26 km Trail Run

As it may have been picked up from my blog, I am now in Marathon Training mode. I am loosely following a training schedule for a 12 week, up to 55miles per week training plan from Fitzingers book "Advanced Marathoning". I say I am loosely following it as I have a tenancy to get injured when I follow plans to the dot, so I am taking the long runs and doing them, and then doing the in between recovery runs when time permits. This way I only end up running 3 times a week, but still getting some good mileage, and because it is from a plan at least the lengths of the run follow some logical progression.
Another alteration I'm making is that I will do some runs on trails. I know this messes up my pacing and that it is completely different to race day simulation, however it is fun! And that's really what it should all be about. Atleast with trail running the same distance takes longer, but the impact is lower so you end up with less fatigue, but longer on your legs.
Yesterdays 26km trail run was a loop I''ve been wanting to do for a while. It started at the base of Chambers Gully, and headed towards Mt Lofty summit. From the summit I traversed just below the Mt Lofty > Crafers road along the Heysen Trail, and then I followed a few trails to get onto the Mileen Trail, then Old Bullock Trail that run just below the old freeway and take you out to Mt Osmond. From Mt Osmond, there is a trail network that weaves down and led straight back to the car. This run let me pretty much circumnavigate all of Clealand National Park and I got to see some amazing scenery that in 30 years of living in Adelaide, I have never seen.
Best bit is, today, legs have pulled up pretty good which I am happy with, hopefully they'll be up for another big run on Tuesday.