November

[Sweder]

Time to pay the Piper.
Contrary to my best intentions before travelling to Spain I've managed to put away more Guinness this week than I'd managed in the past two months. With the show open and the customers happy it was time to restore some mileage.

To increase my discomfort on this bright Bilbao afternoon - my distended beer barrel belly was bad enough - the sun shone with a vigour not seen so far this trip. Moi Calienté. It was no more than I deserved as I wearily started my run. I'd elected to complete the 6 bridges circuit pondered on Friday. I reckoned this would give me a fairly tight 5 mile loop (approximately 45 to 50 minutes plodding). I started slowly, through necessity rather than choice. The pace increased a little as the riverside prom filled with lunchtime strollers, many of them quite attractive. I sucked in the blubber and stepped on the gas, but this couldn't last more than 20 seconds or so each time.

The bridges proved a fun diversion, offering alternative views of the Guggenheim and the surrounding architecture. The suggestion of 6 bridges is a tad misleading - I actually crossed 3 bridges twice - and as I traversed the last for the second time I glanced at my 'phone to check on the time.
Only 40 minutes! Well, I knew I hadn't run a quick 5, so I resolved to navigated the last two crossings once more. I finished in 55 minutes, probably a smidgeon over 5 miles run, drenched in sweat, heaving like a sumo after a sprint, but pleased with myself for enduring the torture.

Here's some bridge snaps from the run.