Tales of Trails, Mountains and Rocky Roads

The Dam Good Run wasn't in my race plans for this year, but when my training schedule called for a 25k run at "best pace", the timing of it fitted perfectly and  so I found myself registering. There were a few distances on offer ranging from 2 miles up to 40km, but I was trying to stick to my schedule as closely as possible and so opted for the 26k. The race took us back to Lake Pleasant - the start venue of the Crown King Scramble - but this time, we would be running across the New Waddall Dam before joining the trails that meandered up and around the nearby hills, with amazing views of both the lake and the surrounding areas. Shores of Lake Pleasant and Start of the Dam Good Run  Although I was treating things as a training run, it wasn't meant to be easy and I was fully determined to work hard and push the pace when and if I could. I was a little concerned that my legs would still be suffering from the previous day's adventures, when a group...

The Crown King Scramble 50km was everything I expected it to be, and more. With great organisation, a tough course, outstanding scenery and lots of jolly good fun - and the fact that I finished soaking wet with sweat with salt stains across my face and all over my clothes, covered in dust and dirt from head to toe, absolutely starving and in desperate need of an ice cold beer, with tired, heavy legs but a big smile on my face - they were all sure signs of a damn good race. The race started at 6am alongside the shores of Lake Pleasant just as the sun was about to pop its head above the nearby mountains. The air was still quite cool although it was certain to warm up as the morning went along, with temperatures well in to the mid 80's expected later on in the day. The atmosphere at the start was a mixture of nervous excitement and anticipation as we all knew what lay ahead - 50km or 31 miles of uphill running, climbing from around 1500 ft at Lake Pleasant to nearly 6000 ft in...