Surf's Up

We were only up for a gentle run and then a swim today ahead of tomorrow's Gala XC. It was cold and I was tired before we started. Just as we set off we realised that there was going to be a Hibs game today which meant it would be torture to get parked when we got back. When we got to Gullane I was thinking if we turned around right away we could beat the Hibees, get the car parked and then spend the rest of day indoors...if we didn't run or swim...

However, you don't need me to tell you about the invigorating qualities of the fresh country air and the bracing effect of the sea. Half a mile into the run I started to cheer up as I was trying to sing "Eye of the tiger" to Peter and he sang back probably quite an accurate rendition of what I'd actually sung rather than what I was hearing in my head...you probably had to be there. I was overtaken by a fit of uncontrollable laughter which warmed me up...

still I was tired and I wasn't much interested in anything on the run. Peter was trying to catch my attention telling me that there was a SUNDOG there was a SUNDOG and trying to get me to look. I didn't feel like turning round, too much effort....I peeped when he wasn't looking...as I thought, a thin, straight, barely visible rainbow hung in the sky to the right of the sun. I can get better visuals off my dirty windscreen when I drive into the sun.

Then we got back to the van and it was Oh God we have to get into wet suits and get into the sea now. I had been joking with Peter earlier, saying "Doesn't the sea look inviting?" What it looked was Baltic. But there was a nice light around and despite it being a very calm day some large surf was obviously just reaching shore now from some disturbance somewhere else at some other time...

So to cut a long story short, once we were in, it was fun. It was quite amazingly atmospheric and the big waves had no qualms about catching us unwary and knocking us off our feet. It's nicer swimming towards the sun  in this low light, I've discovered, because it's easier to see through the water. The tide also seemed to be running this way, so it was easier. So we swam along to the left and then got out, ran down the beach and then swam up again. And then we called it a day.

Getting changed back into dry clothes is never easy with numb hands and trying not to show your bits to the people sitting in their cars, eating chip suppers and staring out to sea. Our feet had nearly thawed out by the time we got home. And we found a parking space very close to home. Goal!