Yesterday we did the tourist walk, all around Alice Springs then the full circuit Central Australian Show Grounds.

Today our exercise took Reg and Indigo our miniature poodle for a walk through and around about, Heavy tree Gap, in Alice Springs. I carried Indigo half the distance as her little legs find what was an 8.75 kilometer walk, too much in one go. After a while her 5 kilo weight gets a little heavy so I switch arms and talk about making some sort of doggy carry pouch for her for these walks we take, now I can out step the comfortable distance she can do.

I was chatting to Reg, laughing and asking him if we should trade her in ([I]as if we would [/I]:-) ), on a standard poodle who could keep up with us, or a toy poodle who would be lighter to carry and he suggested we trade her in on a pony to carry him so he can keep up with me now, LOL, :-). 

After the few days I spent having long walks along the Murray river and some short runs on a lovely green oval, we traveled to the foot hills of the Flinders ranges and again a lovely large patch of short green grass to have short runs on between brisk walks with the dog.

We drove to the huge dry salt lake, 'Lake Hart'.   Reg and I thought it so funny; every one telling us the lake was filled with water this year, when in fact it was dry.  Few walked more than 20 meters from their caravans and from a distance you would be forgiven for assuming it was filled with silver, blue glistening water.  

Reg and I went for long 10,000 step walks out to the lake, over red sand dunes and the Ghan train line, and out on to the salt lake surface.  The salt crystallized as it dried out near the edge, and the crystallized plates expanded pushing up rims of salt, looking like frozen snow crystals that crunched as you stepped on them and I was quite the child at heart and in my behaviour, and at the same time, thinking of my old lady osteoporosis, weight/strength training exercises and I went around the patterns the expanding plates the salt made, jumping on the raised crusts and laughing and loving the crunch they made as they broke up.      There were patches where the salt mixed with the red sands and it looked for all the world like Anzac biscuits and snapped just like crunchy biscuits would and LOL, there I was being a 62 year old kid, jumping on piles of these salt and red sand biscuits and breaking them up for the sheer fun of it and the exercise.

Then I walked for ages out onto the lake, pushing up my T shirt sleeves to get as much Vit D as I could and ran on what was a gentle, slightly giving surface due to the damp sands under the smooth salt layer on top.   From a distance this dry salt lake looked like it was filled with water and we laughed at how those who travel this country and never get any exercise aside from going to the loo it seems, and how those convinced the lake was filled with water, would be astonished to see Reg and I walking on this water and me running with the dog on it. :-).

On the days I drove long distances, I did push outs, (easier than a push up) against the car and lots of walking at the stops.
I arrived at Alice Springs late today.  I am staying at the central Australian Show Grounds, this is surrounded by mountains either side, where we will get heaps of exercise and there are several ovals here, idea for me to get more running practice, there is also a grand stand and I will strive to go up and down the grand stand steps a few times a week.   Yes I should find this a great place to exercise outside in the sunshine.  The added bonus is this month the average daytime temperature will be about 25 degrees hand in June it will still be around 20 degrees, perfect outdoor exercise weather.  The air here is clean and dry during the day, perfect for my lungs :-).