Resolve #1
This painting is a reminder to trust your path — even when you chose the harder route and wonder if you got it right.
Artwork details
oil painting on canvas
60.8 x 42 cm
When I first started running in the mountains it all felt easy. Thirty years on and some days it just feels hard.
I'm tempted to take the easy option but when I do I regret it. So I think of this moment when I doubt myself - and how proud I was for not giving up.
If you'd like to chat about this piece, I'd love to hear what draws you to it.
Get in touchThe moment
There is a minor summit on the way up Yr Wyddfa named Clawdd Coch. I had always called it, rightly or wrongly, Tregalan.
This spot always catches me, but today I was indecisive. I'd ascended into mist and the lack of views, and my energy levels, sapped my motivation.
I had planned to run to the summit of Yr Wyddfa then return via the South ridge via Bwlch Cwm llan. But now I was tempted to simply stop and head back down. What's the point, I convinced myself.
It made me feel a bit slack. Perhaps I was taking the easy option and I'd regret it. So I committed.
I ended up having the most wonderful run. As I climbed higher to the summit the clouds lifted. Suddenly everything felt easy. Stupendous views and clear, crisp air.
Firm snow beneath my feet, the run back down was like being transported back to being a kid. Then I reached this spot - Tregalan, and drank it all in.
I couldn't wait to get home and capture this moment in a painting, and it's always helped remind me to try to stick to my plan. You never know what gifts you'll get.