to Eype by clifftrail - Wed. Jan 10 [UK]

After reaching the UK on Tue. evening, and suffering the shock and awkwardness of having my laptop stolen, I needed a run as soon as I could to cool off, but the first evening was already booked. Probably the beers and post-pub sleep were good in some sense. When I got to Dorset I was ready to go and I left as soon as I could get changed, about 4 p.m. by the riverside path down to the bay. Fields and countryside were boggy as heck, after two weeks of rain -- but a clear sky and breeze gave me fine conditions to enjoy the mud. At the bay I waved to the sea and headed for the cliff trail; steep indeed, but doable, though I got a bit snarled in brambles at one point (straying from trail, as an ex-local will). The sea was rough, quite well out and showing rocks and beach; the sky was green at the horizon, and darkening gently. At Eype I crossed the stream and headed up the far side, but only long enough to figure I had no time left, and I turned. Picked up a bottle to dispose of (an old-style pinta bottle, from Cricket Malherbe dairy--half buried in mud, left by a camper several seasons ago?) and this gave me an excuse to run down the beach to rinse the bottle. Then back up the cliff path (puff puff!!) and along the top, slippy sliding as I crossed a cow and calf filled pasture up there behind the ruins of the lime kiln, then over the stile and down the slope back into Port Bredy. Went down on to the (still newly redesigned, to my eyes) beach to get up close with the sea, running along the tops of the foam left by waves, but the ocean didn't appreciate my muddy prints on its delicately billowing white traces--a sudden surging wave roared in and pushed at my feet, even as I laughed and tried to leap inshore. Nearly had me down, even though it was only up to my shins, it was so sudden and fierce. I was running out of beach anyway, so I climbed the breaker wall, looped round the pier and headed back up to town along the railtrail and road (feet washed by the sea, why get muddy again?). Town workmen were clearing a flooded underpass when I crossed into South street, so I splashed through that and then as I headed up into the lights I realised that darkness had beaten me home. Not too long a run, but so much to see, feel, hear and remember:

Time: 55:51
Speed: 6.9 mph
Distance:6.47 mles

Comment: not fast, but wonderful -- I felt quite calm afterwards, and enjoyed the sound of the seagulls from the bathroom. Mudplugging and coastal trailing in one day: priceless.