Active Travel Plans

Second trip of the year and the only one this year that is actively planned around a running race event, but for me, may be the most leisurely effort of the year to date. In terms of races mission accomplished on home soil at the Great Welsh Marathon with a PB and return to my sub 4 benchmark, and then 4th best half marathon at Bournemouth last week. So this is more or less a nice building week with a couple of race events in April, but the pressure is off. That allows for the holiday vibe to seep in a little, but I did not rush to the beer in the BA Galleries lounge, and even my airside rule for the year so far will be at least changed to airborne on this trip.  Obviously after the marathon in April all bets may be off but its been a relatively fit and healthy few months so far this year and some benefits have been reaped.  Food perhaps not quite had the same meticulous treatment and certainly didn't in the lounge! The trip to get there fairly straightforward, left home 7.10,...

  Quick wrap up post. Dawn departure to the airport, far to early, booking a taxi a bit of a pain not been in a hotel, we could have walked down into the town, but no guarantees so paid a premium for a minibus, and then sat at the airport playing clash of clans and blogging until check in desk opened.  Some of those carnival peeps turned up here too! Thoughts now turn to next travel trips, the year is taking shape but the 'big one' yet to fully materialise. Our appetite whetted by the latino feel, Argentina now very much looking on the cards if the stars align. And a trip back to the Canaries at this time of the year very much in our sights for 2027 should we be fortunate enough to have the time and resource. So trips abroad for the year (and this blog) already in play are Berlin (and surrounds), Alpine cycling, and a journey through Croatia and Bosnia. The former 2 should allow for a catch up with 2 of the most engaged readers of this blog, and bloggers / travellers / posters...

  A fun run in the sun was the start of the day, they don't have parkrun out here, but they do have a sun run. Same distance, 5 euros to charity, and a comprehensive warm up both formal and informal. Informal was my 1.5 mile jog to the start, formal was a bit of 80s style stretching with TVAM Lizzie / Green Goddess of Lanzarote. Being a bit of tight arse I did feel as I paid I should make a bit of an effort, so gave it a good go on the outbound which was flat to undulating, and then got collared for about half a mile on the inbound by an offshore breeze that almost ground the running to a halt. That been said, under 23 mins which is as good as it gets for me at the minute, and a nice bit of parkrun style banter afterwards with some of the other runners, almost all appeared to be from the UK. Chrissi chose to run solo and I met her afterwards around where my run ended. This was in the heart of the tourist bit of Costa Teguise, not an area we have spent much time in, but had a quiet ...

  A name that has come up time and time again in our time on the Island is that of Cesar Manrique  and architect and influencer on the development in Lanzarote, from construction to artistry to conservation. The latter was where we picked up some of his thoughts today via our guide in Canary Trekking  who made conservation and sustainability their theme as we toured the martian landscape and lava fields of Lanzarote.  He absolutely feels to be sitting beneath the foundations of the island, his philosophy steering the direction of all its inhabitants. So up and at 'em with a collection point by minibus outside our appartments. Our driver, and later guide, super scientist and like the Spanish Lara Croft, looked after us for the next few hours. Drove up into the lava fields that lie adjacent to Timanfaya national park. We didn't go there, I understand the trips up there are a little more managed, and of course you get the real thermal insight, but equally we did want a ...