midweek 22

When the option of taking Wednesday off work presented itself I hadn't even noticed the weather was looking good. Although a stiff wind threatened. This wasn't a huge surprise given I was cycling 12.5 miles East every day and then in the evenings often catching the train rather than cycle back into the headwind. So I planned to run the NB circuit. However the next NB train was nearly 40 mins behind the Dunbar one. I could run from Dunbar over to N Berwick.

dirt on the train window

Dunbar surf school - this is giving me ideas

Bates Motel on holiday in Dunbar.
Now I haven't cranked the saturation up here, this is as it came out the camera.

So I jumped at the chance of a day off. Loads of chores filled the morning like getting a haircut and buying some stuff online and picking up some new Hokas from the post office depot since the Royal Mail have reneged on any shoe-box sized deals despite what the p+p charges promise when they send out your new trainers. 

Challenger ATRs.
A softer landing than that space shuttle and relatively modest colourways. Decent grip and first trip out they performed really well. (Unlike the owner.)

I have a perhaps false memory of this bridge from a day in my infancy when I was maybe here in a push chair and later I couldn't work out why I'd dreamt a bridge that had water at either end. It was many years before I realised it was the bridge to nowhere in Belhaven Bay. Possibly.

The aesthetics round here are beguiling. The trees, the bridge, the sand and the snaking stream all compelled me to slow right down shoot too many photos.

Running along the JMW beside the estuary I looked across to the other side longingly. That's where I wanted to be but I'd have to travel all the way to the last big bridge over the Tyne before heading back to the coast. I hoped to find a way through the estate - there were a couple of small roads into the estate but both had private signs and I didn't want to go down that road, so to speak. With reluctance I headed up the main road to Limetrees Walk.

One of the private roads.

And who should be coming down that road?
In the (18) minutes we stood chatting we never got round to exactly what Jason does for a living but it must involve some kind of bike couriering, or maybe reconnaissance, as he is almost always out in the decent weather. We did discuss shortcuts through the estate and he had also arrived at about the same conclusion - you'd have to have a bit of a neck to take the private roads through there. Oh well.

The trees were looking splendid in the fading sunlight. I always enjoy the woods before the beach when you can smell the seaside approaching but the trees block the view until you are right there, the anticipation growing all the time.

I'd almost left it too late.
It was just a brief visit to the coast before I planned to turn inland and head to NB through Binning Woods and the John Muir Way.

A hare bounded up the path ahead of me for a while.
I had to stop for food and drink - I hadn't had anything all trip and was more concerned about making time (already late for cooking Mary's dinner) but reluctantly stopped for a snack. I could feel I was flagging, as the light faded. There were still too many miles to go and I didn't want to miss the next train. With hindsight all those miles into the wind had taken a toll.

It was a clear cold evening but I felt a bit pooped and struggled over the last few miles. Racing for the train kept me focussed but it was an ugly stomp over the JMW fields until finally I was out the Law car park around 6.30 and enjoying the smoother ground to the station. (And the bright lights of the swimming pool.)

Just time for a selfie in the waiting room before the 7.01 back home.

near enough 20 miles over about 4hrs
Plus a couple up and down to Waverley. The last mile home was a bit stiff legged right enough but I am grateful we live just a mile away from the station and almost all of it downhill.