Blackbutt Reserve

Saturday - 6km easy Kotara (Newcastle) 25:41 (4:16s)
Sunday - 14km of hilly trails Blackbutt and Richley Reserves (Newcastle) 62:10 (4:26s)

Up in Newcastle for the weekend, combination of a family birthday and Knights home game. First time I've seen the new grandstand at the ground - pretty impressive, a far cry from about 10 years ago when there was one dilapidated stand for members and then hill on 3 sides, meaning that anyone with a general admission ticket needed to arrive at 10am for a 3pm kickoff, or be standing right up the back.

Blackbutt Reserve is right across the road from where I stayed at my inlaws. And what a place to run. Will put the Garmin link up when I'm home tomorrow, but in summary firetrail with a LOT of rolling hills. Nothing too huge, but almost no flat, just endless up and down, all very runnable. A great workout and I was happy with overall pace as wasnt killing myself today, a combination of too many rum and cokes here last night (it is Newcastle after all...kidding, I love the place), and not wanting to smash my legs on the downhills. Finished it off with a 900m race around the (very hilly) block with my 8 year old nephew - he beat me and ran a PB, I struggled home in second :)

Better go to my nephew's birthday party now - will hit the junkfood with a vengeance after those hills and 900m race...

Hope the Knights win this afternoon, but I'm not confident, they always play poorly against the Roosters

71km for the week

Blackbutt Reserve run
Kotara streets easy run