Offroad Running – Page 2 – Blue Green Gold Grey, Awyr Maes Tywod Aarreg

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.

20180829_122047 — 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.

20180829_134002 — Oh yeah he had his therapy dog with him too

20180829_122105 — Standing on things is always better with friends

20180829_134424 — Murph dug himself this pit in the dunes and then pro0mptly lay in it

20180829_152536 — 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!

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.

20180822_075613 — 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

20180822_080829 — The face in the cliffs – Found it works both ways as long as you get the angles right

20180823_084310 — Derp dog derping along derpily

20180824_130818 — 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

20180825_092403 — Returning from yet another unsuccessful skyrat chase

20180825_092404(1) — Having fun? I think you might be

20180825_092441 — Returning from unsuccessful skyrat chase number 293

20180825_100107 — Just a beautiful morning, n o reason to go home so tack on some extra miles

Milestones? He doesnt even care

Well I know one thing – Murph can run a half marathon because he did yesterday. We were just enjoying being out and as we had waited for the tide and it was midday I took a running pack with food and water. And when you’re out and having fun just ticking over you just keep going.

So we did the run to Witches and then up and over the top, back to the beach and then a full length run back to Atlantic College which meant that was around 9 in total so by the time we hit up the cliff path for a strecth (variation for Murph as we’d been on rocks for a while) and then the beach back to monknash and home. Making it 13 and a half. He wasnt even tired, I was hurting in various places though holding up better than I thought I would on my first “longer” run again.

20180813_120533 — The lads were out in force today, they like to follow us for a while. No harm in them just curious

20180813_135013 — Past the ligthouse on the rocky stretch

20180813_135820 — Found the painted rocks – Cant remember how they used to be arrange so no idea if they’ve moved, half of them are missing though

20180813_140506 — Murph approaching Atlantic College

20180813_142548 — Sandbank in the distance from the cliffs at marcross

20180813_145251 — Now I figured perhaps he would be getting tired – nope thats him sprinting off ahead while I play catch-up. It’s a new kind of training im developing in which you have to maintain a suicidal pace just to keep up with your rapidly disappearing dog

20180813_150930 — Thats 13 miles Murph – Half marathon complete. Note position of lead – Thats as I’m virtually on my hand and knees from catching up to him before he reached the road.

Karma

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.

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.

20180421_095406 — Should have nicked it for myself it was a nice one too (Joking of course)

Buttercup Abacus

Hill sprints yesterday at Cwm Nash. I never quite know how many I’ve done so I used nature to help me count. Sprint up, jog down and pick a buttercup on the way, drop it in a pile at the bottom of the climb, I think it’s 20 its kinda hard to tell. Whatever the exact it’s almost inconceivable that I can run around 20 of these, 2 or 3 used to kill me not so long ago. Plus I ran back home at pretty much full beans. Feeling good. Please body hold out a month like this :p

20180412_154710 — Carefully laid on Trumps toupee

20180412_151511 — There are worse places to train!

Clipping Wings

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.

20180328_173740 — Feisty little bugger on the left saw me off!

20180328_164637 — Hard not to fly on days like these

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.

20180325_093751 — Will be odd to run past here knowing he isn’t around. Often used to stop to chat with him.

20180325_094431 — Still – life goes on and so does the run. Racing the tides today

20180325_095155 — Just the perfect morning to be out before the trippers

20180325_103008 — I found a map! Still exploring the Dunraven end of my run

20180325_111326 — Badly focused cookie – Best thing about long distances – I eat what i feel like out there

20180325_112117 — Tide racing – Tide won – Still the odd rock scramble never hurt anyone

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

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