Long run

Did something a bit different for this week's hill's run. Drove up to Mundaring to run with Sas up the Kep track from the Mundaring Sculpture Park out past Chidlow to Ash Rd and return (map). We weren’t intending to do 32, but it was such a beautiful morning, we kept going past Chidlow. When we started it was cool and was still pretty nice by the finish, and the air felt fresh.    There was a reasonable easterly but that also kept the apparent temperature down and it was nice to have a wind at our backs on the return journey. Had a gel after about 1:30 at the Chidlow loos. 




The course is relatively flat but does involve some loooong rises and falls which become more significant as the run progresses and the legs tire ; the total ascent for the run is a little over 300m. The pull from Mt Helena up to Old Sawyers Rd and back over the GE highway is a tough finish. My legs were really starting to fatigue by the end – but in a good way. When you’re used to a 7k downhill finish like most hills run, actually finishing uphill is pretty tough. Sas had a breakthrough run, after a few months of having to guts out feeling crappy on every run, she felt strong and I reckon could have kept going ; I was stuffed by the end. I loved it though, this is the running I most enjoy.


Ended up doing 32.5km @ 4:43 pace HR 148. My HR graph shows a classic case of cardiac creep ; pretty good at the start and an average of 140 to the turnaround (1:17:55) but 155 for the return (1:15:35) - footpod overmeasured considerably, so paces on the graph are overly complementary!