Week 21 - No Time to Relax Yet

Running - Year to date

Distance:  1,905.05 kms in 21 weeks at ave  90.7 kms ( down from 90.8 kms in week 20)

Last week:  89.3 kms

Altitude:  44,003 metres in 21 weeks at ave  2,095 metres ( down from 2,134 metres in week 20)

Last week:  1,326 metres

Missed 2 days of running in past week, one due to cold & rain & one due to being too busy.
Not sure it was meant to be this way in retirement but didn't expect there would be so many other things to do.
However, with no short term running plans, getting close to yearly average this week was Ok.
Averaging almost 18 kms per run wasn't too bad.
Winter proper is almost here, running will depend on outdoor conditions from now on. Not my favourite time of year.

Week 20 - Retirement ( from working )

Running:  Year to date

Distance:  1,815.75 kms in 20 weeks at ave  90.8 kms ( week 18 at 96.4 kms)

Last 2 weeks:  79.95 kms

Altitude:  42,677 metres in 20 weeks at ave  2,134 metres ( week 18 at 2,260 metres )

Last 2 weeks:  2,005 metres

Retirement from work started almost 2 weeks ago although I'm technically still on long service leave. Not much of that to use up as I had taken plenty over the past 3-4 years.
First week started with a few days of bad weather, then some house work catching up on plenty that had been neglected over the years.
Saturday, we did a wonderful run/walk up Stockyard Spur onto the Brindabella Range following the reopening of the road over Corin Dam. Beaut day, good weather for the 20 km up and back in 3 hrs 46 mins with 1180 metres of up hill.
Otherwise, a few easy running days. There are no running plans in the foreseeable future so the above averages will continue to slide until one day a routine & an event to focus on emerges.
With winter on the way, it might be easy to stay inside when the weather turns cold & wet.

Week 18 - Neverest

Running:  Year to Date

Distance:  1,734.8 km in 18 weeks at ave  96.4 kms ( down from 97.9 kms in week 17 )

Last week:  70.35 kms

Altitude:  40,672 metres in 18 weeks at ave  2,260 metres  ( up from 2,147 metres in week 17 )

Last week: 4,174 metres !!!

Neverest was held on Mt Ainslie last Saturday, a fund raising event for the people of Nepal devastated by the earthquakes last year.
The plan was to do as many ascents up and down the mountain as you wanted. There were 4 or 5 aiming to do the full distance, 53 laps at 170 metres of vertical to exceed the height of Mt Everest at 8,828 metres.
Originally I looked at getting to 6,000 metres, about 38 laps.
I started just after sunrise, not wanting to run too much in the dark. Steep down hill with many rocks to clear each lap meant plenty of concentration. A lap of down and back up was just over 2 kms with around 155 metres of altitude according to my Garmin.
I can't remember each lap, but the first few were covered in about 22 minutes and this slowly drifted out to around 33 minutes by the finish.
I completed 27 laps, 55 kms, just over half way in 11 hours 37 mins. That meant over 4,000 metres of climbing. I probably lost 80-90 minutes in drinking, eating & talking time.
It wasn't a race, just do what you wanted. Some of the solos stopped short of the full distance, but well in front of me. Wonderful effort by all concerned.
Some teams did it all together, some alternated each lap, some mixed up running laps with bike riding laps to get the full altitude. Very creative.
As I said after last year's Neverest on Stockyard Spur, and applies again this year, this event is one of my favourites, a top 5 of all time in my athletic career.
Being a mature aged competitor mixing it with young university students, and keeping up with them all day, a great feeling.
It was a tough day, up and down the mountain. Loved every minute of the day, great people, great purpose, great conditions.
Biggest altitude gain in an event for me ever, over 4000 metres making it the biggest week ever as well. Plus making April the biggest altitude month ever with 13,157 metres.
Gotta love the vert.