Prologue of the 4x40

Woke extra early this morning. I planned on getting up at 05:00, so I could fit in my long run before the day heated up. The cats had me awoke for most of the night instead. I was definitely awoke from over an hour early. Today was predicted to hit about 38 degrees. Which is fine, when you consider it is simply a warm up for the next four days, all tipped to be cracking the 40 degree mark.

I made my way out to the trails just as the sun was trying to get up. I was happy for the cloud cover which kept things at a comfortable 17-21 degrees, even if the air felt heavy. Today I decided to cover one of my favourite courses. It not one I do too often due to the terrain being extra rough, but the views awarded do make up for it. The course is a mixture of running trails, horse trails and dirt roads over some very steep hills, including areas marked as too steep for anything except a 4WD.

The Early Bird...

... catches the snake. Not a worm. I was surprised to see a snake next to the trail so early in the day. Guess it is that kind of weather. That will make sure I keep my eyes open for the rest of the run.

Well Named

After climbing out of Wattle Glen (which is a glen, that has plenty of wattle trees) I hit horse trail leading into Kangaroo Ground. Half way up the trail is bordered by fencing, separating the farmland on either side. My path was blocked by a large mob of kangaroos. Which is all fine, except the large male decided to hold his ground instead of moving over to let me pass. I am not going to take on a roo. After about 5 minutes of standing still, plus a bit of walking he decided to move aside and I could continue on my way.

It was a pity I didn't have a camera with me. The view towards the hill crest, with kangaroos and joeys silhouetted against the sunrise was a site to behold. I love getting out on these runs. As I reached the top I was greeted with beautiful panoramic views. The wattle was out, the eucalypt smell was nice and strong, the hill was living up to its name... Pretty Hill.

Of course Kangaroo Ground wasn't content to rest on its laurels. Further in, a second roo mob were out to greet me. No delay here. We all continued doing our own things with just a casual passing interest as I went by.

Local Traffic Only

I'm traffic, even if it is on foot. I'll consider myself local since I made my way out here on foot from home. So I think the sign applies to me.

Emergency Access and 4WD Drive Only

That's probably because the road drops down at such a steep angle you can't actually see the bottom from the top. However, the other side is visible. Pity it looks like a vertical wall. I don't think my car would make it. Part of the descent was too steep and slippery to run, I considered the need for some abseiling gear.

A few more hills lead back to final few kilometres over flat land. Overall a very enjoyable long run. Even with the terrain and the slow down caused by kangaroos the average pace was 6:12/km.