January 2017

[Sweder]

Last of my travel runs was a tough ten kilometre exploration of Harbour Island.
Sat atop the streaky bacon strip that is Eleuthera, one of 700 Bahamian islands, Harbour Island hosts a mish-mash of local fishermen and boutique hotels. It is also home to Pink Sands Beach, voted consistently in the top five beaches on the planet. I can vouch for the softness of the sand, the pinkish hue and the clarity of the ocean, which rolls in like molten glass.

I realised squeezing a 10k into this relatively small habitat could involved some duplication, so I went a bit off piste. So much so, I invaded a private enclave of impressively large homes at the southern end of the island. These are linked by a private highway, a golf buggy - vehicle of choice here - concrete path. There were also hidden trails, service paths, sandy avenues roughly cut through thick jungle. Being the adventurous type, I ducked into these, rewarded with a face-full of thick spider yarn and a series of spiteful smacks from looming palm leaves. 

Undaunted, I ran further and further into the jungle, until I emerged, via a soft-sand trail, onto an exposed outcrop of long-cooled lava. The rocks clawed at my running shoes in much the way I imaged those on Crete shredded Paddy's boots in Natural Born Heroes. I walk-hopped along for a while, realising as I did so I should have turned back. The detour added fifteen minutes of extremely sluggish progress to my journey. I was actually relieved to get onto the soft sand of the beach, at least for a few minutes. One kilometre later I was yearning for the asphalt, legs straining with the extra effort of having to lift my feet up to 'run light'. 

Back on the narrow roads I rounded the northern tip of the island, passing the fabulously-named Lighthouse Church of God and local store, Conch Town. Once 10k had elapsed I returned to the digs, hopped aboard our rented golf buggy to drive back to the beach. The ocean's cool waters did their thing, easing the burning in my legs and bringing my core temperature back to below that of the surface of the sun.

   

I reckon that's it for me before Almeria. I'll manage a couple of very gentle plods back home this week, but effectively I'm now tapering. As if there were anything to taper from!