Friday 29 October 2010

Porthtowan to Chapel Porth and back - circular beach run

In truth, this is more or less a second installment, after the last run with Martyn - another brief video from the same week, in excellent company and with spectacular scenery.

We were joined this time by the incomparable Clare (you might know her online as Pestomum), who had "Bob" tagging along for the ride - meaning we took things at a relaxed and enjoyable bimble.

The route itself was actually shown from above in the "birthday run" part two - the bit after Chapel Porth where I point down from the cliffs and say "You can run down there when the tide is out" (or something like that)... Well, it was, and we did. Porthtowan to Chapel Porth. And back.

Lots of mucking about, lots of fun... but, sadly, we failed to deliver the promised ice cream (Chapel Porth's speciality) - and even though this was rectified later, I still don't think I'm really forgiven, even now.

Nonetheless, amazing weather, great views, brilliant friends... a really fantastic run:



The round-trip was nominally 2.3 miles or so... but this did include a fair bit of jiggery pokery.

After all, what are wide open expanses of beach for, if not to write stupid messages to the world with your Garmin trace?

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Wednesday 27 October 2010

Portreath to Godrevy - running along North Cliffs

A very short video (with the wrong date on it - 'twas June, not July - d'oh!) showing just a few of the sights from a 7.2 mile run along perhaps my favourite stretch of the SW Coast Path: the North Cliffs between Portreath and Godrevy lighthouse.

The run was in the company of Martyn - known online as 2 Flat Feet - and all the better for it, I might add.

I'm sure to revisit this clifftop path in more detail in future - in the meantime, here's a two-minute taster. Enjoy!



Unlike some of the routes on this site, I do wholeheartedly endorse this route in its entirety: it's a lovely run.

Please, please be careful of the clifftops, though - they're not the most stable... and note a few stern ups and downs which mean it's not all that runnable in places:

Thursday 21 October 2010

Illogan, Portreath and Wheal Peevor

This was a nice, summertime run, taking one of my favourite paths through Illogan Woods, before following the Coast to Coast trail inland to Wheal Peevor, near Radnor - a particularly rare surviving arrangement of historic mine buildings... and a jewel in the crown of Cornwall's World Heritage site status.



This map takes in the full 9.3 miles of the run... back from Wheal Peevor and back up to Redruth (note that this extra bit includes some running along a main road):

Sunday 10 October 2010

Perranporth to Porthtowan (birthday special run)

Much of the credit for this one must go to my good friend Sam... who, having spotted that my running plans were being curtailed in the weekend after my birthday, encouraged me to push the boat out, and treat myself to a truly special run.

The result was, for me, one my all-time favourite runs - 8 glorious miles of coastal and clifftop trail from Perranporth to Porthtowan, so hot and hilly it took me over two hours to complete.

Of course, some of that slowness might also have been down to getting my new camera out every couple of hundred yards, to shoot the latest stunning view!

This run was so amazing I ended up with masses of footage - enough for TWO videos. The first one goes as far as Trevaunance Cove, St Agnes:



...While the second video picks up where that leaves off, following the run from St Agnes to the finish in Porthtowan.



If you'd like to try this one yourself, this stretch of coast path is fairly well marked - but the cliffs aren't the most stable, so be careful. If it helps, my GPS readout from the run is here:

First things first

For me, the best part of running is the ability to explore - to pull on a pair of trail shoes and ask "Where does THAT path go?!"

As a result, I've seen some pretty amazing things while out running... from clifftop views and snowy hilltops to snacking seals and birds of prey.

I wanted to share those experiences, so started carrying a small video camera around with me - and this site was born.

This Vlog chronicles runs in some interesting places - along with interactive mapping wherever possible so you can see exactly WHERE each view is in the real world.

Most of these will be in Cornwall, simply because that's where I live and do most of my running.

A couple more things: this isn't a manicured, professional production, fronted by models and skinny athletes. This is me, an overweight guy in his thirties, out for a run - with all the sweat, snot and everything else that entails.

In other words, I *KNOW* I'm not pretty - especially not when I'm running - and I don't need you to tell me, thanks.

(If I'm on camera a lot, it's because the microphone works better that way round).

And I *KNOW* I'm not running in many of the clips. If I was, you wouldn't see ANYTHING! I do run in between, though. I promise.

--

IMPORTANT!!! - These are not usually planned runs, or recommended routes, but a record of where I actually went.

If you're inspired to visit some of these places, and the maps help you, that's brilliant, but do be aware there are clifftops, major roads, etc... so just be sensible, OK?