Teaching (undergraduates) is over

It's done! After the extensive Easter break, we only had one teaching week left, and it was only a four day week as the Monday was a bank holiday. And on the Friday I had the last big commitment: a presentation session for all the dissertation students who for some reason hadn't been capable of doing their presentation in the main session. There were quite a few on the list!

I had made sure everything was prepared: the presentations were lined up, conference booklets were printed, and I had more mark sheets and feedback sheets than I could shake a stick at. So I got into the office in the morning, filled my flask up, and went to the room where it would all take place.

Most students were there. And we had highly varied topics. Staffing it didn't quite go as intended; I had way too much stuff before the coffee break, and not enough after. I had to go and grab a colleague because these presentations have to be marked by two members of staff at least. And there was a complication of a simultaneously held session for second year students. I was a bit miffed about that. But I made it work.

Next week I will have to put a lot of grades and feedback on the module website. I should have plenty of time for that! What with undergraduate teaching being now over. I do have to step in on Monday for the master students, as one colleague has a medical appointment and needed a caretaker, and another one is at a conference, and I have a lot of academic integrity cases to see to, but I should manage to do all of that. And immediately afterwards, the exam period begins! So that's another academic year as good as over. It feels like yesterday that it began…

A lionfish, which featured heavily in one of the talks. Picture by Alexander Vasenin

Again - back on the hills, post-injury

It didn't take very long for me to get back to running after busting my knee. But only on the road. Or if not the road, then at least very smooth terrain. I had went to the top of Penrhyn Quarry twice; that is a gravel road. That was okay.

I had managed to successfully run a 10k race. Would I be ready to resume my off-road running? I decided to chance it the next day. I don’t always judge it well. 

It was a beautiful evening, and there were a lot of dogs. So far it booked auspicious. And then we set off into Dinorwic Quarry. That was okay; that is similar to Penrhyn quarry. When we ran out on the other side I got a bit slow, but then we started to head uphill. Then it's basically your heart and lungs that limit you; not so much the terrain. And we were heading to the top of Elidir Fawr! That's a bit of a beast of a hill. But as long as we went uphill, I was no slower than the next person. There was barely any running involved! 

Running out of the quarry

When we got to the top we admired the amazing view. I had only recently been there with Henco and Maaike! Then I had pulled it off as well. But I hadn't been expected to run.

Scrambling to the top

When we set off downhill, I knew I was going to be very slow, and I was. I could still feel my knee was vulnerable. One runner very kindly stayed with me when we saw everybody else vanish into the distance, to Elidir Fach. Between Elidir Fach and the asphalt road to the surge pond is also knee breaking territory, so again I was lagging way behind. I suggested to Dyfed I just make my own way. I was so slow! And I know the way. But he pointed out that they would be cutting through to the road that zigzags down the quarry; one can also get there via the asphalt road. So I did that! And three people and one dog even followed me. 

From there on, the terrain wasn't treacherous. It was still going downhill, so I was still the slowest, but they didn't have to wait for me very long. And once we were back on the flat, I was back to being a perfectly average Thursday runner again.

Dinorwic sunset

It hadn't been entirely straightforward, but I had managed a Thursday night again without making my knee problem worse! Mission accomplished. Hopefully, next week my knee will be again one week closer to perfect recovery, and we won't do anything as silly as scale something of the calibre of Elidir Fawr. I hope I can keep doing these runs as they are really enjoyable! But then without being the slow one everybody else has to wait for…

Six gates: on the way out?

If you want to get out of Bethesda on bike, the bicycle path is the obvious choice. Unfortunately, you need to pass six gates in order to get out of the village. I already complained about that when I first described my new commute! And, of course, it works the same way in the other direction. These gate are not popular with the local cycling community.

Then the bicycle path closed for months, with an unclear reason. Well, the reason has become clear now! It is exactly to get rid of the six gates! These were always meant to regulate the movement of cattle. But now, the cattle get their own tunnel. And the council says all six gates can go when the tunnel is ready.

Work is making clear progress. When I found out what was actually going on, I was really glad! First they got rid of the tree-root-created speed bumps, and now they are getting rid of the gates! Is this turning into a bike-friendly country? I, for one, think this is fab!

 

The tunnel is in position; now they need to reinstate the bicycle path over it

 

Ras Rhostryfan

I was in the car with some other Eryri Harriers, on the way to a Borders League, when I heard of Ras Rhostryfan. It sounded really good! I really love that area, and it would just be early in the evening, and it would be 10k which is a nice distance. So I immediately put it in my diary. You couldn't register beforehand.

Things changed before the race, of course! I hadn't done much running for a few weeks after doing my knee in during a Fell Race, although I had already run to the top of Penrhyn Quarry twice, without issues. So I was confident this was going to be alright. It was all on the road, and nothing was ridiculously steep.

On the day I drove down, and found a parking spot in the village. I had mentally prepared for parking chaos! But I found none. And I went to registration where I already spotted some familiar faces. Mostly Eryri Harriers. And when I had registered, I did a little warmup with fellow Harrier Nia-Meleri. And then it was pretty much most time to lineup at the start.

I did feel a bit vulnerable in the beginning, but I quickly got into the swing of things. It went well! I wasn't having a runner's high at all, but my knee felt strong enough and I was happily plodding along through the scenic countryside and villages. I did try to keep up with fellow harrier Arwel; I know I can beat him on a good day. But I suppose I can’t when I’m thinking of my knee too much. 

Along the way

After a few kilometres I sort of felt like I had eaten too recently. It really had been quite a while ago! Sometimes it's difficult to predict what time you should eat how much in order to not be burdened by your stomach content, but also not by low sugar levels. Arwel was nowhere to be seen. But the kilometres kept ticking by, and the last 2 km I felt I could ramp it up a bit. There wasn't much downhill anymore, and my stomach felt okay.

Somewhere close to the school where the start had been I saw a large concentration of runners. Was this the finish? Or just a good location for spectators? I just kept running until some Harriers shouted "stop!" at me. It was indeed the finish. It turned out I wasn't the only one who wasn't sure, and who would have run straight back to the school if no one would have stopped me. 

Just before the finish 

There was some nice finish socialising going on, but quite soon I wanted to go and put an extra layer on and drink my recovery drink, so I headed back to the school (where my bag was) with fellow Harrier Mary. We found out we were both racing again on Sunday, so we made plans for sharing cars. I look forward to that!

Then I saw people involved in the organisation approaching the school; I supposed the last person had finished, and it was time for the ceremony. That was true! And many of the winners were Eryri Harriers, such as 1st woman, 2nd man, and fastest female junior (in a shorter race). Hooray! And was fastest woman over 40, and Arwel the fastest man over 60. We both picked a bottle of wine as prize. 

I also took the opportunity of asking Rhian and Dyfed, who are deeply involved in the Thursday Night Hill runs, what sort of terrain I could expect the next day.  Would I chance it with my knee? And it sounded doable so I decided to give it a go. I think I'm back in business! I hope I can pull this off, even off the road!

I drove home quite happily with my bottle of wine. And a day or two later, the results appeared. I had been quite slow! 47:52. Slower than the Nick Beer races. But in spite of how it feels, these have less ascent. And my focus had been staying in one piece anyway. Next year again! And then faster…

I didn’t take any pics until the way back. It was such a gorgeous sunset I stopped for it

Garden stairs

When I bought the house, it came with wooden steps to the garden. Rose told me they were quite recent. I suppose she must have had them replaced. And I was quite dutiful in painting them every year. But paint only does so much in the bracing north Wales weather! You could tell the wood was slowly decaying.

The stairs in question 

This year I decided I needed to do something about it. I just didn't know where to go. But when the steps were looking like they might give under the weight of a heavy person, I first had a look whether I could just replace the crumbliest steps myself. 

That didn't work; some of the screws I couldn't get to move, and some of them were moving a bit too freely. I also noticed that it wasn't just the steps, but also the diagonals, that were showing signs of decay.

Not in good nick

 

The next step was to Google gardeners that might do that sort of work. In my quest for someone to replant my raised beds, I had noticed that people who called themselves gardeners are quite likely to not specialise in plants at all, but only in the hard infrastructure of gardens, such as raised beds and decking, and, indeed, steps. So I contacted a local one. They confirmed they indeed do that kind of work, and soon a man appeared to have a look at the actual situation. The next day he gave me a quote, and I accepted it. But then I asked him when he could actually do the work, and he came back to me saying that he actually couldn't. Now that was a waste of everybody's time!

The stairs were really due replacement, so I changed tack. I asked on the village Facebook page if anyone could recommend someone. And that same day I had two blokes in my DMs, offering their services. Both appeared later that same day to have a look, and both provided a quote the day after. And I gave the job to the first person who had shown up. There wasn't much difference in the two quotes, but the second delegation was suggesting doing the work black. I am in favour of tax! So I am going to be paying the whole amount, to the first guy. And he seemed a nice bloke, and he could do it soon. 

The bloke who got the job also said that another job, the very next day, has fallen through, so we agreed they would come right away. It did mean I couldn't be around for any questions. But I don't think there are that many questions you can have about garden stairs.

They arrived after I had had to leave to go to work. And no questions were asked. I did manage to get back quite early, and when I did they just finished! So I could admire their work. They had made a nice replica of the original stairs. Works for me! And they helped me put the old stairs and the offcuts of the new one in the garage. I will have a lot of firewood from that! Now I need to paint the new stairs and put anti-slip on top. And then I'm sorted again for many years! Great!

Result! 

Students’ own dissertation topics: it has started again

This year’s cohort of students haven't submitted their dissertation yet, but the work on next year's dissertation has already started. I always allow the students to design their own topic, and I tell them that already towards the end of their second year. If they want, they can do that work over summer. And I have sent that email out.

I needed to first think about the message I would send. Last year, the workload associated with this got completely out of hand. So I made sure the form they have to fill out is even more detailed, forcing them to think about their proposal in more detail. And I have limited the number of attempts to 3. Last year I had too many students who, if I didn't approve of their proposal, would barely change anything and just resubmit. That takes way too much time. 

I already have the first proposal in! So it has started. I didn't approve of it the first time around. I wanted to know a bit more about the precise nature of the data, and the intended analysis. And a bit more about the rationale. But I think this student will manage to address that successfully. We'll see! I hope that this year I will find the Goldilocks point of a fair number of students getting the OK to do their own topic, without causing me to have so much work on that I end up teetering on the brink of a burnout. We'll see!

A sponge; the topic of the first proposal. Pic by Nick Hobgood 

Marshalling Ras Moel Eilio

When I see a race in the area advertised, and I'm not familiar with it, I always get a bit of an adrenaline jump. Another race! Shall I run it? But when I look a bit closer, sometimes the answer is a resounding no. And that was the case when I spotted Ras Moel Eilio. It was only going to be 2.5 weeks after my knee injury, and I know that route. I'm happy with the uphill sections, but some of the downhill sections I emphatically dislike. So I was certainly not going to run that! I also hadn't forgotten the route contained the run I had done in autumn that had resulted in my ankle injury.

About a week before the race I saw a call on social media: the race still needed a few marshals. And I take pride in supporting my club, so I said I was around. I was also confident my knee would be good enough to go to whichever hilltop they wanted me to marshal on. They said I was going to be on Foel Goch. That sounded beautiful. 

I also figured I might as well ride my bike there. I wasn't expected at race headquarters until noon. Plenty of time! It is only an hour away by bike. And I wasn't quite biked out after our Anglesey trip. And I made sure I was ready for everything: hot weather (shorts, sunglasses, sunscreen), and cold weather (jumper, waterproof jacket, down jacket). 

When I got to race headquarters I got briefed. I was asked to be on Foel Gron, not its neighbour Foel Goch. That meant being a bit further away from the path. Fine with me! They also gave me a radio, a hi viz vest, a cowbell, some emergency blanket and some gels, and  they offered me some cake. I gladly accepted. And after the cake I went to the loo, filled up my water bottle, and set off.

Biking to the top of Maesgwm is not trivial! It was really hard work. Especially, I suppose, with all that stuff in my bag. I admit I walked some bits. But I got to the top in good time and locked my bike up. And then I walked to my station. And I radioed through that I was there.

Heading for Maesgwm, where I had marshalled before

I had biked up Maesgwm in shorts and a T-shirt, but now I was fully exposed to a cold wind coming over the ridge. I quickly put on a jumper and a jacket! And gloves. And for the time being I was just enjoying the amazing views. It really is beautiful up there! You basically have Moel Eilio on one side, yr Wyddfa on the other, and the Glyderau to the side. 

At my station

After not too much time I could see the first runners come down the slope towards me. Obviously, they were going like the clappers, being the frontrunners. I got the cowbell out and cheered! And then they kept coming. Occasionally there was a bit of a lull between the runners and I had time to drink a bit of tea and eat a bit of lunch. And I put on long trousers. And then I saw two high viz vests approach. That must be the sweepers! I had asked at HQ if there would be a sweep, and they had said no, but that wasn't quite right. And with them past I packed up my bag again and headed back to my bike.

There were still runners out. So I biked to the finish and parked up, so I could cheer a few of them in. And I had a bit of a chat with other people. Some people asked me about my knee. And then I went back to headquarters, to hand back my radio and vest et cetera. I expected the ceremony soon, so I wanted to wait for that. It was a bit longer wait than expected, but then I could cheer for all the winners. And then it was time to head home!

Biking back from Llanberis is more work than biking there. The road through Fachwen is a bit of a killer. But I got there, and home. It was pretty close to dinner time by the time I arrived! But it had been a good day. Amazing views, amazing weather, lovely runners, and more than enough physical exercise for me. And it wouldn't be long before I would be on the other side of a race, with the cowbells clanging the for me!

Touring Anglesey with Henco and Maaike

I think the last time I went on an overnight adventure with my bike was when my old office mate Juan got married! If my tent comes out, I am normally on foot nowadays. But when Henco and Maaike invited me to join them for two days on Anglesey I found out I can still do that without too much notice. My bike is always ready, and I have two pannier bags ready as well. And it is not that much work put a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mattress, some warm clothes, a hot flask, and some other things (sunscreen!) in them.

One particular adjustment I made was trying to fix my 3 liter water bladder to my frame. I have one bottle holder on my bike, and an 800 ml bottle to go with it, but I had spent two evenings regretting I hadn't drunk enough during the day. And it would be hot on our first day of biking. I wanted to have access to a lot of water without having to stop! And it looked like I could make that happen without too much rubbing going on.

After breakfast we left. The first thing we would do was do my commute if I am teaching on main campus and then going to the office. And the route is beautiful, but of course I have seen it millions of times. I was happier when we go to the island and left the road to Beaumaris, heading for Llandegfan. We were on a cute little road I didn't really know!

We had coffee with Welsh cakes in Pentraeth. And lunch outside Llannerch-y-Medd. And we didn't get many steep climbs like we had had early on anymore. It was quite relaxed! And in the course of the day it also cooled down a bit. Fortunately! The sun had been unforgiving.

We also had a little excursion. The route went past an old windmill, Llynon Mill, and we stopped to have a look. It turned out it was really in working condition! I enjoyed that. And for some reason, the mill even came with two Iron Age roundhouses. And a woodland with lots of glass fibre (?) animals. I really like reconstructions of Iron Age structures, but I wasn't so sure about the animals. We didn't spend much time on those!

Llynon Mill

When we had seen everything we continued our way to y Fali, where we found a little shop where we could buy dinner. And from there it wasn't far to Holy Island. We had decided we were going to stay at a campsite in Rhoscolyn. And we got there in the afternoon.

We pitched our tents, sat down to have a beer, and had showers. Or at least something like that. The showers worked on coins, and we didn't have enough coins for the three of us. So I improvised something with drink bottles! That worked too. And because I could, I took Maaike’s bike for a spin. I was wondering what it was like. And it was a very nice bike! And for this purpose better than mine, as you sit on it more upright, and I was starting to feel in my neck that I had been riding with dropped handlebars for most of the day. And while I was doing that, Henco cooked dinner. It was lovely.

Having a drink in the sun on the campsite 

After dinner we did a bit of the coastal walk. It was beautiful! And the evening sun really helped. But then we were ready for bed.

At the coastal path

In the morning we had breakfast and set off. It was a much nicer day for a bike ride than the first day. I think it was at least 10° cooler! And we made good progress, even not hindered very much by jets taking off and landing on the airfield we biked straight past.

I had also spotted the route would take us pretty much straight past Dei’s house. My friends were up for having a coffee with him. After all, he is a fellow bike nutter! And lovely. So that's what we did. The dog was very chuffed as it had three bonus people to get cuddles from. I really enjoyed it. 

We had lunch at Bryn Celli Ddu burial chamber, and from there it isn't far to Menai Bridge, where we tried to buy some more fuel for the Trangia. Without success! But we found fuel for ourselves; I managed to drag my friends to the Red Boat ice cream parlour. And when we had finished the ice cream we biked back to Bethesda. 

Crossing the canalised Cefni

Not Bryn Celli Ddu; a different ancient monument 

We drank beer in the garden, and had welcome showers. The cat was a bit hesitant to show herself. She has decided my friends are scary. I'm not sure why! 

After a round of beers we went to get a pizza from the local pizza van. And then the adventure was coming to an end! The next morning my friends would continue their way in the direction of Porthmadog, and then onwards to South Wales, and eventually end in Harwich. I'm sure it will be a beautiful trip! 

And it was great to join them for a few days. I am all up to date again now! And so are they. We had plenty of time to chew the fat. My actual Easter had been negatively affected by my knee, but I surely made up for that now!

Henco and Maaike and the Marchlyn loop

I figured that after two weeks of cycling (they started in Newcastle), Henco and Maaike would want a change, and perhaps go for a walk. That was correct! And I suggested the Marchlyn loop. And biking to the start. They were up for it, even though I was honest about the climb to Mynydd Llandygai. 

After breakfast we biked up. It was hot! And sunny. Sunscreen was in order. We parked up by the gate, and went up to the asphalt road. And by the time we had made some good height on the path, we stopped for coffee and bara brith. 

Biking to the start

Obviously, the views are amazing from the ridge! And even though it was a beautiful sunny day, there was hardly anyone else there.

View from the ridge

Marchlyn Mawr was scarily empty! 

Approaching Elidir Fawr

We had lunch on Elidir Fawr, and from there it was downhill. And the bike home was effortless.

It had been such a hot day I really wanted a dip in the river afterwards. Henco joined me. Maaike is not that way inclined. And then we had a drink in the garden before we would go cook dinner. In my book, that's a good day!

They also asked if I would be up for joining them for two days when they would do a loop of Anglesey. I hadn't expected them to ask me something like that, but I thought it sounded good. So I got a few items together, like my tent and sleeping bag and mattress. The next day would be another adventure!

Henco and Maaike arrive

In the beginning of the year I received an email from an old friend, Henco, who tends to join us for our annual autumn hikes. This time he said he was going to go on a bicycle holiday in Britain with his partner Maaike  in spring. Would I perhaps be around? And I generally am. I looked forward to them popping by!

Later I received a slightly more specific timeframe in which they could come. Some of it within our Easter break. I suggested they make sure they get here before it would end. After the Easter break I am teaching again! It's got even more pacific: I thought they would arrive on the Tuesday.

That day I made sure I was home on time. And they arrived around lunchtime, having biked from Colwyn Bay. It was really good to see them! I had quickly emailed my tutor to say I was not going to be in class this evening.

They had only visited me in autumn, so they were quite amazed by how lovely the garden is when it is spring and it feels like summer. We had lunch in the garden, but we had to move the table into the shadow as it was too hot.

We still had a sizable part of the day left. And they had been told that the Newborough area is really lovely. I think it is a bit dull to bike there, and the day wouldn't be long enough to do that anyway, so I said we might as well go there by car. They were up for it. I took the touristic route, through Tal-y-Bont, and then, because of a road closure, through the ford of Lon Cefn Ty. And I parked by Newborough Warren. 

It was such a warm day we were all in Teva’s, but the path is quite sandy. I quickly seemed to get some sand underneath one of the straps, and it hurt. It turned out I had managed to damage my skin within tens of meters. Oh dear. But onwards. 

The path past the warren is quite pretty, and so is the beach. Obviously. And I wanted to show them Llanddwyn. I was sufficiently ok to do that! And we saw the pillow lavas and the church ruin and the lighthouse. And then, of course, the mélange at the far end. And then the pilots’ cottages. It was nice! 

Triple selfie from the lighthouse 

View from the lighthouse

When we got back to the car we first waited for a farmer to move his cattle across the parking lot to a different field. Then we were off. And it was getting late! Too late to cook. Henco ordered some takeaway from the car, and as soon as we were home we could pick it up. But I first put on socks and shoes! That felt to good. 

We decided we would think about what we would do the next day in the morning. This was enough excitement for a day! 

Bridge: being painted or not?

In 2026, the Telford Bridge to Anglesey will be 200 years old. I think that especially since the safety scare in 2022, when there were rumours of acute danger of collapse, nobody can take that for granted. It took a long time for the repair work to sort out the issues to be done, and while it was ongoing, there was only one lane available for traffic. That means traffic lights, queues, and a nuisance. But for its 200th birthday, it was said it would be painted, and that would bring back the single lane traffic and all that comes with it. The local newspaper said they would start in the beginning of March. And a sign appeared saying the work would take place between March 3rd and December 19th or so. 

March came and nothing happened. The sign had its starting date changed to March 17. And then March 31. April came and nothing happened. But then the traffic lights started reappearing! Sporadically at first, but more consistently later. 

Traffic lights again!

No obvious work was done. And the lights were always gone by the late afternoon. But something was clearly in preparation! 

I don’t know what the situation is now. The morning traffic lights have become standard now. Will it stay mornings only? How much will the project overrun? One way to find out! But the blissful time of no traffic lights at all is clearly over now, and for at least the rest of the year…

Entertaining new friends

When things were a bit quiet during the Easter break I saw an opportunity invite some new friends over. We have a whole bunch of lecturers from the latest hiring round, and I had already been on a walk with one of them, but I was hoping to create ties with more of them. So when it turned out that my Italian colleague Marianna was going to be around, my British colleague Winnie as well, I invited them over for dinner. And I suggested a walk beforehand, because it is very beautiful in my area, and I figured they might not be familiar with it yet.

I decided to make my take on Indonesian fried rice. And I figured we could go do a Moel Faban loop before dinner. And that worked out! 

Marianna, her husband Severin, and Winnie all travelled up together. And it was lovely weather. I showed them the cat, the house and the garden (priorities), and then we went on our walk. It was lovely! It wasn’t fast, and I knew that route like the back of my hand, but it stays beautiful, and I was glad to show my friends. 

I didn’t take any pictures of us! But I did take one of a pretty horse

When we were done we were peckish, so we quickly sat down for dinner. I’m glad they liked it! And Marianna had made a lovely strawberry pie for dessert. 

I really enjoyed it! And Winnie was already talking about doing it again but then from her house. Count me in!