sort of a last minute decision as my nerves over my abilities and confidence in general have not been on the good side of healthy. very easy to talk the talk, even walk the walk, but when it comes down to me and my own thoughts we’re in a whole new shitscape. regardless, i booked on…knowing in my core that i would be fine. i have been out with this social running group more than once – they just do not care about how fast you are. it’s not just words on a post – they really are in it for the craic.
to make damn sure i wouldn’t dip out last minute (yeh i have that little faith in my resolve right now) i posted in the group chat that i was happy to lift share and managed to lure a couple of passengers in 🙏🏼 have to go now…people are relying on me – life hack for you right there!
met at the designated spot – praise be to ///what.3.words and waited for the gang to assemble. i love this part – old friends, new people, wary newbies, seasoned trailers – explorers excited to be sharing a morning together. instant sense of belonging that never fails to warm me.
after a brief run through of the plan we were off – straight to the bottom of a massive fucking uphill section 😂 walking within the first 500m…
panicky me: “what the actual fuck have i signed up for here 😬”
hateful me: “yeh, you’re well out of your depth here /snigger”
eye rolling me: “grow up and get the fuck on with it – everyone is walking…look 😶”
so, up we went, and then up some more – couple of stops and regroups and then i remembered where i was, why i was there, and turned around…
bit more climbing but chattable incline by this point – actually managed to run some of the up 🤘🏼
group meet at the bottom of the last big climb and an arrangement to meet up by the trig point…i love this. absolutely love it. up a mountain, silence apart from my own heart beat pounding in my skull. never feel more at peace – not sure why i refrain from doing it more often – perhaps it’s the fear of doing it solo…i need to unpack that as i definitely belong up there in that calm.
trig point was as lush as every other stop – loads of photos and a chance to get the heart rate down to something sensible before we set off again along the flat top of the mountain…i liked to imagine we were running down the centre of the giant’s body – you can see it all from the road…you’ll have to google it “sleeping giant cribarth” as i don’t have any photos and don’t want to rob anyone else’s!
the descent was the thing i feared most, and not without good cause, no fucking way i was running that 😂 picked and poked my way down with some fellow intrepid travellers and met up with the rest of the group stuffing their faces with blackberries at the end of the trail 😂
from there we ran to and through craig y nôs country park – a stunning building with a history worth researching. i stayed there once for a haunted hen night – no ghosts but cool to claim i’ve slept in a castle 🏰
pretty trails with more blackberries and then on to the pavement back to the car park – it was quiet enough on a sunday morning so it felt nice enough.
we finished up by saying good bye in the carpark and then said hello again at a local cafe. i won’t leave bad reviews but other than the lovely staff and good location there were no positives – very expensive, limited choice for vegans and what did arrive was dry and not thought out at all. thankfully the company more than made up for my £16 coffee and bap disappointment.
we started drifting away after an hour or so and it was back down the valley to sit in the bath for an hour and enjoy all the post run banter and photos.
another top outing – thanks we run wales x
