B/J on the Beach 09/11/13

Selfie in the car

Chilly today for sure. But if you kept moving a great day for a coastal wander. Mary wanted to do 16+ miles today and that suited me fine. I have a feeling in a week's time when I am down South I will be missing our normal weekend fun, spending more time travelling than running.

We took cup flasks and on the way to N Berwick dropped them off at Aberlady – stashed where we would find them but where hopefully nobody else would. I was going to run with M up the road then back down the trails and beaches, when it occurred to me that since Mary wasn't bothered about having company along the road that I could probably follow the trails and beaches in both directions and our paths would cross at some point, hopefully near the flasks at Aberlady. Mary reckoned she would be there in about 55 minutes.

As soon as I was on the beach it was apparent there was a very chilly persistent breeze and checking the Garmin I saw I was having trouble doing 8 minute miles. I had been stopping every few minutes to take photos and admire the sunshine bouncing off everything. However when I tried to raise the pace a bit I was struggling to do 7.30 miles. The softness of the sand and the headwind were definitely slowing me down and I realised why Mary probably preferred the road for heading into the prevailing.

Someone else using Horatio's paddling pool! Hope they had permission.

I kept looking at my progress and trying to remember how many miles it was. I quickly realised it was not going to be possible to make the 55 minutes however I reckoned Mary would also be feeling it and unlikely to make 55m either, although I thought it was 7 from NB to Aberlady. (It's 6.3.)

I pushed it across Gullane beach and it was pretty much the hour by the time I crossed Gullane point. 2 things then happened: the phone in my pack rang (I knew it would be Mary with cheek about me being late for coffee,) and I caught sight of Bruce and Jason (B/J) on the beach. 3 weeks late from “going to the subs to see my da-ad” if you recall, but great to see them all the same.

We stopped for a bit of a chat but the weather was not for hanging around so I headed off to Aberlady to meet Mary and they headed on towards North Berwick. I had phoned M and asked her to retrieve my hot drink from the tree in which it was stashed and when I met her just over the dunes she passed it over and I enjoyed a hotto-mocko-chocko. Out of respect I saved the pastry for car time and we headed back down the beach again.

Nurse Hunter with medical supplies.

Mary was too warm(!) and stripped down to a vest.

The guy in the NB Co-op said he hoped we got the weather we expected!

Footsteps in the dunes (not ours.)

On the far side of Gullane beach we caught up with Bruce and Jason. I think they must have been in for a swim to allow us to make up the time. Bruce pointed out the cave near Marine Villa where there is a bit of a gang hut going on. I knew it was in the vacinity but we are usually looking at our feet across the rocks there and always till now have forgotten to check it out.

Arthur Seat through the clouds.

Then Bruce impressed us by doing the path up from the shore “clean.” If I'd known I would have video-ed it. Instead, next best thing: a composite of the short steep climb. There was a rainbow over Fidra. It is already far too photogenic and I always come home with a hundred photos of it and the Bass Rock. Today no exception.

Bruce x 5 cleans the path up from the shore

Then Bruce and Jason cycled on ahead until they got chatting with a family this side of the last beach. We ran past them to the harbour then back along the main street to bring the distances up to 16+ (Mary) and 17+ miles (me). Next time I will try and do the full 8½ to Aberlady before Mary gets there. Brilliant day out – on the way home the rain started, proving it was well worth the effort getting out there early.

Scooting home before the rain sets in.

This makes it obvious why the road is quicker than the coast.

Click HERE for Bruce's perspective of the same day