Beware scorpions, biting centipedes, Mediterranean black widow spiders, blister beetles, ticks, snakes, wild boar ...

[APScotland]

Another wee run in Portugal, this time near Castelo Branco. I was given a long list of creatures to be wary of, both inside and outside the quinta. "Always check inside your clothes / shoes before you put them on." My host had been hospitalised by a bite from a large centipede in her shoe the previous year! So far mosquitoes have been the most obvious biting creature, and they adore me unfortunately.

Anyway, I decided to venture out for a run before it got too hot, was shown a slightly overgrown path into the wilderness, and trotted off tentatively after a thorough inspection of the insides of my running shoes. I tried not to think about the story my friend from East Berlin had told when he was chased up a tree by an over-protective wild boar with piglets, and had to stay there for 6 hours. Fortunately I didn't meet any boar this time. I did manage to admire the wildflowers en route, and remembered to turn right instead of left at the crossroads in the path, to avoid the ferocious dogs which I had been told lived to the left.

When my route met a tarmac road I decided to risk the traffic instead of the wildlife for a while and enjoyed being able to lengthen my stride. I passed some local workers, strimming the long grass along the roadsides and shouted a cheery "ola" as I ran by. It looked like a hot job, in boilersuits and with their faces covered with visors to protect them. I turned back and retraced my steps when I reached the edge of a village. The workmen stopped and cheered me on as I ran past them again.

I was starting to feel very hot by now, and diverted into a little side road where I was delighted to find the water trough in the photo. I was wearing my buff which I had soaked in cold water before setting off, but it had already dried in the sun, so I re-wet it and drank a couple of mouthfuls of water too - hoping I wouldn't regret that later!

I found the off-road tracks again and headed back into the wilderness. Happily the wildlife remained hidden and I got back in one very sweaty piece. The temperature was 29.5C in the shade, and I ran about 3.5 miles, which seemed more than enough in this crazy heat!

[Sarakc Graduate10]

Well done! I admire you running in that heat and being so adventurous!

I’m just back from Greece and I had imagined myself going for lovely runs there but I only managed 3K early one morning doing laps of villa complex!!! I was too scared to run on main road!! 😀

[APScotland Graduate10 in reply to Sarakc]

Longer runs have been few and far between as I think I'd need to carry water to drink to dare to go further. And it's hilly here too. Bad enough running up hills at home at 15C ... 30C turns them into mountains