Stromlo while the competitors completed lap after lap of the southern Canberra Centenary Trail, each lap around 75 kms.
Spent many hours driving to unmanned drink stations & checking the course for any moved or lost signs. Lucky, not much to do as nearly all stayed in place.
Not much sleep, but a hugely rewarding week watching some outstanding ultra runners trying to finish 450 kms, 300 kms, 150 kms or 75 kms ( 950 metres of altitude gain on each lap ) in a big variety of weather conditions.
Massive storm on 2nd night put all but 2 competitors off the course for the night, dreadful weather, heavy rain, cold ( 5 deg C) with very strong winds.
A disappointment now for me is that the CBR 100 km I competed in a few weeks ago will not have any results published, so I will not be able to use it as a qualifier for future events this year.
This means I will have to find another ultra race to do with no or soft entry requirements or head outback ago for a solo fun run.
There are plenty of 100 km events on in spring time, so winter might be solid training time.