So how do you do this taper thing anyway? I’m doing more milage now I have Murphy but its mainly walking at the moment. Though we did run to the beach and back earlier we’re covering at least 5 miles a day just in walks – he’s loving it, I’m loving it. Whats not to love. He’s getting better at recall too and really settling in.
He’s a bit of an early riser – As in as soon as the birds start he’s awake and that means so am I so we were at the beach by 6 this morning. However this has its advantages – We get first dibs on beach salvage and also going twice a day means I can shift more plastics off the beach.
So the week I get a dog I find a brand new dog toy washed up … weirdhaving a whale of a time geddit? Really he’s thinking why are you waving a plastic whale toy at meJust hapy to be out and freePodenco crossHappy
I would have done this anyway but as SRG requested it you get more Murphy photos (In case you missed it I have a new dog called Murphy) He is settling in better than I could have possibly hoped. He and Trouble get on fine – well they pretty much ignore each other which is awesome. He’s pretty well behaved (though may possibly be a sock destroyer) and is already starting to learn recall. I’m already walking him off the lead (he sticks like glue) as long as theres no livestock or cliffs around and he loves the beach – which is also lucky as he’s going to spend a lot of time there.
The Preseli Ultrabeast is only 16 days away so I might as well start my taper early and stick to walking him and the odd jog with him. The fankle is a bit tender and I have a niggle in my groin (both probably as a result of the breakneck pace on saturday) so I’ll just rest them and chill with Murph. He’s going to be an ace training partner, when I run he doesn’t really break into a run just ups his walking trot a bit. I think he’s got plenty more miles in those legs than I have.
And so with no further ado the photos
With his best buddy TillyYeah he likes the rocks tooWeird ass shape on him sometimes – Podenco cross or something (Hes from Portugal)Playing togetherStill weirdassPosing for photosFirst time in the seaNot too sure of the water and cant actually swim (he fell in a rockpool so I know this)Tired out and sofa chillingPosing in the rain
Everyone say hello to the latest addition to the trailrunning community. I give you my new dog – Murphy!
First day I walked him
Murphy is the reason I was down West Wales last week and why I’ve been doing a little less running – I’ve been driving a 3 hour round trip every day to walk and bond with him and finally I brought him home yesterday. The scary thing is that completely by accident he looks like a Soaky copy – Purely unintentional I orignially inquired about a different dog which had been rehomed and they mentioned Murphy.
Hes had a bit of a rough start to life and is very nervous but already he’s starting to improve. We’ve been to the beach already and he’s settling in nicely. Him and the cat basically ignore each other – I think Trouble just assumes Soak has been missing for a few years and now returned. At the moment Murph is like a shadow but slept hapily in his crate last night and we’ve just had a short run at the beach as he is going to have little choice but be a training companion – And thankfully he seems to love to run, he gets a goofy grin on his face and just lopes alongside with no effort while I puff and pant.
So if you dont like dogs I’d stop reading the blog now cos it’s likely to include a lot of Murphy from here on in. Oh and Mawil – the rope is for him to chew on and play with 😉
Day two and off lead already – Im being very cautious and no fields with livestock but he’s sticking like glue to be fair and at 6 in the morning he’s safe enough as there’s no-one aboutWe have a few issues with stiles – Not sure he’s ever had to climb one before – He’s getting there thoughBeach dog!Getting up to speedGood look MurphI had a shower and thought i’d lost him already then I realised he was on the sofa in my middle room which has a black throw on it – His eyes gave him away after I’d searched every room for him
I believe in karma. Or essentially what goes around comes around. It works both ways, bad and good karma. Learned the hard way and seen it happen thankfully to others who deserved it (Yes I have a mean streak a mile wide)
So yesterday I had to go out mid morning and decided to fit in a quick 4 mile or so run to the Barrow mound on the cliffs as the tide was in. When I got there it was beautiful and sunny.
Like this kinda sunny
So I headed back and passed coming the other way a group of kids doing their Duke of Edinburgh type stuff, all with their packs on etc I met one group at a stile and the first two kids just ignored me stood there dripping with sweat and breathing hard and then a girl at the back said “wait everyone let the person through” (Im not sure that they knew what gender I was due to the long hair) and so I hopped over and thanked them and ran on.
A mile or so later I got to the beach and found one of them had dropped their sleeping mat. So what do you do? I was in a rush as I had an appointment to keep, I had already run 3 or 4 miles hard pace and they were headed in the opposite direction and all uphill. You know what – the tipping point of making me grab it and run as hard as I could to catch them (they move fast these damn kids) over 2 miles or so at 6-7 minute uphill pace (good training hey) was that the girl had called out to let me through and they did.
So I caught them eventually utterly fucked and they were I think amazed that I had done that for one of them – all I could gasp was “Its a bastard sleeping out without a mat” and trotted off – thankfully downhill and home. Ok so I was a little late. So what – And thats karma. Just the little things can come back to you. And maybe those kids saw a small gesture from a stranger and might just try it themselves.
Should have nicked it for myself it was a nice one too (Joking of course)
I was away at a friends all weekend, four hour drive back and the sun was out. So despite the utter knackeredness I just couldn’t help but go out. 8 miles or so …. can you blame me
Is it possible to feel too good? Some days I just want to fly and I know if I fly I can break. It’s at the point now where 8 or 9 miles after work (Gotta love BST) feel compltely fine and natural and keep my head in such a good place. I can go faster but I know I dont actually need to go faster. It’s just a matter of having to put the brakes on and it’s hard to drop pace, I naturally keep dropping pace to around 8 to 8.30 minute miles which over that terrain is ridiculous and unsustainable for my body but it just feels so good to fly.
Tides inFeisty little bugger on the left saw me off!Hard not to fly on days like these
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 todayJust the perfect morning to be out before the trippersI found a map! Still exploring the Dunraven end of my runBadly focused cookie – Best thing about long distances – I eat what i feel like out thereTide racing – Tide won – Still the odd rock scramble never hurt anyoneAlways 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
