local bush bash

Just a short one today. AJ's morning routine went completely to pot and the upshot was that I did a very rare walk without the monkey on my back, Sal driving to the cafe and then the park with AJ. Once home there was a bit of a pause as Sal needed to go back to bed, AJ followed and I took the opportunity to mooch around while the weather warmed up. So, a little later than I'd hoped for I headed out for a relatively short run with as much bush-track and as little road as possible. Well, sort of.

I headed straight down the road towards Clive Park, where I take the dogs for a swim at the weekend. I added a small kink to go up a buch track mound where I had been once before, that being the winter when there were fewer trees and a better view. I didn't pause for long before heading to the waters edge where I paused to chat a bi with a couple of dog walkers but mainly to let the soaking wet hound jump all over me and cool me down. A quick water stop and then it was the bush track around the back of the golf course, which was still and stinking hot. Down to Tunks Park and another water stop and then along the track by the creek. The creek is mainly a storm water drain outlet, so I am amazed at the number of fish that seem to thrive in water that must be 50% petrol.

Instead of heading up the north I headed uo the Dawson track to the south side of the creek. The path splats after a small climb - had I seen tat before? I headed the way I knew, telling myself I would have to come back and explore this other path. Then, after about 20ft I thought why not explore now? So I doubled back and took the far tighter, more overgrown track. On a good day I am 5'7" in my shoes, and even I had to duck under a few vines, hop over a couple of downed trees, heading past huge tropical-looking plants (only a couple, I don't want you thinking I'd found Jurassic Willoughby) before th track came to the ruins of Fatty Dawson's house, which I knew were in the area. It is here that a far more diligent blogger would add a link to Fatty Dawson so you could read a bit more...

A little further along I found a memorial bench that had a great view of the Long Bay bridge that I'd run under at Tunks. I stopped and didn't take a picture with the camera that wasn't with me. Will have to go back. Poped out just below part of my morning dog walk route, doubled back home. A nice little run, just under 10km.

Can I log gardening as exercise? If you'd seen the state of my lawns you'd say yes...

I'll almost certainly get in trouble for writing little about the monkey's birthday, but with croup it was pretty much like any other day, only with slightly more lady-bug gum boots and umbrella with an hint of oscar the grouch, no daycare and daddy at home. Well, at home apart from the running thing.

Two weeks down, and I think I've just scraped in a fortnight with a 10miles per day average. Twenty hours of running so far this month.