It has to be said... the long run wasn't the highlight of my weekend, the sea kayaking was, particularly when we saw seals and one particularly inquisitive one came to investigate my boat. The weather and sea conditions were perfect for a paddle and I had a lovely, if tiring day, paddling 16k from Rhos on Sea,... Continue Reading →
A running roller coaster
On Friday, John and I were aching after a weights session... the sort of aching that means you crawl up the stairs and struggle to sit on the toilet! As I sat on the train back from working in Manchester, I was tired and really hoped he wouldn't reply to my text about meeting me... Continue Reading →
Self doubt
I've had some moments of serious self doubt this week about my ability to run hilly half marathons, wondering what on earth I am doing, and why. Firstly, we hiked the Scott Snowdonia trail half marathon route on Thursday, which proved to be tougher than I expected, even walking. As you would probably expect, the... Continue Reading →
Tantrum and trail shoes
Today (Good Friday) dawned bright and sunny and we were looking forward to doing the Goldrush Trail at Coed y Brenin... 8.5 miles with 420 metres of ascent. But first, a lie in with hot cross buns in bed and a good book, and then some shopping! I've had trouble slipping on muddy... Continue Reading →
An alpine challenge!
I am always enthralled watching the Banff mountain film festival, and I always leave wanting an adventure. This time, watching a film about the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB), I was inspired to look for a trail race that John and I could do while we're in the French Alps this summer. The UTMB is an ultra marathon in the... Continue Reading →
Hills and heartbeats
The weather has been beautiful this week and I haven't been too busy at work so I've been able to get out in the hills behind Prestatyn more than usual, rather than running a flat route from our front door in Rhuddlan. This is great news on two counts. Firstly, there is nothing better than a... Continue Reading →
I lied!
John read yesterday’s blog and pointed out that I don’t always dislike running. And he went on to say that, at the end of a run, sometimes I’ve even said I’ve enjoyed it! He is, of course, correct.I had good cause to think about this today, because today I had one of those enjoyable runs.... Continue Reading →
Snowdonia trail half marathon: my biggest challenge to date
Well… I suppose I’ve done enough races to call myself a runner… but I still don’t like running, and I really don’t know why I’ve decided to up it a gear this year… Maybe because I wasn’t in a position to enter a strength or CrossFit competition, probably because I like a challenge… and definitely... Continue Reading →
2nd August 2014: Santillana del Mar, Santander and the boat home
Today, we woke to better weather and drove down to the seaside for breakfast. Afterwards, we drove to Santillana del Mar, which is a pretty, medieval town, with small pedestrianised cobbled streets and squares, and many historical buildings. We also visited the torture museum… Nasty! After a cold beer, we headed off to Santander, where... Continue Reading →
1st August 2014: Gaudi and Comillas
After our long and difficult hike, we had a lazy day in the sunshine by the pool yesterday. Unfortunately, we awoke to cloud today. As we’d done what we wanted to do in the mountains, we decided to leave the campsite a day early, make our way up to the coast and find somewhere to... Continue Reading →