Looking for walks in the more local area, my dad suggested looking at sections of the Offa's Dyke path. We have walked parts of it in a loop many years ago and once even walked from Moel Famau back to Meliden- I was a young teen then, so full of energy! There is a lot of information online, though I am debating buying a book, love a book! Any suggestions of which one to pick, please let me know! On this morning, I wasn't really feeling it, so I lazed around with the doggies and headed off around 11am. I didn't want to walk from the beach, through town and up, so parked in upper Prestatyn and joined the trail at Gwaenysgor hill. After I parked, I realised there is a little car park on that section of hill, so I wouldn't have had to walk on the road at all. Good to know for the future.
Now, it is worth noting, that where I started set me off at a higher elevation, so I cut out some uphill already. But, I knew this whole path would be steep and hilly. I felt quite anxious, tummy butterflies- not sure why really, worst case I stop and turn around right? As soon as I stepped on the path, it was steep uneven steps in the ground, so straight into it! I had bought a cute pink hat from Tu in the sale, and the middle picture is where I put it in my pocket as I was too hot going uphill, and I lost it- it fell out and I didn't notice until over a mile later. I'm hoping someone may have given it a home, or if I ever feel compelled to walk that way again, it might be there! I was glad to see those wooden steps, so much more even and no mud! I was so slow in this section, the steepness and mud were a lethal combo. Not going to lie, I hated the Jodie who decided this was a good idea, I hated that I have signed up to trek a marathon in June... what the actual F was I thinking? I will never be fit enough!!! Pretty sure this first mile took me nearly 50minutes, even when it flattened out, the mud was so slippy- should have brought the blinking walking poles!
Didn't bump into anyone around here, which was nice, I was free to huff, puff and turn the air blue on occasions without issue. I am sure so many fit people would enjoy this, they would probably get a light sweat on haha. After a particularly deadly downhill in the mud, I bumped into a man who said it is less muddy as you go, so that made my spirits perk up. I also bumped into a lady, who is doing the same trek as me! What are the chances?? She has messaged me on facebook, so that's nice. Another foggy, overcast day, but thankfully no rain! Views were beautiful to be fair.
This section, was probably one of the hardest things I have done (this is likely not actually a fact, but in the moment this was how I felt), I sat and had my halloumi wrap on a bench, and my legs were so tired so early on it was worrying. I left Husband about fifty thousand voice notes to let him know every single move and thought I was having, it felt good to get it out, another person on this walk may have been nice, but also, may have sucked as I was slow and found it so hard! It is nice to struggle alone sometimes. Re-listening to the voicenotes now, hahahaha. What a moaner! This was a one direction walk, and I was glad as I would not have wanted to go back on myself. I love the variation in my notes, one minute doom gloom tired, next excited and spirits elevated!
It was good to get off this section, headed off over the Bryniau, alltrails was useful here as I could look ahead to see where the route went. Headed off across fields full of sheep, this was nice and undulating but not too steep. Felt bad for spooking the sheep, tried to skirt around them as much as possible. A little bit of road, lots of stiles to climb over, these got harder as my legs got more and more tired, haha.
I enjoyed parts of this next section, bit of interest with a little waterfall, a cute little lane and went past a ruin of a house and old mill wheel still attached to someones home, the only issue here, is it led to a quagmire of mud. It was so sticky, it made suction noises when you tried to remove your foot, this led to another slow slow trek. At least it had offered some pretty parts before crashing my mood!
If this was drier, it would be so lovely, there are lots of horses around- I suspect that this might have made the muddy bits worse? And the views are gorgeous, even in the overcast fog. I headed along, and came up towards a farm with a loose doggie, they came over to me whining, so I said hello, I wasn't getting bad vibes (because you can tell if a dog is friend or foe by vibes), and they jumped on me, covering my jumper in beautiful thick mud, they then stood there and watched me climb a stile. This part was my favourite, more fields, but full of sheep and lambs, there were fancy sheep and alpacas/llamas, not sure which, I don't know the difference, maybe one day I will learn. I was so happy in this section, I love animals and some of the lambs had little see-through coats on, no idea why, probably a practical thing, rather than they may get wet.
How cute are these lambs? I fell in love with the one sat on top of the hay, such a smart baby! I can't work out how to zoom, so you can't quite make out how fancy those sheep were in the middle picture, you have to take my word for it. I followed the path around the field with the Alamas (mix of alpaca and llama), and they weren't interested in me at all, only a little offended.
After this, went through more fields, lots of uphill. My favourite statement I made on a voicenote to Husband was: 'My thighs are so tired, if it wasn't for how tired my legs are, I would be feeling great, but obviously, I'm not feeling great because of thighs'. Fair point. Very factual.
Mood had dropped, paused alltrails and map my walk to allow myself some time to try and recover the legs a little, then of course, forgot to unpause. This is a thing now apparently. I traipsed on, saw a huge bird of prey, but had doubted it was real, deciding it was likely a weird bit of wood, then it flew off so it was real. Definitely a buzzard, just stunning- no chance of a photo. Ended up near Mynydd Y Cwm, my first Marilyn. This part was along a country road, only saw one car being driven, lots parked near Mynydd Y Cwm, I quite liked this section too, some ups and downs, but no mud! Hooray!!!
It was at this point I gave my dad a ring, he suggested that I get picked up in Rhuallt, pointing out it would be much harder to get picked up anywhere else, further along the route and that I had already done a great job to get this far- thanks dad :) So rang the husband, he agreed to collect me in Rhuallt. After the phone call, the path was car tracks running through fields, it was pretty solid and a good path to go along. Though when I got to the last field, the bog was ridiculous, I wandered up and down, down was a little better, but still got soaked feet here. The house next door had what sounded like hundreds of dogs, I felt bad as they barked the whole time I was trying to figure out how to get through! The terrain got a little more muddy (but not a bog), and lots of gorse, some a little overgrown on the path. It was all downhill, and so so steep. I think I would have cried if I had to walk up this bit! Luckily at the steepest parts, the mud wasn't too bad, my knees were very much protesting by the time I got to the bottom. I guess up and down need plenty of practice as very different muscles etc are needed. Husband timed it perfectly and I barely had to wait at all in Rhuallt itself. Very happy to be collected, and Husband gave me a hot water bottle when I got in the car, so very thoughtful as I get freezing once I stop! Back to my car and drove home. Such an emotional rollercoaster, the good bits feel great, the bad bits feel so intensely hard. But this is what my fitness journey looks like, one day, something like this will be a little easier, or if not easier, I will be faster! In the moments where I find it hard, I do wonder what is the point, why put my body and mind through this, then I think of all that I want to achieve and it involves movement, so getting fitter is the only way. Sometimes it is easier to stay where you are, though that may also be hard in its own way- the hard bit is to step out of your comfort zone, whatever that may look like. Keep on trucking.
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