sunset – Blue Green Gold Grey, Awyr Maes Tywod Aarreg

Bah Flu Wah

Every time I feel like im getting into a groove something like flu kicks in. This week has been mainly a writeoff, to be fair the flu didnt properly kick in until later in the week but last weekend saturdays run was around 10 miles and I felt amazing. Then on sunday everything was broke. Just felt bleuuurgh from the off. So you know what, I walked a lot of it, we did 6 miles or so but half run half walk and normally I cant get away from that “cheating” feeling when I walk but I figure its better to be out there doing something than nothing at all. I know Murph would prefer it!

So with 3 months to the first ultra and with a few fell races in between I feel like I cant get a solid training block started … and then i realise I havent really stopped and the fitness is there anyway so whats the worry.

Technically I shouldnt go out and run today but y’know…. techincally we’re all dead one day so im gonna seize this one

20190204_170234 — Great subject – terrible photography skills

20190206_163002 — Nights are drawing out

20190201_151722 — We had a bit of snow – Murph loves it!

20190203_100923 — Frosty morning at Nash Point

20190202_101835 — Our forest in between the showers

Just find the joy

We’re still out there. And we’re just enjoying being out and training. By training I just mean running when we feel like it – which for Murph would be every day if he could but for his old man it means when I know the body can take it. No matter because we can always walk anyway!

It really is such a joy to be out with a dog again, I think I’d forgotten how much pleasure you can get just by making an animal so happy. Gotta admit Soaks is probably up there watching and thinking Thank God he never made me run like that, she was definitely a walking dog. But Murphy was born to run (to be fair its his genetics) and watching him bounce around and be a general lunatic with a huge grin on his face is a simple way of making any hurt I’m feeling disappear. It’s so easy to melt a mile away in his company.

We’ve seen some pretty cool sunsets recently too

20190126_102111 — This is actually early morning not dusk

20190130_165524 — Last nights clouds – Looking a bit ominous with snow forecast

Down week

I checked my mileage and it was 110 miles for the 2 weeks of xmas – oops no wonder things are a little achey so showing sense and in the spirit of trying to make it though 2019 without a major injury (touch wood etc) I took a week off running and just walked Murph instead. Admittedly we do around 6 miles a day at the lest but its not high impact and he has to have his walks or he goes mental

And we saw some stunning sunsets. Enjoy. We did.

20190109_164915 — Might be one of my alltime favourites

20190109_164453aaaaaaa — Murph failing to get in shot properly

20190109_164156 — Twas rather relaxing down there

20190109_162826 — Get ready the suns a setting

Still moving just slower

Im still about, I just cant run much, or at least I could but I know its not going to do me much good in the longer run. The arse still hurts .. glutes are, legs whatever. I know when its not right and there are days I can hardly feel it, Its healing just taking its damn time. I did run/walk on saturday or rather walk/run and it was good to get going again but I cant really drive off it so Id rather wait until Im confident in it.

Perhaps its taking its time to heal as I’m walking on it so much. Murph needs long walks and Im happy to oblige so I’ve donned a headtorch and he has a flashy new collar with LEDs and we’re not letting the darkness beat us. I’m reckoning we’re doing around 40 miles of walking a week still which I guess is keeping me at some sort of level of fitness. Its frustrating but there you gp – that it seems is running half the time. Either injured or in the process of injuring myself. Still if youre gonna have a layoff this is the time of year to do it. I feel bad that I dont keep up with wordpress and you lot while Im injured … I turn off from running altogether, its easier when I dont think about it so sorry about that!

So the bit you all come here for instead of me whinging about injury – The photos – in no particular order

20181111_124756 — Plus chasing hares in forests

20181112_172329 — And a new collar so we dont get totally lost

20181114_163728 — Enjoying the reflections and reflecting

20181114_163918 — Nowhere else I’d rather be

20181114_164127 — Hole digging champ 2018

20181117_092231 — One of the rarest sights in nature – Commander crab teaching crab cadets how to do a pincer movement

The dog is an idiot but I love him regardless

Haven’t been running in a few weeks due to injury. Seem to have torn a glute or something, well no seem about it I have torn a glute due to ….. circumstances.

I present some photos of circumstances. Luckily circumstances means that I am still walking around 8-10 miles a day without much pain so hey ho its all good everything needed a rest anyway.

20181010_170951 — Circumstances resting during a run

20181011_170751 — Meeting an old friend – fluffy dog!

20181020_084757 — Sunrise over the cliffs

20181020_091826 — Everyday can be beautiful if you let it

Still out there

Once again I realise im running far far more than im blogging. In fact I’m back to running a fair deal again, its a 50 mile week again without counting the dog walks too. But the important thing isnt the mileage its the time spent outside with Murph. I was considering funning a fell race yesterday and was about to then realised that I would prefer to go for a long run with Murph rather than leave him home and race. And it was the right decision. It was better to be in a forest with him than up a mountain without him. Priorities change I guess although I am pondering the future too – I mean where does all this training go? To be honest it’ll probably be next year before I run any races and that will probably be Preseli up first but then what? The thought of a 50 miler intrigues me as its the next logical step but I know how blown out I am on 32. Who knows! Less introspection more photos they cry!

20180925_171704 — This …. is progress. Thats a field full of sheep – thats one dog with strong hunting instincts behaving perfectly. training is paying off

20180927_165021 — Give me a treat I have just run several miles

20180929_131117 — A dog in a forest is better than no dog up a mountain

Splendid Isolation

Once again I haven’t blogged in weeks. It’s not like I have nothing to blog about I just never seem to sit down to do it these days. Doesn’t help being back in work after the summer off, having a cold, a mental dog etc etc All excuses of course. Luckily I always have time to get out with Murph. usually two big walks or runs a day, usually to the beach. I calculated last week I was up in the 60 mile range of walk/run so it’s no wonder my feet and ankles are feeling pretty battered. Theres not much I can do about it though.

Take rest everyone screams in the running world when you feel injuries and those niggles. Rest it! Rest it! I can’t, not out of stubborness and stupidity (Been there seen it done it) but because I have aforesaid mental dog who needs the exercise. So I really have no option but to hope things hold together! Im sure they will, I stretch and roll my feet (Got a great foot massage roller thingy that looks a bit like a sex toy)

So splendid isolation? Its that time of the year again which I love, I love Autumn not just for the season itself but because the beach empties and I have it pretty much to myself again until spring. Being a rescue Murph has some difficulties with people and as his confidence has grown his defence mechanism has switched from running away from people to barking at them. I know he’s fine and wont hurt people hes just saying “stay the fuck away from me” but hes quite large and scary if you dont know him so I almost (almost) feel sorry for people when he charges up to them baring his teeth and barking. He is responding better to commands though and I can usually haul him off before kids cry.

So here are the latest batch of photos. A random mix of walks, runs and ….. well just see

20180903_070039 — Dawn at the beach is always special

20180906_071048 — Sunrise in the fields (awful photo technically but i like it)

20180907_065407 — Little fluffy (pink) clouds – for you SRG

20180907_070337 — Sunlight through the woods

20180903_173940 — Splendid isolation in full swing

20180905_174125 — If you’re digging a hole then i’m digging a hole

20180907_165218 — Random cat in a pot in neighbours garden

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