Back from post Christmas adventuring down the coast, incredible beaches and scenery, multiple swims a day, very few people with plenty of wildlife including a few too many snakes and far too many mossies & dead whales, along with sightings of eagles, ground parrots and even spotted a hooded plover to end the trip.
With Tol injured and not running, I was typically running parts of days, or every second day, and hiking the rest, so while it didn't quite have the running volume (or vert) of
last year's trip, it had lots of time on feet, and the sand running and walking certainly made for good strength building, so still a good base for the year ahead.
Have the packs down to a good manageable weight for running now, ditching lunch for more grazing during the day helps, as did a good weather forecast which meant no need for sleeping bags or much in the way of warm clothes for the bulk of the trip. Water still proving to be the main limiting factor, despite being surrounded by it the whole time.
Next couple of months will be about building up the distances, and doing some big climb sessions again, as I did love those last year. Short term this is aimed at mt solitary & maybe UTA50, unless I can find more interesting alternatives, longer term to survive multiple multiday jaunts around European mountains in the second half of the year.