Railway signals and the Curragh

My route, map courtesy Bing Maps

Ali wanted to go to Newbridge for a hair do, so I hitched a lift and took the opportunity for a Curragh run on this the hottest day so far this year.  Actually I would have liked it better a bit cooler.

So I crossed that mysterious bridge over the M7 to the Other Side, found a railway line, and came back via the racecourse.

Stats 9.7 miles, average speed moving 6.2 mph, barefoot of course. I find it strange to not have seen anyone else running barefoot here - the Curragh with is grass cropped short by sheep is quite ideal.

Note the colour-light signals. More about these in a post that will be coming Soon.

Starting point

I may have said that I like railways

Curragh plain, ideal barefoot running location

More of same

Another odd earthwork (the Curragh is full of them)

Colour-light signal all clear - they use LED's

Signal at red

That's part of me, my toe dinged on a rock, and my shadow

Curragh race course

The horse that our neighbour M made out of horse shoes

the horseshoes are welded together

Beautiful iron sculpture at the M7 intersection

Some sort of rally - they were all honking their horns

The red balloon

After digging potatoes in the morning, yesterday afternoon I run beside and swam briefly in the lake - probably the last time this year unless we get an "Indian summer" - and then today I biked to the Curragh and ran 9 miles (barefoot and shirtless), average speed 6.4 mph. Two youths in a sports car stopped to ask directions to the motorway but in reality to ask if I was hot - it was a beautiful sunny afternoon so of course I get hot when running. My track includes part of the bike journey home.

My track

Mountains of home from the lookout post

The Braveheart hill

Curragh golf course

Pink sheep

Curragh race-course

Home to pizza and chips, thanks Ali! And then, since I mentioned it in this morning's meeting, I watched the beautiful fantasy "The Red Balloon".