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Poet on the Run

Finding sense and making art – one run at a time

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I think I'd call this weekend a success 😁 After spending yesterday clocking up 16 sunny miles with the crew along the canals and greenways round Brum, we took to the Malverns today for a gorgeous bluebird day out on the trails ☀ We followed the ridgeline out to bag both beacons, then took the side trails back to Great Malvern for a cold one 🍻 It wasn't about going fast, but we made decent time and had a blooming good laugh while we were at it. I might be at work tomorrow but at least it will be after two days of sun, dusty paths and the best company ✌️ #crewlove #friendshipandhilltraining #dirtbagrunners

As I'm sat in the airport in Berlin waiting for my flight home, it's strange trying to process the last few days on the trails. The Rennsteig was a hard, healing, humbling thing. It had been a year since I last did a multi day run, and finding those legs again didn't come easy. Learning to let go of the civilised part of my mind didn't happen easily. Too much of the city stuffed in the pockets of a load I deliberately kept minimal. Too much noise buzzing in my ears to find the rhythm in the steps straight away. But it did come back. Gently. Softer than I remembered. But there it was, just waiting for me to let go and hear it. There's a magic in giving in to the part of you that's still wild. That part doesn't understand cities or office politics or emails, nor does it care to. What it does understand is the flow of the land, the taste of spring, the exact and subtle changes in the dirt when the forest is about to open up, the clarity of flying descents and lung-burning climbs. And if you listen closely enough, it understands the things you weren't ready to face before. It might not have straight answers, but it will give you the right questions and give you shades of emotion and colour and the texture of the path you need to take, if you choose to be brave and follow it. And I guess that's what I came for. To find the magic again. To move through unfamiliar forests and feel the rhythm of the hills. To follow the footsteps of poets who came here before me, seeking the same thing I was, I suppose. To scrape myself down and hollow myself out until I could find the path, watched by the squat grey sentinels guarding the way. This is where I feel at home. Sun on my face, dirt under my feet, and the wild song drawing me on.

Rennsteig adventures day 4 🏞️ . And what a different day it was today. Al was well and truly kaput so our new friends in the world's most yokely local bar in Lauscha gave him the info on buses to Blankenstein (in short, not many) so he wouldn't have to keep hiking on his busted up foot. I meanwhile set off solo for the last 50km on the trail. The initial section was in thick low lying cloud and cold winds as I got stuck trudging down the side of a main road to Steinbach. (In fairness, partly my error as I followed the official white R's instead of taking the blue offshoot ones, which previously have been little detours to viewpoints etc but oh well). Feeling rather chilly and unimpressed I stopped for a hot chocolate and checked the map before changing into tights and pressing on. The trail did soon go back to rooty forest loveliness, but the pleasure was short lived when I took a spill 6 miles out from Steinbach, skinning my knee and shoulder and tweaking what felt like everything on the way down. I took a moment to sit on a rock and throw a short one woman pity party 💁‍♀️ but picked myself up and got going to get to the end point. I may have been a bit battered, but I was determined, and eventually got in to Blankenstein where I threw the pebble I'd been carrying since Hörschel into the river as per tradition. Today in pictures - cloud and trudging, making friends with unexpected coos, trail treasure, forest gorgeousness, a gorgeous Schutzhütte, scepticism on minor chair hyperbole, and my Kieselstein at its final destination. #rennsteig #fastpacking #thruhike

Rennsteig adventures day 3 🏞️ . Today brought some serious deepwood vibes. The land was a lot gentler and the trail didn't have as much climbing in there, so I got to just enjoy running through the deep dark forest feeling like I was in a Brothers Grimm fairytale. The navigation side has been super simple, just following the signs and white R blazes - and, especially today, following the Grenzsteine which sit like squat grey sentinels along the trail and have marked the way for the better part of 800 years. I managed to clock a solid 21 miles of mostly running as far as Limberg, where my poor bonking legs were treated to the best €1 Eispauschen ever. (Two words: Pineapple. Ice-cream. 😍) From there it was up and over the Sandberg, a few more miles of woodland running, and then a long trudge through Neuhaus and Ernstthal to get to where we're staying, topping out at a smidge under 29 miles for the day. Al was following at a more sedate pace having decided he was only up to hiking it in, and called it at Masserberg. He's currently on a bus from the nearest pickup to get to our end stop for the night so we can figure out what we're doing about tomorrow. In the meantime though, I've had a hot shower and been able to stretch and ease out the muscles a bit, and am rather looking forward to being able to go get food once Mr Al gets here!

Rennsteig adventures day 2 🏞️ Today was very much a day of two parts. The first half from Friedrhoda to Oberhof was in glorious sunshine on bouncy, pinewood trails. Al remained kaput so we agreed he'd hike the distance and I'd run ahead. As the trail climbed up towards Oberhof though, there was an unexpectedly large amount of snow still on the ground so I had the fun of one minute flying along a rooty soft single track and the next I was post-holing through knee deep snow. As it was, I got into Oberhof at the 16 mile point and settled in with a bratwurst and a hot chocolate... And who should walk through the door of the hut as I was finishing off but my hikey compadre 😁 From there we decided to tackle the snow together, so we hiked the remaining 12 in to Schmiedefeld chatting about sci fi, adventure tales we love, and exchanging stories of adventures we'd had separately. So here we are - 51 miles in and just shy of halfway, with a beer in hand and food on the way. Today has been a good day.

Rennsteig adventures, day 1. Sunny, warm, and going basically non stop uphill for the first 30km 🤪 But hot damn these trails are fun to run! 😍 #fastpacking #friendshipandhilltraining #alwaysmorevert

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I think I'd call this weekend a success 😁 After spending yesterday clocking up 16 sunny miles with the crew along the canals and greenways round Brum, we took to the Malverns today for a gorgeous bluebird day out on the trails ☀ We followed the ridgeline out to bag both beacons, then took the side trails back to Great Malvern for a cold one 🍻 It wasn't about going fast, but we made decent time and had a blooming good laugh while we were at it. I might be at work tomorrow but at least it will be after two days of sun, dusty paths and the best company ✌️ #crewlove #friendshipandhilltraining #dirtbagrunners

Tag: Crew love

Tales from the Trail – Homecoming

Adventures, Hiking, Running, SWCP, Trail Running

Tales from the Trail – Homecoming

And on the fifth day, I was in Devon. My running buddy John had decided to come down and run … Continue reading Tales from the Trail – Homecoming

Adventures, Running, SWCP, Trail Running

Saddle Up

It’s go time. Eighteen months of preparation, of training, worrying, pushing myself to the limits of what I could handle, … Continue reading Saddle Up

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