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Snowdonia marathon 2013
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Lol FR
Had a great run at Coniston 14 yesterday. Weather was pretty near perfect - dry, sunny though quite breezy. Managed a pb at 2:08:54
, but was dead at the end .... slightly worrying in view of fact that Snod is another 12 miles long
Could be a very long day out in North Wales 
Likewise knackered after 12 with hills yesterday (but had paddled 12 nautical miles the day before too) Time to taper methinks
Good afternoon all. I hope all your training is going to plan. Mine took a bit of knock last week. I just felt shattered all week, so really didn't get around to doing much. I did an 11k cross country race on Wednesday in just under 50 mins which I was happy with, then pretty much took the rest of the week off. I'm hoping that will have done me more good than anything.
I'm looking at doing my last LSR, this afternoon and then taper off. I'm feeling quite nervous now, that feeling of maybe not having done enough training. BUT, I will do it. I've not come this far for nothing.
Well getting up at 6am and doing my Focus T25 Core Cardio workout was a bit of a shock to the system this morning
Banterful - don't under estimate the pull up from Beddgelert at mile 13/14 i found it harder than the last hill last year
Starting to get nervous......For those of you that have done this before - how is the first incline? This will be my first marathon...
Bristol - This is also my first and to be honest I've only looked at the course profile once or twice. I will just deal with them when I get to them. I notice on it there seems to be a red dot. I'm convinced that is the point where I'm going to die lol
Chrissi - Can you not just tell a small white lie to us newbies and tell us it's going to be a walk in the park, with the last hill being levelled last week.
Panad - Thanks for the encouragement and helping with the levelling. I've got a few friends in the Royal Artillery who owe me a favour
. I think I'm there or there about. I really should have done a long run this weekend, but I just felt shattered. I think I might be just getting over a bug. I was tempted to go for a long run tonight, but think I will just go out and do a steady 10 miles and see how I feel and take it from there.
I've also pencilled in to do the Thames trot in Feb, so I'm hoping that this will put me in good stead for it.
Hiya all, SD-sounds another cracking outing
Panad...only a few stones. I demand you go back and move another few tons of the stuff
Oh well, Abingdon fast time well and truly out of the window now..the dark force of OFSTED have announced their arrival tomorrow. I will now be lucky to crawl to start of either that one or Snod..but holy hell-at least it will be over in 48hrs. Right, back to another mountain of data to accumulate for the dears! Over and out!
See you in a couple of days, brer. Good luck with that.
Bristol303 - the Llanberis pass is a steady slog, a fairly even gradient except perhaps a little steeper in the last few 100 metres. You crest the pass at Pen-y-pass and get a real eyeful of scenery with Moel Siabod straight ahead and a long ridge stretching out to your right. At the bottom of this you see a snake of runners, diminutive against the mighty backdrop. Assuming the conditions allow you to see anything - you may only be able to see the next 10m ahead of you.
As to the nice downhill towards Beddgelert I'm afraid in 5 outings out of 6 for me there has been a strong headwind on this section totally preventing fast progress. One year the wind was 35 mph with gusts that momentarily brought you to a standstill, despite the downhill gradient.
It's a challenging marathon, make no mistake about it, but that's why we all like it and keep coming back. We stay up into the early hours of 1 January, when entries open, just to make sure we get in ...
List coming up very soon. I've gone back as far as 1 April and jenf's post on that day which seemed a very fitting place to start.
If any of you have got time targets, you will have to let me know. I've got a few details.
Of concern haven't heard from TR41 since August and Reydon Rover since May. Hope you're OK, guys?
LE - sorry i'm sure you wont even notice it . if its any consolation im gutted i wont be there this year thats how good it is. i will be on the omputer asap 1st jan celebrsting thre new yesr by enterkng so i dont miss out next year
quick ? 3.5 miles last night and ive done my 1st T25 workout of 2 today already
Bore da. A runner I know from south Wales asked me to give him a brief summary of the course. Just in case any of the Snowdonia virgins might find it of interest:
The start is now only a few hundred metres past the Victoria Hotel. The 1st mile is net downhill and is naturally quite quick (hold yourself back a bit!?). You don’t hit the lower slope of the Llanberis Pass to the start of mile 2, then it’s a gradual climb to the top of the Pass (just after the 4.5mile mark). Fast downhill 1mile to the Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel – turn right there and then keep right to down the old Nantgwynant Track – uneven downhill rocky section of about a mile (take care, particularly if wet!) until you hit tarmac again – narrow road evens out for about a 1 mile until a short sharp climb taking you back on to the main Beddgelert road (just past the 8mile mark). On the valley floor (fairly flat) for about 4.5miles to you get to Beddgelert – through Beddgelert then at halfway there’s the drag out of Beddgelert (catches a lot of runners out – particularly if windy as it is quite open there) – goes on for over 2miles and a false flat at the top (15.5 miles in), before slight downhill section for just over a mile to Rhyd Ddu then an undulating 5 mile section until you hit Waunawr (about 21.75miles) and the dreaded climb of just under 3 miles, before the sharp descent (initially on track grass) to Llanberis before a nice flat run in along the High Street to the finish.
Are there any shower facilities at the end ?
Thanks @ T Rex, Panad, & LE for the info and encouragement. I just ran most of the route "virtually" on google street view haha. It doesnt look 'that' hilly or maybe I'm kidding myself! 2 more hilly 8 milers this week then thats my training done. Lets just hope for some sunny spells so we can all enjoy the scenery
God knows how long it will take me to complete, this years race, my fitness level is virtually nil.
Its so poor, that I struggled to complete the Nick Beer 10k course the other evening.
Those of you reading this, thinking your fitness level is not sufficient to compete in the race,having already entered, think again.
I can just about get to 15miles in some degree of comfort, or that's Rhydd ddu car park, for those that know the course.
I know, due to previous timing it will take me at least three hours to get back to Llanberis if I try and jog/walk, but if the race had been last Saturday, I would have missed it.
I am only going to give it a go, because this is my 19th consecutive race, and for the first time since 1995, I seriously doubt I can complete the course in the allotted time.
Every year, at least 5-600 runners never show up to collect their numbers or try and complete the race.
Granted, some of those are injured, but if I am willing to give it a go, and cannot comfortably complete a 10k let alone a full marathon, there is hope for us all.
I will be doing the race on instinct, I know every inch of its tarmac, I know it will be very hard, much harder than previous years ,especially if the traditional weather makes a guest appearance, but I will be there on the 26th, in body, but not in mind or spirit.
Officially if I do wear the chip for timing, and a position, I know this year I will be last, but none of that matters, receiving my 17th slate coaster is all that matters, and I will somehow complete the course.
must apologise for terrible spelling in last post it was from phone if that's any excuse.
Great description JB
Hello all, read this thread form time to time, may have even posted on it at some point!
Feels really close now, first time Snowdon for me and 4th Marathon. Did Berlin a couple of weeks back and the Wirral half this weekend just gone. Legs feel a little wrecked so just planning a few gentle ones, nothing I can do now fitness wise.
Just planning to take it very easy & enjoy it, not worrying too much about time (yeah right).
Great description John , I know the first bit of the course well but not from 10miles onwards. Good luck Peter, I'm sure you'll get round.
Thanks for that (or even dioch yn fawr) from another SNOD virgin - although familiar territory from mountaineering in my younger days.
I'll not be the fastest by any means
- hoping for around 4:45 (with marathon PB 4:26 at Loch Ness)
Travelling down from Orkney so well used to strong winds!
Looking forwards to it now ...
That was in response to John Bach (but delayed in sending)
This will be my fourth Snowdon! I set out to get 4 coasters and missed one year. So hopefully ill be fresh after my Chester Marathon pb and ready to do a Course pb at Snowdon. Really looking for a sub 3.30 but we will see what happens!
Hi all,
T Rex, think my time this year will be somewhere around the 4 hour mark. I'd like to say sub 4, but saying 4 is probably pushing it at the mo.
And after Abingdon, that may change a tad.......May see you & Brer there, but possibly only your backs from a very great distance! As it's a local race to my old club I'll wear my White Horse Harriers vest (green)
JB, I remember all those flat bits. Where are the hills you speak of?
Peter JL. Kudos mate. I thought I was not in any way fit enough and was just doing SNOD for the view this year. Best wishes to you.
Good shout on TR41, hope life's good and all going to plan.
Grand news,just had my marathon email, cut off at Snowdon Ranger 5 hrs.
With a bit of a tailwind,I think I can just about manage 30 k in 300 minutes.
Fingers Crossed.
Put me down for anything under a DNF. No matter how hard it is, I WILL finish it. All joking aside, if I get anything between 3.45- 4.30 I will be more than happy.
Chrissi ... That sounds much better.
Put me down. Oh no, not just yet! Brief look in between OFSTED stuff at all great banter..it gives me something else to focus on.
Yes, where is my friend from Rhyl? Panad, any news?
FR..how are you buddy, post-Leicester?
Not quite sunk in for me yet that this is now next week...
My aim is to get round in one piece, a sub 4:30 (and thus avoiding a course worst would be fab), but to get around and try and enjoy myself in the process is real plan
Brer all the best with OFSTED mate
Nearly time to start checking the 10 day forcast every half hour
Peter John Lewis: "...cut off at Snowdon Ranger 5 hrs. With a bit of a tailwind,I think I can just about manage 30 k in 300 minutes."
err
by my arithmetic 10:30 to 2:30 is only 4h!
Here we go, then. You know the race is near now ...
3:30
3:40
3:45
4:00
4:10
4:15
4:30
4:45
Running round the mountain: