Still running (and walking)

Ok so I fully admit my post rate is poor, its currently at around 5 runs to a post or similar. Cant be helped more time running and less time writing is fine for this time of year.  Autumns coming too – In fact i do believe its here and its always a pleasure to be out and about this time of year.  So much to see and cooler weather to do it in.

Looking handsome as ever

So this week we have mainly beach run with a trip back to West Wales to see the people at the sanctuary Murph came from. he was good as gold there no sign of freaking out at being back and it was lovely for them to see him.

While we were there we took the chance to pop back to Pembrey Country park to have a walk on the huuuuuge beach there.

See? Big beach

Oh yeah he had his therapy dog with him too

Standing on things is always better with friends

Murph dug himself this pit in the dunes and then pro0mptly lay in it

Tilly getting confused by a mirror image – The other dog was even called Tilly, was the same breed and the sme age give or take a few months – small world (if youre a small dog)

Back to running and I had an idea – I sewed my old garmin watch to one of Murphs collars – I want to see hwo much extra milage he does – sods law he decided to stuck to me like glue on this run so whereas i did 7 he did only a quarter mile more.  When he chases skyrats I want to see big numbers Murph!

GPS doggo

Rain and shine (and mist and stuff)

I’ve run everyday for the past week (except friday which was actually a rest day) but havent blogged any. Cos im lazy and its summer and Im not at the PC so much and a million reasons so you can have a smorgasbord of photos from the last week.  Ive looked at my movescount stats and Im still a abit scared but nothings broken or hurting too bad.  This morning it was beautiful out and we just kept purring along feeling good which turned into 12 and a half miles some of which was even tempo (which is around 7 min/mile pace these days which is shocking me).  Murph loves it as much as I do thankfully.

Much of the week has been proper murk – rain too.  I dont care really as it just means its more likely I get the whole beach to myself

The face in the cliffs – Found it works both ways as long as you get the angles right

Pouty lips too!

Derp dog derping along derpily

Different beach, we ended up in ogmore and so I took Murph to where I used to throw stones for Soak a lot when she was getting on a bit

Returning from yet another unsuccessful skyrat chase

Having fun? I think you might be

Returning from unsuccessful skyrat chase number 293

Just a beautiful morning, n o reason to go home so tack on some extra miles

 

Finds!

Well im finding that a days rest everynow and again helps.  Well I knew that anyway but for once I actually listened to my body when on wednesday night my legs were just saying no just don’t do it tomorrow. Then on thursday morning I thought “hey they’re ok I could run” and common sense kicked in people! I actually thought about it and gave it a day off.  I looked at my stats which I rarely seem to do these days and realised I had run a 50 mile week with 30 miles in the last 3 days which is is maybe overdoing it, truth is im enjoying being out with murph so much I dont really notcie the miles.  If you add on the miles we walk too its no wonder the legs protest.

So a few runs since and today i made a find. A find find.

Surfboard with leash and fins intact just washing in overnight.  Not sure what I’m gonna do with it as I dont surf (though i could learn) but a find is a find – So I ran back 3 miles with it

Extreme closeup

Hide and seek – spot the dog?

Poser

Rockfall

Everyones got a talent

Even sheep, one of the stupidest animals alive and always looking for a new way to die.  But they have one talent that I dont have and im jealous.

They have absolutley no fear of heights – I could barely watch them pass along a tiny gap between the fencepost and cliffedge to get from one field to another.  They didnt even need to do this as the fence ends a few feet inland and they could have walked around it safely.  But thats sheep for ya, always looking for a novel way to expire

Murph watching them, utterly mystified

Another 7 miles or so and came home in a lovely rainshower kicking out silly pace as we were having fun

Milestones? He doesnt even care

Well I know one thing – Murph can run a half marathon because he did yesterday.  We were just enjoying being out and as we had waited for the tide and it was midday I took a running pack with food and water.  And when you’re out and having fun just ticking over you just keep going.

So we did the run to Witches and then up and over the top, back to the beach and then a full length run back to Atlantic College which meant that was around 9 in total so by the time we hit up the cliff path for a strecth (variation for Murph as we’d been on rocks for a while) and then the beach back to monknash and home. Making it 13 and a half.  He wasnt even tired, I was hurting in various places though holding up better than I thought I would on my first “longer” run again.

The lads were out in force today, they like to follow us for a while. No harm in them just curious

Past the ligthouse on the rocky stretch

Found the painted rocks – Cant remember how they used to be arrange so no idea if they’ve moved, half of them are missing though

Murph approaching Atlantic College

Sandbank in the distance from the cliffs at marcross

Now I figured perhaps he would be getting tired – nope thats him sprinting off ahead while I play catch-up.  It’s a new kind of training im developing in which you have to maintain a suicidal pace just to keep up with your rapidly disappearing dog

Thats 13 miles Murph – Half marathon complete.  Note position of lead – Thats as I’m virtually on my hand and knees from catching up to him before he reached the road.

A full week

Monday to friday and a run every day and nothings hurting too bad and so feeling pretty good about things.  Nothing special or spectacular but a 30 odd mile week right now feels good again.  Plus I like it when its cooler, everyones now moaning about rain …. you cant win. Well I can, rain = less people and beach to myself and Murph.

So we saw some stuff ….

Hayhenge – Sprang up overnight, very mysterious and possibly aliens or leylines or something

Aliens have been carefully stacking haybales

They missed one

I forget how lucky I am to live where I do – sunset from my living room window

Sinky sand swallows dog

View from Witches

Some light hill training again

Stop taking photos and run

Murphy is level – beach is not

Spy sheep surrepticiously slinking slyly

Logging happiness not miles

It feels good to be back running it just feels different for some reason. Probably because im not doing it purely to run anymore but just running because I can and because Murph loves it too. Miles dont seem important.  We took a different route as apparently after you treat them with advocate they have to stay dry for 48 hours – sounds like bollocks to me but still we just ran an inland loop of around 5 miles.

We saw some geese

And we just ran to the horizon. He loves it, just loves running. Its a pure joy to be out with him. I cant keep up, he’d run forever if he could.  Truth is so do I so we’ll see where that leads

Doubling up

Yesterday as a run at the beach in the morning before the sun kicked in and then a walk to the beach at the end of the day.  Murphs appetite for the outdoors is insatiable and its almost impossible to knacker the little sod.  Im not complaining, being back running properly is a joy and seeing him tearing around is even more of a joy.

Pausing for once to take things in – seconds later he was gone chasing seagulls again

He loves running … and also loves running shoes, im forever picking them up from various places. To be fair he doesnt wreck them just likes carrying them around it seems

Walkies with Tilly – This is not a rescue attempt as he’s a big shit and wont go too deep (though he has swum once under protest)

Cant beat sunsets

Well you can beat them if you have dogs in the photo too

Still alive and going up!

Still around, still running just never seem to have time to post!  Murph went on his first camping adventure this week, we went up with his therapy dog to Snowdonia to climb Cadair Idris.  He did so well too! He’s so nervous around people I wasn’t sure how he would settle but he did start to get used to it after a while and even slept right through the second night.  I invested in a tent with blackout tech so it was cooler, darker and he could use it as a refuge when he was a bit overwhelmed and it worked great.  We had an awesome few days climbing mountains and exploring.  Even tired him out!

Murph Emerging from his cave

Yes he wore a cape at the beach

Yes Tilly had a cape too – This is the two superheroues digging a hole

Forests to play in

And a river right by the tents

Early morning recce of the route up Cadair Idris – Its up there somewhere – was a little concerned about the visibility and weather but who wants easy adventures right?

The mountain at dawn – The clouds roll in and out so fast you’ve just got to roll with it

On our way up

Halfway – mountains everywhere

Murph looking enigmatic on a mountain

Views for days

Look at the bloody camera Murph while we can see anything at all

At the peak, hanging on tight to the lead as its a long way down off this one.  Vertigo kicking in too

On the way up or down – I dont remember

Christ we almost look normal

Timer photo actually worked!

After all the exercise sometimes you just need a friend to sleep on