Week 25 - Back In The Game

Running:  Year To Date

Distance:  2,157.35 kms in 25 weeks at ave  86.3 km ( up from 86.00 kms at week 24)

Last week:  93.55 kms

Altitude:  Garmin - 78,425 metres in 25 weeks at ave  3,137 metres ( up from 3,089 metres at week 24)

Last week: 4,285 metres

Strava:  81,781 metres

Winter solstice, shortest daylight hours in the southern hemisphere happened during the week.
In Hobart, a group of mountain running " nutters" headed out at 6 pm, well and truly dark, sundown is around 4:45 pm, to climb Mt Wellington with headlamps on the front & a red light on the backpack.
It's such a beautiful sight to see this long line ( about 45 of us) on a single track up the mountain. Photos don't do justice & mostly don't turn out very good with small cameras or on phones.
But, what it does do, is give a good mid week boost to both distance & vertical with 18 kms & nearly 1300 metres of up. It was a perfect winter's night for us. Not that cold for once even on the summit, may be just below zero and no wind.

Some before us during the day must have made this little snowman. It was so nice to see some snow as we have not had much settle so far this winter. Not cold enough & very little rain so far.

The rest of the week has been fairly standard except my local Parkrun was cancelled due to track damage. It's on gravel so not unexpected at times. I don't run on hard surfaces so the other couple of close by Parkruns were not going to get my attendance. I opted for an exploration run over other damaged close by trails thus adding to the vert total of the week.

Overall, a good week, using all 7 days with one day a walk/recovery/easy day. 

Week 24 - Just Marking Time

Running: Year to Date

Distance:  2,063.8 kms in 24 weeks at ave  86.00 kms ( down from 86.4 kms at week 23)

Last week:  77.15 kms

Altitude:  Garmin - 74,120 metres in 24 weeks at ave  3,088 metres ( down from 3,104 metres at week 23)

Last week:  2,747 metres

Strava:  77,493 metres ( ave 3,229 metres)

A 7 day run week with 3 walk days. Just a week marking time trying to get a bit done in between some hectic days with family dramas.
Improvements on the family side should result in a better running week. The highlight of this week will be a night run up Mt Wellington on Wednesday to mark the winter solstice.
But, this weekend has resulted in a big dump of snow, so a night trip might be interesting.

Week 23 - Struggle Week

Running:  Year to Date

Distance:  1,986.65 kms in 23 weeks at ave  86.4 kms ( down from 86.8 km at week 22)

Last week: 76.95 kms

Altitude:  Garmin - 71,393 metres in 23 weeks at ave  3,104 metres ( up from 3,100 metres at week 22)
Last week:  3,176 metres

Strava:  74,595 metres

It's been a busy week on the home front, so had a total rest day on Thursday and two walk days of few kms on Monday & Wed.
It put pressure on the weekend to get any running done. Still managed to get to Saturday Parkrun at Risdon Brook dam where I ran 45 seconds faster for the 5km ( 23' 47") then the previous week & then a nice cool down run with a few hills.
Today, a triple over my local hill accounting for 1315 metres of my weekly up hill & 20 kms in distance. Really nice winter day here in Tasmania where there is no sign of the colder conditions expected.
Next week will be busy again, so I'll run whatever I can, whenever I can. With my next big race not until late August, plenty of time to set the base to ramp it up at little later.

Week 22 - Back Home & Return to Normality

Running:  Year to Date

Distance:  1,909.7 kms in 22 weeks at ave  86.8 kms ( down from 86.9 kms at week 21)

Last week:  85.4 kms

Altitude:  68,217 metres in 22 weeks at ave  3,100 metres ( up from 3,093 metres at week 21)

Last week:  3,265 metres

Strava:  71,461 metres ( still well ahead of Garmin figures)

Back home after 9 days in Cairns in North Qld. Certainly a contrast in weather especially the temperatures where I have gone from 25-28 degrees to be now lucky to get a max of 10 degrees.
Ran my first local Parkrun on Saturday, again on a totally different type of 5 km course. This time, gravel surface & undulating, out and back. Cairns Parkrun is flat concrete, double loop with the harbour water views. Ran almost 2 minutes slower back at home even though I felt stronger.
Might have been a few gun local runners away, but somehow managed a 6th across the line placing. So all good.
Ran/walked up a few hills during the week as the weather has been kind with today a nice sunny day. Top temp later in the afternoon, 10 degrees. Winter is here. Some local trail runners have been venturing up into the central highlands of Tasmania to find some snow. I'll wait a few more weeks & go there as well if nothing falls locally before the end of the month.