So, the run went surprisingly well. Left at 6am and had made Clovelly by 8am and felt pretty energised. But as the hours marched on the pace slowed, and I knew if I stopped to rest, I wouldn't want to continue. My legs definitely were seizing up as we turned the final corner and made the descent (40.23 km in 7hrs 19 - wish I knew the vertical cause that was the killer !). Special thanks to Henry and Carl who joined me on the last leg of the trip.



PS - found this little patch of graffiti as I jogged by some dilapidated buildings near Mouth Mill. It seemed so out of place in such a rural spot, and hard to imagine many folk would even find the place.

Tomorrow is a fairly big deal for me. I agreed a short while ago to raise money for the local pre school, and after much thought I decided to run from Westward to Welcombe (the point in far distance is just beyond halfway). I am not exactly sure how long it is (c. 24-36 miles trail run), or how long it will take, but I have given myself twelve hours of continuous running/hobbling to try to get there. The scenery will be stunning as I have been running a fair bit of this coastline for a while, so am hoping it will be a great excuse to just get out and run. However I have to admit, I can't help but feel 'what on earth I have agreed to do'. The last few days I have been trying to rest, but still couldn't resist the DIY, Surf and even scored a cheeky windsurf in the blue skies and summer breeze this afternoon. So to all of you, who have agreed to sponsor me, thank you so much, its really really appreciated, and should anyone still want to, it would be GREATLY received by a struggling Community School (Just email me and I will give you details). Many thanks.

Thanks

I love the style and quality from these guys, not to mention where and how its manufactured. To date, all the clothes have worn and lasted well, hence I reckon the price is actually amazing value for money. Check them out.

If you can't buy it, make it.
So its a Single fin 5'10 rounded pin tail; pinched rails and somewhere around 2 1/2" thickness. Its my first foray into mowing foam, and it was an awful lot of fun. Very therapeutic to put my own ideas into a board, with only ones hands to shape and deliver the outcome.

More early morning glass, that helped wash the sleep from my eyes at 6 am. The Mini Simmons was still loads of fun with the wave having enough shape to keep the long board in semi retirement. Great to see Dan & Jo, so early to. We had the beach all to ourselves.

From 6 am onwards it was just about perfect; with just one other, and the cleanest right hander. The nice thing was, I couldn't really tell a thing from the webcam, so it was all the better to see it as I pulled up to an empty parking lot. Seems like England does have a summer, and a wave !

Continuing my journey in the world of the mini simmons, the latest test has some refined features from the multi talented Badger. Sadly this board wasn't quite as planned, which is strange, when considering it was a cut from the same computer file as the last. However, I am sure its new attributes will still put a smile on my face, and I can't wait to see how it goes, once I finish sanding.

Thank you Ernie for the inspiration today. I spent far too long travelling, stuck behind the wheel, and loosing the will to live. By the time I finally got in, the last thing I wanted to do was run, but thats exactly what I did. All it took was a couple of key words, and a few hours thinking about their relevance.

Ran 20km in the last 24hours in a bid to get ready for the big run. However the surf has got in the way a little. Another fun little session this morning in upto chest high, and still warm with blue skies.

Apologies for the poorly focused snap, but I couldn't resist posting as the colours really summed up the morning. It was hot, a pumping swell and a cross offshore breeze, and it felt nothing like the last few weeks. I literally felt like I was transported to Portugal, if only for a day.

Thanks Seasprite for the latest instalment of a shiny new RRD Freestyle Wave 91 (for those light wind summer days !). Wind has been great the last few evenings, and really decent 5m conditions. Unfortunately no wind today, and its been a bit stop start, so quite excited to see this arrive at the door. Lets hope it stays on forecast for weekend.

Frustrating day yesterday, neither completing my work particularly well, seeming to mistime most things and even missing the wind. By the time I got to the beach in the evening, it was sunny and the wind was actually fairly solid. Rigged my new 5.2 and was underpowered on a 75ltr, that said it was still fun to play in the small waves in pretty much side shore. Eventually after further thought I realised I had over rigged the sail, and it was spilling too much wind, when I did finally adjust the downhaul it all worked much better, but as you can see a few extra litres wouldn't have gone amiss; as Ian (see photo) was flying (as usual).

Its rained, and then some. Was up at 5am this morning tending to my 5yr olds little friend, who got scared by the wind during their sleepover. However, at first light, the wind had eased a little and the big gathering at Spot X, looked set not to happen. Howling WSW was predicted but has been a little slow ramping up to the Force 6, I was hoping. Managed to at last get down to the beach but at this point am still waiting to pick my time. Swell will definitely be on the increase with the pushing tide, and I can even see a glimmer of blue sky poking through as the wind starts to increase.

School dropoff meant I missed the early session, but snuck out back just to catch the start of Justin's solo session. Despite endless rain, Summer isn't so bad.

Got down to the beach to see a lone windsurfer struggling out through the clean sets. My heart really wasn't in it, particularly after watching the other place break so perfectly. So paddled into some fun size swell, and tried to tuck into the odd closeout to claim a barrel : )

Its been a remarkable day; surfed early on in the sunshine, caught a rainstorm as I duly ran my 5k (in preparation for the 36k trail run), and then got a chance to get out for a windsurf with friends, in something close to mast high waves out back. First session on the new Ezzy Wave Panther 3 and they flew. Really controllable mid air, and the sail felt surprisingly light, considering the bomber build quality. Thanks Seasprite !

Too onshore to call anyone, but enough chunk to make it worthwhile for a paddle out. The MS was flying and it was a real surprise to be picking all manner of peaks, plus a punchy reform swell all the way to the inside. The board feels really fast, and when I look back at this shot, it makes me realise how quick it is getting away from a closeout.

Just warmed up enough for a dip, whilst H Jnr worked on his duck dive technique.

TSJ | POV - "Richard Kenvin behind the polyester curtain" from The Surfer's Journal on Vimeo.

Thos from the blog - A board, Some wax and a Leash - is just about to get his hands on one of RK's mini simmons. I am so excited for him, and just can't wait to see how it flies. These things should be littering our beaches and shores, everywhere. Only time will tell.

Four seasons in one day, but mainly autumn with a solid Force 5. Sailed 5.0 and at best I can only describe as 'pleasant onshore'. Apologies to Team Xcel who I forgot to call (amongst others), as I didn't really think it was worth crowing about. I guess windy and a little blue sky isn't so bad after all, and with hindsight from the GoPro it looked alright.

Tiny but the sun is still shining.

H Jnr decided that the new wetsuit was a winner, and promptly rode his first wave standing up (Dad holding hand).

Swell almost gone, but those blue skies were so welcome. Went back to the 8'0 Hull for some superior sliding, but the mini simmons has been the most fun recently. If you can't get hold of one, beg borrow or ask really really nicely.

Took the children to see Fantastic Mr Fox, at an amazing makeshift outdoor theatre. Nestled in a small leafy valley, in the blazing hot sunshine, it was hard to not love the Great British summer, if only for a day.

Blue skies, offshore, and remarkably good fun.

Take care

For a while now, I have been watching the gradual break up of a metal hull which has littered the nearby beach. Its amazing as the hull changes colour and over each tide it moves and slowly scatters. But with horror i noticed what appeared to be a drive shaft thats now residing under one of the main breaks and alarmingly close to the take off point. The large steel pole was pointing skyward and it looked like an accident waiting to happen. After much pushing and pulling, all I managed to do was push it further down so as to get the point away from anyone in the take off zone. Whether this in time could lead to a potential snag for leashes is anyones guess, so please take care

GS

Meet North Devon's finest board shaper, and all round good guy.

Creative collective: Gulfstream from wavedreamer on Vimeo.

So the wind has continued to blow, and all the crew seemed to be out sailing over the weekend. I am pleased to say I was confined to family duties, and even as I write this, I notice the wind has picked up and blowing 25knts from the North West. Thats all well and good, but did I forget to mention its June tomorrow, and today was barely 11 degrees celcius ! So whilst the forecast looks set to change by the end of week, the great British unreliable weather seems to have become more of a reliable thing to predict - basically cold.