Great weekend in Perth

Most kilometres ever!  My training plan called for back-to-back long runs this weekend - a four-hour Saturday and a three-hour Sunday.  I ran in Perth because we spent the weekend with my parents and sisters' families at the Stewart Park Festival.

Friday night and early Saturday morning I worked with my dad to plan out a route.  I decided I wanted try the Rideau Trail but we weren't totally sure where to find t it.  I set out just after 6am, with only an idea of where to go.  

Through quite a bit of trial and error I found the trail that headed south-east from Scotch Line towards Wildlife Road.  Not much of a trail actually and totally without signage.  It took me right by the dump...which was stinky but kinda cool with a whole flock of turkey vultures.  

My next bit of interest happened at the end of Ferrier rd.  I started off down an atv trail...but soon the trail started getting wet and then wetter and then...I was at the edge of a marsh.  I had to backtrack.

 

 

And that is when I found the actual Rideau Trail.  Super well marked but often barely maintained.  Thorn bushes tore my legs to shreds.  Creeks to cross.  Thin little barely stable bridges over a swamp.  And the mosquitoes and black flies - nutso.  My pace was crazy slow because I kept losing the orange triangles that marked the trail. Overall a fun adventure!  

I took roads home to finish off an excellent 4 hour run.

Sunday was a 3-hour road run with a little sidetrip to the Perth Wildlife Reserve.  

Amazing weekend of running.  And even better, my knees feel okay.