Valentine’s weekend run
I spent the first two weeks of February finding heart shaped routes on Gower Peninsula. I also poured my heart and soul into telling others the reason for doing this and inviting them to join the campaign to #HaveAHeart.
For Valentine’s weekend, I planned a long run on the trails of Gower with my good friend Sally. It turned out to be an epic adventure on a wild day of gale force winds, ice, sleet and freezing temperatures.
Why #HaveAHeart?
Together with my fundraising buddy Lauren and Mary at JCWI, we collaborated with the team from Reunite Families UK to raise awareness of and support for families separated by the UK immigration system.
The idea came to me from putting together the
- #HaveAHeart petition delivered to the Home Office by Paige Ballmi on Valentine’s day 2020. Read Paige’s story here.
- Lauren’s idea of creating route shapes on Strava.
- My own desire to reach out to everyone with inspiration for their daily exercise as lockdown drags on and on…
The idea was embraced by the Reunite Families UK team and JCWI. Together we organised a campaign in record time! At least that is what it felt like to me, as I have never done anything like this before.
We sent out an invite to everyone we know and don’t know to join us in using a fitness app to either run, walk or cycle in the shape of a heart and then post it on social media with #HaveAHeart.
The Run
Wind from behind
I plotted our route with the ViewRanger App and took a picture for reference on my phone. The route included the hills of North Gower, a place that makes my heart sing when I run there.
Due to lockdown restrictions, I would run significantly further than what the actual heart shaped route requires, just to access the starting point. Sally lives pretty close to the starting point and made her way towards me across Cefn Bryn.
We agreed to set off at 7.45am. When we met on the ridge of Cefn Bryn, Sally’s face was bright red. She had been running into the gale force and freezing wind for 1.5 miles. A tailwind for our first shared section gave us a welcome opportunity for a catchup chat and warm up into our weekend trail running challenge.
After descending Cefn Bryn, we made our way along a stream towards Cheriton. I stopped for some photos along the way, as this is not my day to day running territory.
Climb to Llanmadoc hill trig point
From Cheriton we stayed on a contour of Llanmadoc hill to Llanmadoc. From there we took a gradual ascent on unfamiliar paths to create a smooth outline for our heart shape. We knew that we would soon meet the wind when we get to the top of the hill. How much we would need to brace ourselves, we could only guess!
Head-on wind around Harding’s down
I forgot my buff! I also didn’t pack my ski goggles. Both would have come in handy at this point. At least I decided to run in my ski jacket rather than my usual flimsy non-waterproof waterproof. The ski jacket was covered in a thin sheet of ice at this stage.
We managed a photo of Sally at the top and then took the wind head-on. It was necessary for the heart shape. I was determined to do it and Sally is not one to pass up on a challenge!
Talking was impossible. We pressed on in silence, only shouting at Bb8 when he thought of chasing sheep. I’m grateful for his obedience and always have his lead at the ready.
Second half of the heart
That last photo was taken as we headed into the second half of our heart shaped route. Running towards Rhossili Down, we had the wind at our backs and a little chat about what an exhilirating time we are having.
This is the sort of day that makes me feel a bit wild. I imagine myself running with a pack of wolves, rather than my domesticated dog Bb8. I wrote about this some time ago on a different blog. Something primal and instinctual gets awakened when we expose ourselves to the elements and take a stand for what we really care about.
Today we are running for love! What better cause to run for, but love? Does love not make us happy and healthy? When sadness and sickness strikes, is it not love that carries us through? It is love that buffets the blows of cruelty and misfortune. So today I define cruelty as an attack on love, depriving us of that which nourishes us most deeply.
One cannot campaign against misfortune, but one has to campaign against cruelty! How?
- By standing for love, compassion, kindness, justice, equality and inclusion.
- By taking positive action, by creating beauty.
The landscape is utterly beautiful, especially the bits that have not been cut into fields and farmed to depletion.
Rivulets of ice have formed on the back of Rhossili Down. I don’t think my iphone can quite capture the mood of the day.
Shelter from the wind, sort of…
We stop at the edge of Rhossili down to refuel. It is easy to neglect taking on water and food in these conditions. I also want to plug my phone into the power pack I’ve carried. The freezing temperature has drained both my phone and the power pack completely! This means no more photos, no more map to refer to and no ability to call for help. To top it off, I accidentally stop my watch, which means my heart shape recording will be ruined! Sally still has the recording and can share it with me, but her phone battery is completely flat too.
Sally kindly shares her salted caramel energy bar with Bb8 and then we press on. The sea is spectacular! The waves must be at least 6 foot hight today, with large manes of foam blowing off their tops as they break. Then we run past a whole troop of horses running with their manes blowing in the wind.
Final section of the heart shape
At the far end of Rhosilli Down waits the reckoning. This will be the longest section of running head-on into the wind on tired legs. We have already run 12 miles. Small bits of sleet is added to the gale as we stagger up the steepest part of the Down to join the Gower Way towards Pitton.
At Pitton we take the tarmac road for a short section through Pitton Cross and on to Kimleymoor where we pick up a trail again. The trail is new to both of us and takes us through multiple farm fields and passed a derelict farm house before bringing us onto main road at Scurlage.
We stay on the tarmac to Knelston, from where we pick up the Gower Way again for the final section to Reynoldston. This part of Gower is warmer than the far North. The field at Knelston is freezing cold but not frozen and we sink in ankle deep. Sally’s footsteps appear as swirls of brown mud around the long swamped grass as I follow her.
Headwind across Cefn Bryn
The heart shape has been run and we’ve said our goodbyes. I make my way back across Cefn Bryn alone and very very slowly. My eyes are stinging from the wind and I miss my buff sorely. I run whenever I can, but mostly I merely manage a walk, leaning strongly into the wind.
All I think about now is getting home and getting warm. Thoughts will return again later and there will certainly be much to reflect on!
Reflections
Wild imagination headlines
Unhinged middle aged women die of hypothermia, determined to create heart shaped strava segment of 17.6 miles.
Sally Munro’s imagination
Priti Patel finally relents on cruel family immigration policies after the British public protest in their millions by covering social media with heart shapes on Valentine’s Day.
Thia Malan’s imagination
The reality
We both survived and returned to the comfort and warmth of our homes where we were lovingly received by our spouses and children.
Thousands of people are marginalised and excluded from society and the things many of us take for granted, through home office policies. There is the impact of what has become known as the ‘hostile environment’ policies. Many longterm residents of the UK were pushed into debt, destitution and despair. Many were wrongfully detained and deported and are yet to be compensated for all they have suffered. The policies remain in place.
Latest article by Amelia Gentleman in the Guardian.
Thousands of couples and families are torn apart through cruel family immigration policies. Most notable is the Minimum Income Requirement Brits must meet to sponsor a non-British partner and children. Over 40% of Brits don’t earn this income.
This is why I am running and fundraising for JCWI in 2021
Read my blog post about reasons for the fundraiser
We did something!
We reached out and people responded. Many took part, signed up to Strava for the first time, created hearts and shared on social media. Many more heard of these things for the first time. Seeds of awareness were scattered far and wide.
JCWI created a thread of all the hearts shared on Twitter. There was a lovely mix of creativity including fitness apps, baking, crafting, crochet and more, to create heart shapes.
Most of my friends, colleagues and acquaintances are not actually active on Twitter or we are not yet connected on Twitter.
However, people took part and shared on a whole range of platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Strava and even the Intranet at work. Swansea runners participated via Facebook groups and Strava clubs. Once I’ve worked out how to do it, I’ll edit in a collection of hearts. Please be patient with this tech novice!
My friend Sally made here first tweet ever!
All in all, I am overwhelmed by the participation and warm-heartedness of so many people. So I want to say a huge thank you for every single heart created and every single heart shared.
Thank you also to all who donated to my fundraising page this month.
Rest and recovery
I spent Sunday baking, eating, drinking wine and painting pebbles.
If you got this far, thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed my blog.
Why not leave a comment of subscribe?
Wow, look at all that ice!! What an amazing heart run. A thousand kudos to you for coming up with this great idea and bringing people together to participate in it.
Thank you Lauren! These things only happen when we come together, listen and support each other. ♥️ thank you team mate!