I thought Id never get to write my blog...
sorry it has been a long while... things just went from MAD to MADDER!! super busy with training session. club stuff and then "MR" Mountains Rescue Training + life!!
Well am just back from a great 2 weeks trip to Madeira Island, the island is about 50 by 25km its small and can go up to 2000meters in no time! I ran parts of it but not used to running up or down mountains that steep I feel it now that am back!.. but there is a great ultra race there every year and am signing up for it..
anyhow.....
Had a super good time and like to share my story with you all.
it went from Dub - Lisbon - Madeira and back,
where we had to hang around Lisbon for the full day before getting out 2nd flight to Madeira.
Lisbon is really nice place a part from so many people asking us did we went to buy some drugs! it was non stop it was CRAZY!!! a part from this Lisbon has great little tall streets with so much art everywhere.
nice little bars with pizza and other foods + really good tattoo shops which I went into. turned out one girl knew me from like 15years ago or something we had met at a tattoo show!! took me while to think,
off back to the airport to fly over to Madeira our last flight of the day and was happy to be there..
the trip here was meant to be a relaxing one for me with no running only RESTING as i was doing most weeks before my trip 150km running a week with other training as well.. so my legs needed time out!.
but I took my running gear just incase! and YES you know I had to go running the mountains were calling me !!! I only ran the 2nd week now. so got a nice week off running but still doing Bootcamp session and that was great as there is so many things do play on there and cool off with a great swim. the sea is much warmer well so we said but the locals said were crazy its way to cold. its there winter now!.. my summer haha it was like 15 - 20c with lots of sun!..
rest week over and running started now it wasn't far like I do here. the mountains and roads are so dam steep there. we lived at 550meters and we can get to 1800 meters in under an hour pending how fast you go.. but running up the roads to the woods was so tough, i can't call it a hill as I think of wicklow of hills but when I say steep I really mean STEEP! some cars can only go up in 1st or 2nd gear, 3 rd wont work to good pending on your car!... anyhow got to the top with out stoping and into the woods now the smell was un real from all the eucalyptus trees I hugged them too!!! they smell great. I didn't take my running vest with water or GPS , but you don't need to have anything there is signs everywhere telling you how far the trails are etc & there is water taps everywhere the water is so nice to drink and its free!!!
running along looking up and up to the sky known it just went on and on I called it a day and turned back known them steep hills I had to go back down! know this is some fun!...
in wicklow I never really met a STEEP hill where I had to slow down for!.
but WOW did I have to slow down here! NO I had to go from side to side or less I would've passed out with the pain in my legs.. shit me them hills are more tougher coming down then going up!... I MEAN that!.. the trails were fine am good with trails but soon as I hit the roads I really had to run side to side then when it was safe away from little dogs and cars I let go and ran as fast as my legs could go... fun at the time but not now am still feeling the pains!!!!!!!!!! am no road runner you see!!!!! stay on the trails........
SO I wanted to go and run the real mountains of Madeira there is an Ultra race there every year with 4 races in it, I wanted to see how I get on running up so high and see how tough it can be. the highest I've ever ran up with be like 1000meters.. so it was all new to me. got to 1939meters and yes I found it tough but then again I was drinking wine all week!!!! am sure on race day Ill be on my super training week with only water !!! Eva wanted to get some good high res pics of me for some mags that keep asking me for good running pics so I did few loops to get the best pics was fun !!! again tough as hell !! but fun and up there was cold like back home so I can happy with that.
anyhow had a super good over all time there running, resting , hiking barefoot for 3hours or so on the trails was fun and always see both our feet getting much tougher!, sea swimming, nude swimming, fires, woods, mountains, walking , sun sets, party, driving fast!, meeting new pals. old pals too. chats. bars. working. sleeping. cows, lizards,big trees that smell great, skies that were full of great clouds. and sure the list goes on for hours... and then were back home in wicklow and now we still feel the 2weeks of everything I had thought Id go training today but NO am to lazy ill set my head up for this coming Monday to get back on the ball with training and sure the list of running will add up once again. I think in life we should all STOP doing what we love for a wee while its good for the soul!!!
So here is few pics from our trips...
thanks for reading and see you all soon.
peace
more pics on
www.facebook.com/mudsweatandrunners
other pics are on my JuJu Jay FB page..