Time and Tide

Orange stains from crawling through the thorny bushes.

Due to sore heels and lingering flu bugs we gave the Nationals XC at Falkirk a miss and went for what we planned to be an easyish 12 miler round the beaches of East Lothian.

 We headed down to Yellowcraigs and planned to run along the beach back to Aberlady and then back to Gullane to pick up the car but the tide was in and halted us in our tracks. We had to go a bit inland for a while but found ourselves bush-whacking through those thorny bushes with the orange berries, (Does anyone know what those are?) beside a high green fence over which was, I think, the grounds at Archerfields. Peter climbed over the wire but I didn't want to, even if it hadn't been a difficult climb (nowhere for your toes to go), the woods were full of the sounds of gunshot.

So we back-tracked a bit, wondering what to do, when we noticed a little sandy path back to the beach and by this time there was a thin margin of beach over which we could run, if we were careful and quick. I managed to move considerably faster than I have all year, but only for a short while.

There was a bit more climbing and crawling involved to get over some cliffs as the tide was right in beneath them...

The extra-curricular bush-whacking and climbing and what-not was a bit exhausting so  when we got to Gullane beach we headed straight back to the car instead of taking in the next bit of headland. Predictably we found ourselves at Falko's. Today they were selling cheese and sausage tongues! Delicious washed down with diet Irn Bru.

8 and a bit miles. I felt very sluggish after the first couple of miles. I am hoping it is just the toxic effects of work wearing off...