Old to New

Time to semi-retire my Inov8 xtalon 200’s I think. They can go in the back of the van for impromptu runs.  I think probably the best recommendation for running shoes is that I bought exactly the same pair to replace them. I find them that comfortable (for a stripped down shoe) and wouldnt run in anything else if I know I’m doing technical stuff. The grip is utterly fantastic and I love that I can really feel the rocks under my feet. I feel confident in my foot placement so much more in the 200’s.

But after around 3-400 miles I can see materials starting to tear and I want to run Cornwall in them – or the same model at least so I’ve got a new pair to break in ready.

This is what hundreds of miles of battering on all sorts of terrain does to a shoe. Im mystified as to how they appear to have shrunk but both old and new shoes fit me perfectly well (they are both size 11) Its a testament i think to the quality of Inov8 shoes that they have lasted this long and to be honest there are miles left in them.

To be honest the new ones don’t even take any breaking in, I did 7 miles in them yesterday and felt perfect from the off.

We did seaweed and rocks

We did more rocks and revelled in the grip

We did sand in lovely patterns

We did forest trails

Welcome to the world new shoes – I’m gonna wreck you!

 

 

Not lost …. Just misguided (with added beavers)

On Tuesday afternoons I work up in the valleys and I always look at the surrounding hills and wonder what it’s like to run them. This morning I actually remembered to throw some kit and shoes in the trailmobile(tm) so after work it was time to get some elevation!

Elevation, pace, breathing blah blah blah lets get on with the photos

Starting point – Pontycymmer, home of houses hanging off 45 degree gradients

Ok not so steep I can handle this

Jesus H Christ in a chickenbasker did I just run up that?

Which led to another dirtroad – Which climbed up and up and up and up forever. Still it was sooooo peaceful, not a single soul anywhere to be seen.

Purty flowers (Any excuse to stop to take a photo while going uphill)

Reached the top and the views were stunning – sadly my camera and skills do not reflect the mountainous majesty at all

More hills with annoying tree right in shot

Believe it or not this is not the same road as before …. By now I had passed lots of turnoffs and every road looked similar and the identical trees were giving nothing away ….

After even more climbing a clue – However the little yellow arrow is clearly pointing to the treacherous path of death while the nice smooth track leads away upwards ….hmmmm

Of course I took the treacherous path of certain death and found it led to …. Valley of the Beaver. Well maybe not but I like to imagine our furry woodchipping friends doing all this deforestation.

In a not very surprising twist of events the Path of Ultimate Treachery led into the Spooky Forest of Doom

Which had the worlds tallest and straightest trees

And apparently the worlds tidiest beavers who stack logs in neat piles everywhere

Emerging from the forest and by now wildly guessing at the way to go by just heading downhill I realised I was actually running on the old spoilheaps created by the coal mining industry years ago

I also found some very tasty looking mushrooms disguising themselves as Cornish Pasties (note kids DO NOT eat random fungi no matter how well baked they look – you will die or at least go on a trip you are unlikely to forget for many years)

I “think” the identical roads run through that forest … maybe.

Aha! Saved – A trail marker …… of utterly no use whatsoever seeing as you could indeed go three directions from here not two.

In fact I just kept heading down down down until I found my bearings. It was close though! I didn’t fancy spending the night in the woods with the roaming OCD beavers

Actually it was only five and a half miles but a fun and challenging run