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

 

More more

I was torn on sunday about whether to run until I saw the weather and then figured my fankles (new word covering my feet and ankles) would survive one more push.  The last few runs I’ve been trialing a thin ankle support and it seems to be making a difference.  Plus I wanted to get used to running on tired legs and so another longish run was the order of the day.

A further 12 miles with as much climbing as I could get in (going all the way up Witches Point as hard as I could go after 7 or 8 miles surprised me)

I also had some sad news on saturday night – Master Robert had died. He was a lovely old guy who lived in the big house at the Cwm and owned the Bruce Estate.  He loved the beach and area as much as I do and was always picking up litter. Guess I’m the only one left doing that now.

Will be odd to run past here knowing he isn’t around. Often used to stop to chat with him.

Still – life goes on and so does the run. Racing the tides today

Just the perfect morning to be out before the trippers

I found a map! Still exploring the Dunraven end of my run

Badly focused cookie – Best thing about long distances – I eat what i feel like out there

Tide racing – Tide won – Still the odd rock scramble never hurt anyone

Always worth it

So in the last 4 days I covered 37 miles of pretty hard going terrain.  The fankle, although aching a little is holding up. I’m just utterly knackered. Few days off I think

Two in one

Wednesday was literally to the beach and back on a grey day – even the beach looked meh. Not gonna lie I dont know why I didnt take a rest day when I had chance, I think the head was saying for christs sake run after work.

Look at it – meh or what

Thursday was better, the sun came out a bit and although the tide was in I did some more hill repeats barefoot, I’m really enjoying that and it feels so much easier to climb that way. Plus I get to see this at the top every time…

Reward for each repeat

Theere were surfers about too to keep me company. I can cope with company when theres zero chance it can talk to me

Those tiny dots are indeed surfers

Bit cold? Tides wrong?

Ah well sometimes you just need to run even if conditions aren’t right. I squeaked the tide by a few minutes, in fact for some of it I ran in the sea for some I ran on the bigger pebbles. I made it out is what counts.

Always better in the sun

Did 11 on sunday and got back into running with a pack. Its not particulary necessary but the extra water and bananas are nice and I’d better get used to it as Preseli is signed up for (32 ultrabeast) and thats about 10 weeks.

Went along the beach and as the tide was dropping went out past Southerndown on rocks rather than cliffs. The terrain there is a little tricker.

Seriously cool erosion going on here

Twas a nice day and over here I cant see people!

A smidgen of rainbow

Broken ankles ahoy!

Best thing for sore ankle?  Freezing cold streams – Also handy for cleaning shoes. These are my current favourites – La Sportiva Mutants – These things do everything!

Monsoon

Decided to get out for a run last Sunday despite the torrential rain. I wanted a long run but wasn’t going to happen in these conditions.  To be fair the seven miles I did were made harder by slogging through fields turned into streams. More resistance training. I look back and laugh now but at the time up to my calves in freezing cold water I certainly wasn’t laughing then

The first inkling I might get wetter than usual

Definitely been raining

Errr ok so this is one Ive never seen before here

Starfish are like buses – You don’t see one forever and then 2 come along in a week 

Of course the regular waterfall was showing off 

Fields of joy!

 

Hill sprints til dark

The weather improved (not for long admittedly) but the tide was still in so I spent half an hour or so running hill sprints in the cwm. I was pleasantly surprised at not going anerobic immediately. Best thing about these particular sprints is the view/reward at the top

How not to prepare for a run …

Definitely not by going out the day before to see old friends drinking your own body weight in Guinness and then going out the next day for a seven mile run of hell.

I mean I kinda enjoyed it in the sense of it’s always great to be outside and running but it was instant redline as the body rebelled.  Ah well what ya gonna do, stay in and train forvever, has to be a balance.

Christ man breathe, take photos, anything just stop a minute

Always beautiful

Errr thursday?

All these days run into one amorphous mess so I think this was thursday or friday, does it really matter? It was a run and judging by the photos and where I was it was around the 11 mile mark. So in running order …..

Start off with the carrot delivery

Rainfall means the waterfall has ramped up its efforts

Good day for it

From Nash Point which leads tme to believe it was at least 11 miles if I did the photo above too