Back to the Great Outdoors to run a Beach, Two Piers and Fifty Lobster Pots...

My starting point:  the Coral Strand.

At last I shook free from the treadmill and went out into the fresh air for a run that was about 5 miles in distance, and somewhere in the region of 8.30 in pace.  The first part of the day was borrowed from high summer, while the second part was a borrowed from, well a typical Irish rainy winter.  So glad was I that I availed of the fine weather.  I started my run down by the coral strand - Trá an Dóilín, and ran across the eastern side of the beach and a trail that I had heard about from Rónán, but hadn't run before.  I had no choice but to run this section at pace, as I was leaping over seaweed and slippy rock.  The trail led me to a little pier which I had never seen before - our peninsula has a pier at the end of every little road. From that point I followed an uphill section of road that ran for about a half a mile until I reached the main route to the beach again.  I turned left instead of right at the top of the road and headed toward the village but broke off to take in another road, that led to another pier at Caladh Thadhg...I felt good enough today, and was full of beans at this stage.  There is  about a mile (not fully) in the road that leads to Caladh Thadhg and back.  Down at this pier there were about fifteen boats of all shapes and sizes anchored up, and about fifty lobster pots stacked ready for the next day.  The way back from that pier to the top of the road calls for a big climb - so the elbows were grinding like the axle of a steam engine as I tried to motor on up!  I ran on into the village then and really could have gone on for a good while, the day being so fine, but for two reasons:  today is wifey's birthday and I was anxious to be back at a decent time and, Ireland were due to play France in a big rugby match (which we lost, but only just!).   All in all, I enjoyed today - it's great to get back out.