spottedTheBird – Blue Green Gold Grey, Awyr Maes Tywod Aarreg

And this is why ….

I love trail running ….

grass, rocky path, grass, gravel, tarmac, grass, forest trail, tramac, grass, pebbles, rocks, sand, rocks, rock steps, grass, gravel, grass, earth track, grass, cornfield, grass, tarmac, grass tarmac

Were the different conditions underfoot on a 12 and a half mile run today to St Donats, Marcross, Monknash beach, Witches Point, Wick beach, parents house and home.

Or put it this way.

fields, paths, fields, road, fields, forest, roads, fields, paths, beach, fields, roads

Either way you look at it I had a great time just chilling for nearly 3 hours and doing my own thing. Legs still felt good at the end and heart can’t have gone much above 140 at a guess. On days like this it almost (almost!) feels effortless.

Onto the photos!

Haybale season – I love these, always reminds me that Soaky used to love jumping up on these when she was young.

SAM_0521 — This is what we’re doing to our oceans – countless pieces of plastic have come ashore again. If this is a small microcosm of the oceans imagine the dreadful pollution worldwide killing sealife and destroying the marine environment. If we don’t do something soon there will be nothing left here for future generations.

#spottedthebird – A kestrel (I think) just hovering effortlessly looking for prey

This sheep is confused. This sheep thinks it is a dog and instead of running away like all its friends it allowed me to pat it – note stylish blade of grass in mouth (which is how I knew it was a sheep)

“There’s an idiot in our cornfield taking photos” “Don’t worry it will just be Gareth from down the road being an idiot” “Ok ok that explains it”

#spottedthebird2 (at the back the front one looks more like a deformed squirrel

Fly my Hawkmen! (NB No Hawkmen in this post)

One day I’m going to do a run where nothing happens and I see nothing interesting. I thought for the first half of todasy 6 miles this would be the day. Weather calm, tide going out, felt good, foot not so bad …. and then ATTACK BY SEAGULL.

The chicks must have hatched or something because as soon as I reached the section of sand near the ladders I was divebombed by gulls until I ran a further 50 yards down the beach (then I ran back into the firing line for the photo op)

They were banking near the cliffs and coming in on a direct line for me before swooping past a few feet above my head. I figured I could stand my ground because if one was to hit me I reckon we’d be equal in a grapple on the sand.