Gareth

Sense & Perseverence

Well today I should be running the Preseli Ultrabeast as I did last year. Sadly I won’t be. The last few months have been a race in themselves in an attempt to rehab the left leg. It’s been a process thats been tortuous with good days and bad days, I honestly believed I could run it up until the middle of this week. I did a 7 mile test run on tuesday and it felt ok. And thats the kicker it didn’t feel good it felt ok and I knew I was favouring the right leg instead. It felt a bit like running on a glass leg – I was expecting it to break at any point.

So really then on wednesday when it was aching badly I knew deep down it was over for this year. I was going to give it a go but I knew deep down that it was going to cause much more damage, 7 miles is not 32 and not 32 over extreme terrain. Not going to lie I’m gutted. I love the Preseli races and look forward to it so much every year. I told a friend a while ago it’s like my late christmas day seeing as I dont like the real one much. And now I sit here writing this instead of running out on the hills all day. Sometimes I feel like saying to hell with it I dont need to run anyway, I have Murph I can walk with him and its as good, it would remove all the disappointment and frustration of not running and racing.

But you know what, that’s feeling sorry for myself, thats giving up, thats taking the easy route and this whole thing was never about taking the easy route. It’s been a long journey and I need to remember there are lows as well as the highs. Otherwise the highs would be meaningless.

So I’m going to finish off this post with some photos of the walks we’ve done recently. I’m going to walk back out the door and start again. I’m not giving up, this was always the long haul.

20190507_170448 20190429_172300 20190428_161757 20190426_072155 20190425_083630(2) 20190423_085931

Its a party!

We’ve not been up to much running wise lately – the odd trot and adventure. With only 3 weeks to Preseli ive been trying to rehab the leg, thge problem is that I dont know exactly whats wrong with it. I suspect sciatica but have a doctors visit this week to try to get to the bottom of it. Still its been improving slowly so we’re getting there. Not running all the time is hard but hey I have Murph to walk and walking does it good I reckon. And yesterday was the best walk of all because it was his first adoption day – a whole year since I brought him home so we just had to have a hike and party in the beacons with his best buddy Tilly.

20190421_101443 — It was a hot day but we found plenty of pools for the dogs to go in – although Murph doesn’t like to I just doused him with water instead while Tilly is a born water rat

20190421_112303 — Obligatory Tilly on a rock time

20190421_125602 — My phones camera is now officially dreadful

received_894322394242842 — We had birthday hats!

received_2184946458484841 — And I made birthday cakes with peanut butter which were to everyones amazement a huge success! Murph loved them and consumed twice as much as everyone else – well it was his part afterall

received_297874351109475 — Idiots in hats eating cake

received_410959199684057 — Surveying the scene – note the difference in photo quality when i dont take them.

20190421_133938 — And on the walk back Murph shoed Tilly a neat trick. To keep cool he digs into wet peat in the shade and made them a cooling down spot

All in all the best way to celebrate his adoption! Hopefully more running again soon =)

Happy Mothers Day!

I shall wantonly use my blog to say a big happy mothers day to my mum (of course) cos she’s the best! I wouldnt be where I am and who I am if it wasn’t for her. She is also one of teh few people Murph actually likes and is honoured to be able to get him to sit (even if it does a require a treat)

Speaking of Murph I of course couldnt not post some photos. Things have been fairly quiet on the running front, just taking it easy and praying everything fixes up in time for Preseli … My usual theory prevails. Im either in the process of getting injured, recovering from injury or wondering if ive recovred from injury yet. Goes with the territory I guess. We have been however doing 3 or 4 miles of walking before work and the same after each day so thats time on feet and so im not that worried about any race specific training ..yet

20190328_182057 — It all got mysterious and misty the other night – However my usual photography skills totally failed to capture it

20190328_181726 — Murph being pursued by Tilly

20190328_171142 — A better one of the little buddies

20190327_064802 — Look what I brought you ….

20190326_063314 — Dawn has been cool this week

20190328_065207 — Love this one. I shall call it dog at dawn

Whats in a name

Well if they’re going to name a storm after you then it would be rude not to go and run in it. I do love running when theres a breeze but when its a full on gale it aint so easy …. for half the run at least. At least we’ve avoided the rain so far, wind fine and rain fine just not together please. Just ticking along at the moment as the mind turns to the first ultra in may. As usual theres paranoia over every niggle but they all go away (he says fingers crossed) eventually. And it’s always better to be out than not. If not for my sake for this ones ….

20190311_171149 — Took a rest while Murph dug holes for the sea to fall in … the sea won

20190309_112612 — There was even sun … photos just dont capture the wind right

Taking it easy

Half term came and went and finished with a 13 mile training run as I knew the tides were gonna be suck this week back in work and had already decided to take a rest week – no running at all! Walking Murph a lot of course rain or shine so its never total rest and the aches and pains dont seem to change whether I run or not. In fact I probably feel better when I do run. Theres so much information about training plans out there, do this many miles, do x amount of speedwork, do this do that but I really am feeling the “fuck it do what you love and it’ll come together” works better for me and to be honest that usually translates into 50 mile weeks anyway which is plenty.

I stumbled across a poem this week also – I dont usually do poetry but this one spoke to me especially the second half.

The Summer Day

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean-
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

—Mary Oliver

That last line …. think about it

And of course we saw some stuff

20190301_103825 — I call this one “Dog looking into mist”

20190301_104349 — This day was nuts there was so much huge drift coming in. Murph was instucted to fetch this one but failed

20190301_105143 — All the way along, miles of it

Half Term training

Well you cant fault the weather – Well unless its due to climate change in which case in the long run I’d prefer snow but I guess thats another story. It does mean that every morning we get out for a beautiful walk first thing for 4 or 5 miles and then get some training done in the afternoon. I have some weird tight pain in my glutes still – I mean its being going on for ages – but in fact running actually helps it. its when i sit for any lengthg of time it gets angsty – so hey ho if running fixes it then im down for that!

20190223_083103 — Morning starts for a blurry dog

20190225_082233 — Always beautiful and beautifully empty

20190225_083415 — Exit squirrel stage left

20190225_133934 — Afternoon passing through Llantwit beach

Does running make you as happy as this …

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Thats one happy doggo. We’re both happy to be out and running, so much so it seems I never update the blog. And I say that every single time I post now!

Something else I say every year at this time and I’m always too early is – Doesnt it feel like spring! I just got back from a beautiful run and whether its february or not it felt like spring!

So what have we been up to? Plenty of runs and plenty of rest days so the niggles dont become injuries. Plus a hiking trip to the Brecon Beacons with friends.

Trust me people winter is officially over – its spring! (Bet we get more snow)

20190214_164028 — Sometimes we run. Sometimes we stand still

20190215_163007 — Oh hai – got any treats?

20190216_111414 — So if you’re gonna climb a tree ….. so am I. Now what?

20190216_111601 — oh right I got to help you down!

20190216_135630 — Adventure buddies waiting on treats

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	Devon on Starting Over
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	Gareth on Catching up and chilling …