12 Mile Run - Roath Park, Cardiff to Ystrad Mynach!

12 Mile Run - Roath Park, Cardiff to Ystrad Mynach!

 

 

Well, today I needed to run 12 miles, so had a lift to Roath Park, Cardiff and decided to run home!

Ran through Llanishen and then began the long, slow, slog up Thornhill Road - the road that takes you up to the top of Caerphilly mountain........The scenery gets more and more rural.......(It's not summertime in Wales just yet!! Please note, I uploaded some of today's photos from Google Streets which just happen to have been taken in summertime!)

 

 

 

Here's the elevation profile for the run. Miles 2 to 4 were a killer! A 668ft elevation gain in just over 2 miles!! I have to pause for a minute three quarters of the way up to avoid passing out!!! 

 The hill goes on........

 

 

....and on......

 

........and on.......

 



.......and on........

 

This is where I stop for a minute half way up this section. My lungs feel like

they are going to burst out of my chest and my legs have turned to jelly!!!!

 

I have never been soooooo glad to reach the top of a hill in my life!!

 

 

Wow! My first bit of downhill! So relieved! But, look what's ahead - some more uphill!!

 



OMG! It's steep!

 



 

 Really steep!!

 

 

Ouch!! Is that the end of it, up there???



 

 

Phew! Yes!!! Finally, I have reached the top!!! Yippppeeeee!!!

And now for a bit of gentle downhill! Ahhhhh!!

 

 

Just down the road to the right is "Caerphilly Mountain Snack Bar".

They sell the best hot dogs and burgers in the valley! Mmmmmmmm!!

Wish I was stopping there now........

 

 

Wow! The view from the top! Look at those rolling welsh hills! Caerphilly, Llanbradach

 and then Ystrad Mynach in the very distance as far as you can see on the left hand side!

That's where I'm headed! 5 miles to go......looks further than that!!

 

 

 I bypass the snack bar and carry straight on and down Watford road,

the more gentle of the two routes down the other side of the mountain.....

 

 

View to the left of me.......

 

Views to the right.....

 

The views are fantastic across the valley! Stretching for miles!

 



 

Still going downhill and my little legs are on overdrive! Where are the brakes?? Lol!

I reach Nantgarw at the bottom and run into Caerphilly town and the castle.....

 

It's nice and quiet here today, perfect for taking photos :o)

 

I run around the castle, then continue down through Caerphilly and

to the following villiage, Llanbradach.....

 

 

Llanbradach is a small villiage with undulating roads, lined with terraced houses....

 

 

A nice little bit of downhill here........

 

 

.....before the final incline!! Ooooo, achy legs now! Dig in! One mile to go......

 

 

Where's the end???

 

 

 I now leave Llanbradach and enter Ystrad Mynach....

12 miles clicks on my Garmin watch right outside Ystrad Mynach's Rygby Club - Penallta RFC!

What a nice warm feeling! I couldn't have possibly picked a better place to end my run considering the outstanding performance our Welsh rygby team put on today!

 

 

Well done boys! Cymru am Byth! (Wales forever!!)