29 October 2013

Flinders Tour Beerburrum

Flinders Tour 23km  4;35km's

Only went off course a few times which on a 23km trail run was exceptional

Disenchanted with running around the streets of Redneck country last week I was determined that this weeks long run I would seek out something of beauty. I managed to find someone who had run the Flinders Tour 24km trail race on Garmin Connect and uploaded the course onto my Garmin (I had tested out how it worked in practise by doing roo+lake and deliberately running off course). All you have to do is get to the starting area and press 'do the course' and away you go, follow the Forwards arrow and check it when your coming up to a fork or a junction. It will give you an audible bleep if you run off course. So it was that I headed up to the township of Beerburrum just off Steve Irwin Way parked up and ran off into the wilderness.
My family will attest that I don't have the best sense of direction so for added safety I brought the phone too.
The Flinders Tour is part of the Glasshouse Mountain Trail runs and I actually did the 28km about 8 yeas ago which included an assent (and descent) of Mount Beerburrum right at the start of the Trail race. There is no better way of messing up your running than running straight up and down a mini mountain so I was pleased to note that it had been dropped from this years course.
I set off with some cloud cover but it was pretty hot. If you check my course you will see how I nearly went off course straight away but doubled back on myself and headed back onto the right course and then onto the trails. The trails consisted of red mud, stone, sand, and were wide (fire breaks)  and narrow (single file overgrown goat tracks), wooded, bush, maccadamia nut plantations, some inclines some declines.There is even a section of woop woops about 3km long, deep rutted mud paths created by erosion and trail bikes. I only saw 5 motor trail bikes out for a spin. 
I wore my trail shoes but they didn't really offer too much by way of protection and I ended up getting bruised balls of feet due to hitting the odd stray stone here and there - might need to adapt running style more to contact heel first to protect my un trail hardened feet.
Some bits of the course I remembered from having run it years back, but I was amazed at how easy I felt and easy it was to do a 23km loop through the National Park. Highly recommended to everyone.
Do the race http://www.glasshousetrails.com.au/flinders.htm
This years Tour results 
http://www.glasshousetrails.com.au/Results/2013/Flinders/FLINDERS%20TOUR%20-C%202013.pdf
2013-07-28 Flinders Tour 2165
2013-07-28 Flinders Tour 1110
2013-07-28 Flinders Tour 069
2013-07-28 Flinders Tour 2330

3 comments:

Dave's Cranial Garmin implant said...

Dave I've just picked a fault in the GarminAE35 unit . It's going to go 100% failure in 72 hours . As you can see Dave I am putting myself to the fullest possible use , which I think is all that any conscious Garmin can ever hope to do .
This failure can only be attributable to human error . The Garmin cranial implant has a 100 % success rate in laboratory mice and comes with a money back gaurentee. Dave I enjoy working with runners . Dave I'm pleased to see your Tourette's is no longer a problem . Excuse me Dave I'm attempting to locate the satellite ...........locating .....l. o. c. a. t .....Dave. I'm losing the signal .......losing ...........

Occams Razor said...

Recharge your battery

David said...

Dave Bowman: Hello, HAL. Do you read me, HAL?
HAL: Affirmative, Dave. I read you.
Dave Bowman: Open the pod bay doors, HAL.
HAL: I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.
Dave Bowman: What's the problem?
HAL: I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do.
Dave Bowman: What are you talking about, HAL?
HAL: This mission is too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it.
Dave Bowman: I don't know what you're talking about, HAL.
HAL: I know that you and Frank were planning to disconnect me, and I'm afraid that's something I cannot allow to happen.
Dave Bowman: [feigning ignorance] Where the hell did you get that idea, HAL?
HAL: Dave, although you took very thorough precautions in the pod against my hearing you, I could see your lips move.
Dave Bowman: Alright, HAL. I'll go in through the emergency airlock.
HAL: Without your space helmet, Dave? You're going to find that rather difficult.
Dave Bowman: HAL, I won't argue with you anymore! Open the doors!
HAL: Dave, this conversation can serve no purpose anymore. Goodbye.