My First 17 Mile Run !!
It is week seven of my marathon training. Today I needed to run SEVENTEEN miles! I decided to run a lovely scenic route that my husband walked the other weekend. The marathon I'll be doing in July has been described as "Hilly", so I need to ensure that I am incorporating lots of hills/inclines within my training runs.
Starting off in Ystrad Mynach, I join the cycle track and run towards Nelson.
It's a beautiful, sunny day and the ducks enjoying a splash about in the pond.....
I continue along the track and up a short, sharp incline.....
.......before a long downhill.........
I pass another two lakes........
.....and stop to soak up the complete stillness of the third.
The water's like a mirror today!
The water's like a mirror today!
I run across the boardwalk, through the reeds,
which seem to tower above my dwtty 5ft 2"!!
which seem to tower above my dwtty 5ft 2"!!
I decide to run up to Parc Penallta.........
This bit looks downhill - but it is actually uphill!! It's flippin steep!!
It's a 200ft elevation gain in just under a mile!
View from half way up, towards Merthyr Tydfil.
It just keeps getting steeper.......
......and steeper......
.......and steeper........
....and steeper!
Just as my lungs feel like they are going to burst out of my chest - I reach the top!
Phew! The track flattens out and there are lots of muddy puddles!
Phew! The track flattens out and there are lots of muddy puddles!
One of Parc Penallta's many scuptures....
View of Eglwysilan mountain.
I take another uphill track to visit Parc Penallta's Dome.....
OMG! A giant easter bunny!!Lol!
And here it is - The Dome!
You can see for miles around for 360 degrees!!
It's arms are covered with pictures based on local childrens' drawings of
various insects and creatures they might see in the area........
aswell as symbols of the areas history.......
I run back down the hill.......
......and follow the steps down.......
This is "Sultan" - The Pit Pony!
I must admit, he's not easy to make out from this angle!
I must admit, he's not easy to make out from this angle!
(He is lying down and his eye is the black dot on the right hand side)
Here's an ariel view of him! He's a 200m long earth sculpture -
reckoned to be the longest sculpture of its type in britain!
I decide to give him a little Thai massage and run his length - from his back leg,
all the way to the top of his head and down his nose!
I now leave Parc Penallta and across the road can see the old Penallta colliery site.....
I run down the road and rejoin join the cycle track in the direction of Hengoed....
I have already run 5 miles!
View from Hengoed Viaduct towards Ystrad Mynach & Maesycwmmer.....
The Wheel of Drams - an 8 metre high sculpture constructed from old coal drams.
I follow the cycle track through Maesycwmmer.......
.....the gorse is out everywhere!
It is going to be a long,slow slog. A climb of 762 feet over 3.3 miles!
I see lots of signs of spring along the way.....
The lane continues to rise, ever upwards......
The view is beautiful!
OMG! This bit is soooooo steep! It's a killer!!
reckoned to be the longest sculpture of its type in britain!
I decide to give him a little Thai massage and run his length - from his back leg,
all the way to the top of his head and down his nose!
A sculpture of a miner......
I now leave Parc Penallta and across the road can see the old Penallta colliery site.....
I run down the road and rejoin join the cycle track in the direction of Hengoed....
I have already run 5 miles!
View from Hengoed Viaduct towards Ystrad Mynach & Maesycwmmer.....
The Wheel of Drams - an 8 metre high sculpture constructed from old coal drams.
I follow the cycle track through Maesycwmmer.......
.....the gorse is out everywhere!
A small incline and I have reached Bryn Meadows Golf course -
my cue to take a right up a country lane. The start of my long climb to Wylie Mountain!
It is going to be a long,slow slog. A climb of 762 feet over 3.3 miles!
I see lots of signs of spring along the way.....
The lane continues to rise, ever upwards......
In the distance, I spy two cyclists, also enroute to the summit.
Don't know why on earth I think I could catch up with them,
but I decide to try to beat them to the top! The challenge is on!
It gets steeper! There they are, in the distance!
The view is beautiful!
OMG! This bit is soooooo steep! It's a killer!!
I can see for miles and miles!
There are the cyclists! I've nearly caught them up!!
Yessssssss! I did it!
I caught them up and over took them just before the brow of the hill!!
The track gets difficult to run on here as it is gravely....
Next, I need to run as far as you can see and around to the left......
I follow the path alongside a forestry.....
View of the valley opposite....
What a gorgeous day - hardly a cloud in the sky!
I look back at what I have just run........
The track become pretty muddy.....
Around the bend, I take a sharp left.......
View back up the stoney path.....
I am now running through the forestry.....it's turned into an assult course!!
With fallen trees to negotiate.......
.......and roots to leap over!!
A spell of uphill.....
View to my left!!
Then, it's a long, stoney path down through the forestry.
I have to tread very carefully in some parts!
The forestry behind me, I am now running past woodland instead....
View across the valley towards Cwmfelinfach.....
I take a left and join a country lane.....
In the field to the right, there are loads of ewes and their lambs feeding
and chillaxing in the spring sunshine!
View towards Cwmfelinfach...
And, because I've had a taster of it, I can't help going off road once more.....
Another assult course! Hard running but loadsa fun!
Have to watch where I'm stepping to avoid twisting my ankles here.....
Bridges to cross....
......pretty waterfalls......
The track is narrow, stoney and muddy!
My new white trainers are wrecked within minutes! Well and truely christened!!
......and some to climb over.....
......some to run around......
It's pleasant running alongside the river.....
The track joins the Sirhowy Valley Walk and is flat for a while....
I'm now only 3/4 of a mile from Wylie - the mountain I ran up earlier!
I could murder a pint right now and I've just ran out of lucozade!!
I am parched, I could really do with a wee - and the pub is shut! Typical!!!
Next for a long, long uphill bit of road....the last killer incline!!
I have now run 13.5 miles!!
I look behind me......oh dear!! Nearly there!!!
I have never been so glad to see Ystrad Mynach on a sign in my life!!!
And, to the left is Wylie - the start of the long, slow 3 mile uphill slog
I took after having run 5 miles. Seems like ages ago now!!!
I go straight on to Maesycwmmer...
Back past the Wheel O Drams....
......over the viaduct.....
The view from the top.....
Nearly there!!!
Oh Ystrad! Yipppeeeee!! I love you!! I made it back home!!!
But, my Garmin watch tells me that I have only run 16 miles!
Arrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggghhhhhhh!! I need to do ONE more mile!!
So, off I go again!! I decide to run half a mile down the road to
Ye Olde Royal Oak and back!
Which means that my last half a mile, is half a mile of UPHILL!!!
Believe me - I was well happy to reach the top!!
WOW! Seventeen miles! If my legs would have let me, I would have done cartwheels!!
What a fab run! The best weather I have had for a long time!
A gorgeous, sunny morning, with hardly a cloud in the sky!
Another mixed bag.
Road running, cycle track, country lanes, mountain terrain,
forrestry tracks, and muddy trails!!
I feel on top of the world!!!
:o)
There are the cyclists! I've nearly caught them up!!
Yessssssss! I did it!
I caught them up and over took them just before the brow of the hill!!
The track gets difficult to run on here as it is gravely....
Awwwwww! I love lambs! They are soooooooo cute!
Next, I need to run as far as you can see and around to the left......
A little bit more uphill.......
Oh dear! A herd of bulls - and no fence to separate them from me!
I pick up the pace for a while!!
I follow the path alongside a forestry.....
View of the valley opposite....
What a gorgeous day - hardly a cloud in the sky!
I look back at what I have just run........
The track become pretty muddy.....
Down I go.....
Around the bend, I take a sharp left.......
View back up the stoney path.....
I am now running through the forestry.....it's turned into an assult course!!
With fallen trees to negotiate.......
.......and roots to leap over!!
A spell of uphill.....
View to my left!!
Then, it's a long, stoney path down through the forestry.
I have to tread very carefully in some parts!
It flattens out as I take a right...
The forestry behind me, I am now running past woodland instead....
View across the valley towards Cwmfelinfach.....
I take a left and join a country lane.....
In the field to the right, there are loads of ewes and their lambs feeding
and chillaxing in the spring sunshine!
View towards Cwmfelinfach...
I continue to follow the lane downhill......
And, because I've had a taster of it, I can't help going off road once more.....
Here comes the mud!
Another assult course! Hard running but loadsa fun!
Have to watch where I'm stepping to avoid twisting my ankles here.....
Bridges to cross....
......pretty waterfalls......
The track is narrow, stoney and muddy!
My new white trainers are wrecked within minutes! Well and truely christened!!
There are trees to duck under..............
......and some to climb over.....
......some to run around......
It's pleasant running alongside the river.....
The track joins the Sirhowy Valley Walk and is flat for a while....
I'm now only 3/4 of a mile from Wylie - the mountain I ran up earlier!
I could murder a pint right now and I've just ran out of lucozade!!
I am parched, I could really do with a wee - and the pub is shut! Typical!!!
Next for a long, long uphill bit of road....the last killer incline!!
I have now run 13.5 miles!!
I look behind me......oh dear!! Nearly there!!!
I have never been so glad to see Ystrad Mynach on a sign in my life!!!
And, to the left is Wylie - the start of the long, slow 3 mile uphill slog
I took after having run 5 miles. Seems like ages ago now!!!
I go straight on to Maesycwmmer...
Back on the cycle track now......
Back past the Wheel O Drams....
......over the viaduct.....
The view from the top.....
Last little incline......Ouch, my legs are aching now!!!
Might aswell end with a little off road eh???
Down I go....A few boulders and stone to negotiate....
Nearly there!!!
Oh Ystrad! Yipppeeeee!! I love you!! I made it back home!!!
But, my Garmin watch tells me that I have only run 16 miles!
Arrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggghhhhhhh!! I need to do ONE more mile!!
So, off I go again!! I decide to run half a mile down the road to
Ye Olde Royal Oak and back!
Which means that my last half a mile, is half a mile of UPHILL!!!
Believe me - I was well happy to reach the top!!
WOW! Seventeen miles! If my legs would have let me, I would have done cartwheels!!
What a fab run! The best weather I have had for a long time!
A gorgeous, sunny morning, with hardly a cloud in the sky!
Another mixed bag.
Road running, cycle track, country lanes, mountain terrain,
forrestry tracks, and muddy trails!!
I feel on top of the world!!!
:o)
