Tour De Soak

Its been two years since I started running and the reason for starting and keeping going haven’t completely changed only morphed slightly. For those new to the blog you can read here about why.

So yesterday the sun shone, I needed a long run and I decided to do a loop taking in as many of the places Soaky and I used to explore as I could manage.

I headed for Witches Point first off

Note the blue clear skies – More of that later

Easy enough going to start, I was running with a pack and water as I was intending to go over 10 miles at least.  It was already hot early on though so off came the shirt. With the breeze on the cliffs it didnt really feel hot enough to burn though ….

Ogmore by Sea – As Soak got older she couldnt make it to Monknash beach due to the stiles and hills so I used to drive her here so she could have a play.

From Ogmore I cut inland following the river.

Ogmore river plus floodplains.  We used to come here as it was easy to park and let her play in the dunes on the otehr side.

It was midday now and getting hotter plus away from the coast the breeze had died away and I was working hard and sweating just to keep a reasonable pace. I was gonna have to ration water or find some.

Path up to St Brides common – I was now being slowly roasted alive.

Golf course – sans any water. However I did have some miserable old gits shout and wave their clubs at me as I cut through – Sod you its common land.

I cut through the common and past the quarry and across the road to the Castel Upon Alun side.

Through the bracken. We used to walk a lot up here because she loved chasing rabbits – Never caught one but she liked trying.

Down to the ford – I judged I had enough water to not have to fill up here as I didnt fancy stomach problems as well as heatstroke.  Another favourite Soaky spot where she would splash about.

Had to come home via roads …. No real choice as my next destination was Wick.  For some reason Soak loved it up here too, not sure why but was spent a lot of time on these back lanes just wandering about together.

15 hot tiring miles later I fell into my friends pub for a pint of Gwynt Y Ddraig cider. Well if you run out of water ….. You got to toast your old dog with something!

Seeing all these places was a great way to remember Soak and I was proud I could run the lot.  Its only been two years but I’ve come a long way in more way than one.  I’m still as dumb as they come in some ways, I’m rather sunburned writing this …. We live and learn!