The kids were tired and grumpy, so getting to Uni was not happening as I was already late and would likely miss half of an hour long lecture. So a two hour round trip for that didn't seem worth while.
The forecast was for wind, then lots of late rain. And more rain the couple days after. It also happened to be the end of the month, where I needed a few more kms to make the Strava monthly distance challenge and a the last few metres of up for the La Spo Aus Monte Bianco Vert Month challenge. So a run to clear my head was the obvious answer to... whatever it was the question had been.
As can be seen from the Insta pics, the Lavender Federation Trail can be barren. Even bleak. Certainly exposed. I saw 3 humans all day long. A bunch of sheep. At no point, not even on the 'road' sections, did I set foot on bitumen from car start to car finish.
Unsurprisingly, with a forecast of wind, and little in the way of shelter throughout, it felt like being buffeted all day. Gullies channeled it, ridges allowed it to to whip across. It seemed to be a sidewind at best and a headwind often, no matter which way I was heading. The out leg was slower going as once over the summit of Mt Beevor and down the other side to Range Road, it all became new to me. I had yet to step foot on this section of the trails. However, much like the other sections I have covered, it was loose and rocky/stony. Only the pinch climb up to the Mt Beevor summit is steep, the rest a rolling gradient, but rarely flat. The constant undulations combined with wind and two ultra-distance runs this month didn't make the legs feel any less heavy, for sure. They did mean that I easily maintained my vague intention to double each months climbing challenge on Strava this year, and allowed my to not just tiptoe over the line for the Vert Month challenge noted above.
By the time I was on the way back - from just short of my intended turnaround, due to time - I was somewhat racing the clock; I was gonna be late for school pick up. Ooops! Another father of the year award nomination for me!! Not as bad as Stannis Baratheon though...