To think I almost didn’t

Got home from work and it was cold, blowing hard and looked like rain. I was sooooooo close to staying in the warm and having soem food, maybe do some stretching, take it easy. But I knew deep down I wanted to go out and would love it once I did. It’s the first step. So off I went into the wind for a quick 4 mile run.

The bridge building continues apace, now they’re chucking rocks in because its better to break an ankle on an unsteady rock than get your precious shoes and clothes muddy…. sigh

Anyway there was just about enough sand to run the mile stretch before the tide swept me away

Note narrow strip of sand – GO!

I found I can now cruise even into the wind at around 9 min miles on the sand. On the way back I was doing 8 no problems.  I’m only doing short stints like that as I don’t want to blow up anything in my legs so don’t worry I’m being careful and listening to my body!

Some cool clouds for SRG

The view back from the fields on the way home

Somedays its a breeze

So what causes the difference between one run and another. This was seven miles and effortless.  On days like this the thought of the 24 mile fell race in a few months doesn’t worry me in the slightest. On other days I feel like I’ll never make it.  If only it was possible to bottle the feeling on a run like this. I think flow is the term. I need to remember the days like this when I get self doubts.

It was a day full of our favourite weather too – Mizzle!  Which turned to drizzle and then back to mizzle.

A grey and not very inspiring day for photography.  When the mist lies on the English side of the channel though this section of coastline appears to become detatched like an island. I only wish I could capture the effect better. I need a new camera with superzoom facilities I think.

At low tide I found this which at first I thought was an old piece of weathered wood but in fact turned out to be a piece of solid black rock. Almost like ebony. Weird

Spring has sprung – for one day only

So friday was a beautiful day! So beautiful I forgot to write about it! I never thought it would be a utter pleasure to run for several miles but it was. Only downer was the battery dying in my camera halfway through but I snapped a few!

The fields on the way to the beach

The beach is simply stunning when the weathers fine …. its not so bad when its crap to be fair

Of course I visited the waterfall and resident rainbow

#spottedthesquirrel  Can you?

 

A stiff breeze

All week the media have been banging on about WINDPOCALPSE so of course I was waiting excitedly for today. Ok so it blew a bit but there was no mass downing of trees or blowing of high sided vehicles into rivers. I did see a sheep stagger a bit but that may have been due to poor hoof conditions underfoot.

So I ran to Witches Point which meant 3 and a half miles into the wind and then the saunter home!

The wind did so some cool stuff however in more subtle ways.

The tide didn’t seem to know if it was in or out ….

The whole beach was covered in an inch of water and foam which was being driven onshore by the wind despite the tide receding, which gave it the surreal appearance of snow which my camera couldnt quite grasp

The waterfall was having issues.  There was plenty of water but no falling.  This was as far as the waster got before being blasted away into spray.

Fuck the weather get out there and run people!

Guess what? Fog!

It would nice to see the horizon just once this week.

The fields are foggy

The beach is foggy .. The tide is coming in … somewhere

Errrr over there <—————

4 miles or so of cold wet fun

More fog

The fog continues ….. Just a short run today but glad to report everything in working order. Even did some speedwork for variety

The old monastery at Monknash always feels special in the mist. As if the 21st century has drifted away and we’re back 900 years

My fan club!

Sometimes its the steps you dont take

I was supposed to run the Hoka winter half at Margam Park on saturday. On friday I woke up to pai9n in my right foot – Not the foot thats supposed to hurt! It came from nowhere and I was worried it was the onset of plantar fascitis in my only non hurty body part. It ached for most of friday so sadly I made the decision that although I could probably run the half I would be doing myself no favours in trudging round it in pain. I took the sensible option and didnt even try. Meh. Still to be fair its a non technical run on gravel roads so barely trail at all so I wasnt missing much.

On sunday the pain was gone so I ventured out on a short test run to see how I fared. That was pretty much alk I saw due to fog but I suffered no more pain so we’ll have to chalk that one down to a mystery niggle (thankfully)

Path to nowhere

Half a gate is better than no gate at all

Thats gotta be jelly as jam just dont shake like that

A 7 mile jaunt after work. It’s so good to see the evenings brightening up fast.  Can get a nice longer feeling run in now and the sunsets are of course beautiful as per usual.

Down in the wet for a low angle. Love the granularity of the sand in this one.

It was clouding over slowly but the sky was a beautiful shade of blue inland

Hmmmm a jellyfish the size of my fist

Hmmmm another jellyfish

The size of a wok!

This dude was the biggest I’ve seen so far and mighty heavy from the feel of it. I’ve looked it up and its a barrel jellyfish.  The tide was coming in but I wouldnt fancy its chances of not getting stranded again as they just float around a bit.

Oh the places you’ll go ….

Yesterdays long run went well, only another 11 miles but felt really good and in control of my pace so I finished it feeling quite similar to the start.  Up along the cliffs to Nash Point and then the length of the beach up onto Witches Point for a few climbs. A circuit of Southerdown beach then a scramble over Witches at low tide and then a run home via the ladders and my folks. I love saturday mornings!

First up – I think these are barrow mounds and Nash Point. There was a Bronze Age hillfot here

Steps – Lots of steps. From the cliffs you can see the stepped nature of the rocks on the beach. This is why beach running hurts sometimes. No wonder my ankles and knees protest.

Low tide and a part of a shipreck (I assume) is uncovered. Kinda cool but then ….

….. when you see it in context of being in the middle of the sand here you can only imagine everything that lies underneath ….

Someone stole my rainbow!

The grass covered cliffs of Southerdown beach

Witches point looking toward Nash Point. This is a fun scramble across which can only be done at low tides.

I found this in a pool left by a fisherman (along with other litter – arseholes) Not sure what it is but I was attracted magpie-like to the bright green and so I tied it to my pack and ran back with it anyway.

Spotted the ship!  Good blurry photo this – I can tell you it was big and white!

First lamb of spring battering for milk! Good luck dude

I forgot then remembered

I forgot I ran on thursday! It was only a quick one but I actually forgot to post it until I went to post yesterdays and realised there was a gap in my photo folders!

It was cold and grey. The tide was high and the waves crashing. This is partially why I take photos – A sinle photo can remind me of so much, the weather, tide how I was feeling. Did it hurt, was I quick, did I fall. I must have taken a thousand photos and they all release memories. Amazing really.