Weather patterns

Its been quite the week of weather, we’ve had the lot.  been out for a few runs in it and many more walks. One of the best things about owning a dog is that it forces you out no matter how you feel you have to go (I’ve had the lurgi all week). And if we dont go and do the miles every day Murph turns into a raving lunatic.  Run-wise I just got back from an 8 miler in the pissing down rain and it was great.  Everything feels spot on – well apart from the usual foot problems which I have decided simply just to ignore. It doesnt matter if I run or not things hurt simply because of the walking mileage too.   I literally cant rest cos of the dog so hey ho its suck it up and keep moving time.

Are you this happy? if not then why not? Be the dog!

Timing is everything – Tide going out and just enough sand to get along

Can you lick your own nose like this?  If not why not? No wait ….

Sun and wind make some beautiful conditions

Froth sea under a shiny sun

Crashy waves

Pissy rain has its own beauty – mainly keeping people indoors

Why? Why take a lovely natural path and build fucking steps on it. I know it probably makes life easier for hikers or something but for the love of god please stop sanitising nature in the name of convenience and safety. Argghghghghghghgh

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

There’s always the sun

A quick 7 miler to Witches and back racing tide and darkness.  And around the 3 mile mark it suddenly went gloomy as hell and then the mizzly rain turned to full on hailstones

So its light over there … but here it’s just dark and hailing

Within another mile though I literally hit the edge of the storm like a wall which I had been heading into and through and now going my way! I stayed on the edge all the way back.

So even when things seem pretty dark and shitty there’s always the sun … You just have to keep going til you find it.

 

Edge of the storm

Xmas eve

As im two days behind this was on xmas eve, another run with the tide in so along the cliffs through the mud.  It’s getting very slidy out there and I can now say in slippery mud the Inov8 Xtalons beat the Dynafit and La Sportiva for pure grip. I wont run another ultra (unless its all slippery mud) in them but theyre prefect for days like this.

Outbound cliffs – Thats Witches Point at the end

By the time I’d run around and up and over Witches I noticed the tide had dropped a metre of so giving me an opportunity to return as far as the ladders via the beach

See?  Thats enough gap to run

Glad I did as it turned out kinda nice down there.  Knocking out miles for fun at the moment and everything holding together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Racing the tide

You cant beat local knowledge

So when I was confronted with an incoming tide and the situation below

I knew I had around half an hour before it would be a trudge over the pebbles to get back. 15 mins full jets out and 15 min full jets back!

Running is fun. Beaches are fun. Running on beaches is double the fun!

I think this was friday

Due to a hectic weekend I havent had chance to post so I’m a few runs behind.

But here are my botanical quiz answers!

1 Daisies
2 Dandelions
3 Celandine (thanks mum for knowing this)
4 Hawthorn
5 Primrose
6 Bluebell
And the beer was Hereford Pale Ale!

So I think Mawil did best only missing number 3 and the beer while Benjamin and Sergei need to brush up on their daisies!

And special mention to neveradullbling for getting thepale ale part right!

Together you cracked it!

So this was friday, quick 5 miler after work in the sun! Best preperation for 2 weeks off

Simply stunning views

Was a pleasure to be out

And the fields were a perfect yellow under a blue sky

Botanical Brainstorm

So again and again I will bang on about spring as its my favourite season and it’s here!

Only a short run because …

Tides in!

So instead I ran off into the woods and fields to set up a quiz for you all. Some easy, some not so easy to suit all ages!

So can you name the botany?

Easy to start

Number 1?

Number 2?

Number 3?

Number 4?

Number 5?

Number 6?

Tiebreaker!

What beer is the snowman drinking? (old photo I just found from my pub running days)

Long cliff run & happy memories

Sometimes I read blogs or articles where people seem to view the long run as a chore to be endured rather than enjoyed. I know we are involved in an edurance sport but it doesn’t seem logical to me to do something you actually don’t like one bit. I spend the week looking forward to be outside pushing myself for two or three hours

I know I’m lucky to live where I do with beautiful training playgrounds right on my doorstep. It’s why I’m looking forward to spring and summer so much, more time spent outdoors. All I havr to do is not get carried away and injure myself through enthusiasm again.

And to this end I’m ramping up the milage again slowly so yesterday was 12 and a bit miles to Ogmore and back along the cliffs due to tidal forces beyond my control

I truly am lucky. This is the sun rising over the first field I cross containing the ruins of an old monastic grange.

Clifftop crow – He was a biggun!

Looking down to Wick beach from the burial mounds. Not sure of the process that causes the pattern in the pebbles and sea. I probably should seeing as I have a degree in geography

Looking back along the headlands. I start at the far one.

Danger Sheep Danger Sheep does whatever a Danger Sheep does

Running here also brings back memories. As Soak got older she couldnt do a full walk to the beach so I used to bring her here to the deeps. We spent many happy hours with me just sat throwing rock after rock after rock for her to fetch and bring back. She never got bored of it and I never got bored of throwing them because it made her happy. I miss her still but today as I stopped to have a moment here I noticed loads of other dogs pawprints in the sand and it made me so happy that another dog gets to play here.

Racing the unraceable

Finished work and flew to the beach, it was going to be a close run thing but I knew the sun was going to disappear in a matter of minutes. Skates on!

Going.  Just in time to see it start setting over Devon (NB not a giant shark fin)

Going. Still see it?

Gone

So I raced the sun. Next up why not the tide which was coming in but had left me a small window of opportunity.

A stretch of sand is all I need.

Flew down the sand and back up before the tide hit the pebbles. Raced the tide.

Also of note was this fresh rockfall

Judging by the fresh dirt it went last night or this morning.

Oddly enough I had taken a photo of this section last month as I noticed that the “pavement” under the cliff was strangely clear for once – I also ran along it ….

So it will be interesting to see how the sea removed the new fall and I intend to photograph it through time.

Amazing the things you can do and find in a quick 4 mile run!