13 miles

Just over 13 miles (click to enlarge)

This post is for Laura...  I have carved a new route for you (this link should open in Google Earth) - through Valleymount to the Wicklow Gap road where you hairpin-bend right back towards Hollywood (R756), turn left off this road to follow St Kevin's Way through to Hollywood and then via the back roads home. Google Earth, which I used retrospectively to create the above track, reckons it was just over 13 miles. In actual fact it was probably a tad more, allowing for all the times I had to cross the road to follow Meg. So about half a Marathon. Barefoot of course.

Corriebracks barefoot

My intention was to climb Church Mountain. There actually was a church on the top of Church Mountain. It is only a pile of stones now - you can just make this out in my photograph.

Church Mountain from Corriebracks

The last time I climbed Church Mountain was a long time ago - when my children were children. I have memories of climbing it in snow, little Kate with little welly boots on that were not as high as the snow was deep, and having to carry her...

My plan was to head for Corriebracks and then just nudge over to Church Mountain which is just next door. But they have grown a forest on the side of Church Mountain since I was there last, and I could not find any tracks going that direction, and it was cold (frost on the grass), and I was getting tired, and I was barefoot. So I did what I never do. After reaching the end of the trail which was almost at the peak of Corriebracks I retraced my steps.  These pictures were taken from almost the highest point I reached.

Home is sort of in the middle somewhere

Hollywood is behind the bump in the centre

Looking towards the summit (and Meg)

In all the run was about 13 miles. I admit I walked a bit on the ascent. I took my GPS and recorded my track, only it took the device the first mile to get a fix, and then lost it for a while on the way down from Corriebracks.  The statistics are:

12.4 miles (plus almost a mile not tracked at the beginning)
4.7 mph average speed
10 mph maximum speed (that's a lie)
594m elevation change
558m maximum elevation
234m minimum elevation

So, it qualifies as a half marathon and a mountain (albeit a liddly one).  My very first half marathon and barefoot to boot.

On the way back, Moanbane in the distance

The magenta part was tracked by GPS, the green part is the first mile or so

Oh, and the way back was hard work - I kinda got slower and slower. And dreamt of hot cups of tea and hot showers and cheese and onions crisps. But I live to tell the tale and my feet live also.  And I think Meg does too though I have not checked up on her.