A Pre-Wedding Run

I went home to Wales to my cousin Miles' wedding. I didn't think I was going to be able to go initially but my wife reminded me of how important it was to me and made the ultimate sacrifice of staying home to watch our three children (over mother's day I may add) without complaint. Very impressive Mrs. Goodship! We stayed in a hotel in Cwbran near Newport in South Wales. Here's a map for those who are unfamiliar with that part of the World:

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Miles and I grew up closer than cousins. Our Grandmothers were twins and lived their whole lives in the same house. Yes, they forced their husbands to live that way too. I guess it was less strange in those days. Our mothers grew up in the same house as sisters. So, Miles is more of a brother to me than a cousin. I wish he lived near me. I really do miss him and being at the wedding did not help those feelings.

Can't take the runner out of Miles.
Not even on his wedding day!

The weather was horrible in Wales. It rained incessantly but on the wedding day itself, the sun came out in all it's glory. I was anxious to run with Miles but I was still recovering from a calf injury and he was recovering from a toe injury after his marathon. We both decided that a wedding morning run would be a great way for us to test-out our recovery, enjoy a run together and I'm sure the endorphins probably aided his wedding jitters too. My sister thought it was a slightly irresponsible thing to do. She was worried that the groom would take a tumble and put the wedding ceremony at risk. So, we did what addicted runners always do and totally ignored her advice. In fact, we took her son with us too. My nephew Owen is awesome. He is 14 and a real character. He played Bach on his cello at the church and danced like Usher in the reception—a real renaissance man.

Miles took us on a 3 mile run along a disused section of the Monmouthsire and Brecon canal that was near our hotel. I believe the canal was opened in the late 1700's and it is 35 miles long. It was primarily used to transport coal and iron and when that supply diminished, it slowed down until it's eventual complete closure in the 60's. It must have taken a lot of people to keep it going. In Wales, it's not flat at all. One stretch of the branch has 14 locks back to back. I think stretches of the canal have been re-opened for recreational use. We ran along Ty Coch Lane, a path that would have originally been where the horses pulled the barges. Ty Coch translated from Welsh means red house. It was really beautiful running there and we past some cottages that were right on the canal. The distance went very quickly. How could it not with such awesome company? My calf didn't play-up and Miles' toe was fine too. The pre-wedding run was a great idea. I am so glad we did it. It will remain a very fond memory for me and I want to do many more runs with Miles. Maybe one day, I can go back there and we can run it's entire length. The only regret I had that day was not returning to take some photos.

Huge lilly pads grow on the undisturbed canal.
Photo courtesy of emmdee (Flickr).

Such a lovely place to live.
Photo courtesy of Jeremal Smith.

With the run behind us, the sun shining and endorphins flowing, how could it not have been an awesome wedding? The church was beautiful, small and really old. It was on top of a hill surrounded by fields of lambs. The service was lovely and Emma looked really amazing. The lunch was lovely and the evening reception was a lot of fun. A part of me wanted to take more photos but I just wanted to enjoy the event and soak it all up.

I was delighted to be at Miles and Emma's wedding. I got to make a speech but I kept it very short because I would have become too emotional and Miles was already an emotional wreck at that point. I was thrilled to see how happy they both were. Emma is really lovely and a great compliment to him. As a big brother, I couldn't have been more proud. Miles has become a man I really admire. I often wish I was more like him. He has a really pure heart and he's the kindest person I know. He has also transformed himself into a really great runner in a very short amount of time. I wish I could do a 17:58 5K! He also did amazingly well in his first marathon.

Congratulations Miles and Emma. Have a long and happy marriage!