Snowdonia Marathon 2018

Wabo

jason I am, it's ridiculous!! Sitting down has required hanging on to something and standing up, going downstairs is a joke.  Checked and when I did this race in 2013 I actually didnt run for 3 weeks after!! This time I have run everyday....
john bach wow

fish-out-of-water

The official pics are starting to appear on the SportsPicturesCymru site http://www.sportpictures.cymru/2017-Gallery/Snowdonia-Marathon  - as always there are some great shots of you guys! (UDS - there are some lovely ones of you and your boy crossing the line!)

T Rex

Good to see people are getting themselves organised for the 2018 SNOD marathon, and seemingly sorting things in this order:

1) Car parking
2) Accommodation
3) Race entry ...

And probably a long way down the list ...

... Training!

runwithmysetter

Managed a nice gentle couple of miles on the Sunday and felt much better for it Nice walk on Llanddwyn on the Monday with the girls (wife and 2 mad Setters) just to remind me what a lovely part of the world this is

Count me in for 2018, #8 for me and counting the days til entry opens!

Ralph davies

Went to coed y brenin forest park today. Wish we had that on our doorstep, amazing place.

TrailRunner22

Yea I love it there too Ralph. Stopped by on the way home on Monday. Legs were too knackered to run... The races there are well worth doing too

T Rex

I can't think of any reason why I would need to do another double, so all 'single' on this list unless you let me know!

brer rabbit
Chimney   sub-4:00
CSMLFC
Inside Forward
jasond2
John Bach   sub-3:00
Pete Thomas 6    sub-4:30
Ralph davies
Shazmo
The Lazy greyhouind
TrailRunner22    sub-2:50
T Rex   sub-4:00
Wabo

John Bach

Simply to agree with TR22, the Coed y Brenin events are excellent - very well organised - cracking courses. I've entered either the full/half every year, although due to various circumstances I've only done the half twice and the full once. I also did the night event last October - that was good fun! That said, I'm quite fortunate in that I live less a mile away from the Gwydir forest - there are a some great trail routes in there - I'll be donning my trust Salomons again this weekend for a spin there!

panad

TRex - if I’d known he was only 20secs ahead of me I might of been able to find a bit more, but I didn’t see him at all.  I’d told him to go off if he was going to at the start as I was finding myself keeping up with him and I wasn’t expecting anything like the time I got - more like 4hrs 30 - whereas he was hoping for sub 4.  My watch broke about 6 weeks ago, so I was also running a race ‘blind’ for the first time, and I think I actually got a better time as a result - I think I would’ve been more cautious if I’d known the pace I was going.  As you obviously seen he was 10mins ahead of me by the 14 mile timing mat, so I was very impressed to have almost caught him.  The only part I wish I had had a watch on was to now see what sort of pace I went up to bwlch-y-groes and then down into Llanberis at, as I passed so many people, ran the whole way (not out of stubborness this year, but because I felt strong and had no reason not to!)

Have had a couple of short easy runs this week, don’t seem to be recovering too badly

Ultra Disco Stu

I may have broke SNOD forum rules by starting the 2018 thread as I'm not yet sure whether I will run next year. I'm turning 40 next year so it's time to get some speed back and run a sub 3. Looking at Warsaw marathon on 30 Sept which has an excellent course profile. Not been to warsaw either so combined with a city break should be fun. I love destination races too. They seem to motivate me more in training. Having said that I'm currently looking at my window at the pouring rain and trying to motivate myself to get out. I will try and be more of a regular on this thread this year and keep you all abreast of my sub 3 training. 

Perhaps we could even use this thread to actually talk about marathon training!! That would be unique for this page :-D.... So TR22 what are your 'must do' sessions that have got you in the shape you are in? I could of course just go look at your Strava :-)  

Ultra Disco Stu

First post SNOD run... 9 miles. Happy with that and actually the first time I've ran consecutive weekends for months! 

Ralph davies

I think that is a great idea UDS to talk about the nitty gritty of marathon training. Would be great to pick up some tips! Well done on getting out there for your first post snod run. Still not been out myself, today was the first day I felt totally recovered. Had a nice letter through the post on return from holiday yesterday..... Speeding fine from bala police, 35 in a 30,  had a great holiday till then! 

Ralph davies

Did my first jog post Snod, managed to wangle a free gym pass, so went to do some conditioning work as well as 5k on the treadmill. Happy to report that legs feel back to normal now. My next running goals are a sub 1.30 half ( inskip Jan) and a sub 3.15 marathon ( Manchester April). Hope all are well and recovered.

TrailRunner22

Legs feel good now. Managed a parkrun and a 5 mile race this weekend. Biggest problem I'm having is I can't stop eating and drinking! I've been to the pub more times this week than I have all year I think. Got a few more local races coming up then I'll start training for London. 

Haha. UDS, Not sure about must do sessions. I was keen to get plenty of long runs in though.. Think I did 6 of 20 miles or more. Efforts sessions with the club helped as I always push myself a little harder running with others... A weekly parkrun is good to blow away the cob webs too!

Wabo

my legs are pretty much recovered now which is good as I have a race tomorrow and another one Wednesday!! oops
I'm looking at races for next year and all with Snowdonia training in mind.

T Rex

No 100-milers, or even 50-milers, for me next October.  I've entered Cardiff half at the beginning of the month and that will probably be it.  Going to try a more sensible training approach.

Ralph davies

I am sure that approach will maximize your chances of going under 4 hours. What is your current single Snowdon PB?

T Rex

It's 3:59, so going for 3:58!  I'm about 3:50 for flat(tish) marathons.

Ultra Disco Stu

T Rex said:

It's 3:59, so going for 3:58!  I'm about 3:50 for flat(tish) marathons.

Why not really GO for it TRex and shoot for 3:57! :-) 

TR22 - see you in London but I won't be running! I'm the station leader for the Lucozade 15 mile drinks station. My cohort of 80 volunteers will be keeping you fuelled. It's the station just as you emerge from the gloom and stench of the underpass on Isle of Dogs. I let you what it's was pretty disgusting under there last year. Lots of 'Paula Radcliffes' dotted on the pavement! Yuk. 

They are some very good spring target times there Ralph!! Good luck with that. 

Ralph davies

That's a great conversion rate Trex. To be less than 10 mins slower on the Snowdon course compared to a flat marathon obviously shows your strength in the hills and your ultra running background.

For next year i will make sure i do some hill training, looking at my garmin data mile 23 and mile 24 were over 11.00 min/mile pace.  That is where i lost my time, i would have been on for 3.23 or better till then, if i could have maintained about 8.30 pace!!?? up those couple of miles, easier said than done though !! That would require significant training!!

TR22, John, and UDS from previous years- What paces were you managing up waunfawr?

  UDS- "Lots of Paula Radcliffes"- you mean people just let go on the pavement?

TrailRunner22

Oh USD... that sounds nice! lol. I'll look out for you at London. Remind me nearer the time just in case I forget..

I'll enter Cardiff half too T Rex.. One of my favourite races, comes at a nice time too before SNOD.

Ralph.. Waunfawr is the last hill is that right? Mile 22 for me was 7.02, mile 23 was 8.54 and 24 was 8.12. I presume Waunfawr is in there somewhere? lol 

Ralph davies

Thanks for the info TR22. Yep waunfawr is the village at the start of the last climb. 
That is a very impressive pace. 
For me mile 22 was 8.40
Mile 23- 11.56
Mile 24- 11.14
You were over 3 mins per mile quicker!!
Did you run the whole time? I could only shuffle run/walk it!

TrailRunner22

Ha. Yes Ralph managed to keep a run going the whole way, although at times it felt like a shuffle! Was fully expecting to walk a little bit at least so was pleased with that.. I ran 3.08 last year and walked twice for a short time on the last hill. Saw quite a few people walking up it that year.. I think most people do to be honest.

John Bach

I've often had to adopt a "run"/walk strategy going up the Waunfawr climb - I've just checked my stats from the 2014 race (2h50m) and I averaged 9mm for miles 23+24 - I experienced severe calf cramping from mile 22 and had to stop/stretch quite a few times

Ralph davies

Very interesting, so even the sub 3 guys have to run/walk it.  Still impressive average pace from a run/walk strategy John.

I have been out most days this week. Kept mileage low between 3-5 on each run. Legs are starting to get some zing back.

Also i have decided to go back to the gym and do some strength training related to running and also give me use of the treadmill. After 18 months of almost all MAF training i have decided it is time to try to build some speed in my legs!

Ultra Disco Stu

RD - My times for miles 23 & 24 weren't dissimilar to yours. 11.03, 10.43. I have run every step every year I've raced here but that hill never gets any easier! TR22 mile splits are unbelievable. That's the shape you need to be in to run sub3. 

John Bach

TR22 - I was chatting to a clubmate the other night - he is probably the best runner I know at pacing a marathon spot on. He went sub 2.50 in the 2015 race and his mile splits were:

5.53, 6.00, 6.44, 7.07, 7.03, 5.11, 5.15, 5.40, 6.05, 5.51, 6.02, 5.58, 5.56, 7.03. 7.24, 6.32, 6.04, 6.17, 6.18, 6.16, 6.50, 8.57, 8.15, 6.54, 5.52

Ralph davies

John- Thanks for the splits for your clubmate. What strikes me is, his super-human effort at mile 23? 6.50 PACE!!

He must have been saving a bit back for that climb? Do you think he paid a bit with his next mile split of 8.57?

Other than that observation his pacing looks amazing.

If anyone is interested here are my race splits (with corresponding ave hr)

7.09(155), 7.15(162), 7.49 (168), 8.19 (171), 8.16 (169), 6.02(167), 6.20(167), 6.49(166), 7.21(167), 7.12(164), 7.41(165), 7.20(166), 7.19(167), 8.43(170), 9.21(170), 7.55(166), 7.43(163), 8.01(163), 8.04(163), 7.47(165), 7.49(165), 8.41(167), 11.56(164), 11.14(163), 8.40(166), 6.55(166), 6.12(176).

I was surprised at my heart rate, i think that adrenaline and having a slight cold elevated it on race day. From my training leading up to snowdon my MAF pace heart rate of 142 was at around 7.30-7.45 pace depending on conditions (this is on the FLAT) I was obviously over my lactate threshold early on in the race and paid later.

Pre race my intention was to keep heart rate under 160 for as long as possible then build after half-way!! If i had done that i think i would have been a lot slower.

Conclusions: I seriously underestimated the hills.

John Bach

Oops, sorry Ralph, I missed out a mile (#20)

5.53, 6.00, 6.44, 7.07, 7.03, 5.11, 5.15, 5.40, 6.05, 5.51, 6.02, 5.58, 5.56, 7.03. 7.24, 6.32, 6.04, 6.17, 6.18, 6.11, 6.16, 6.50, 8.57, 8.15, 6.54, 5.52

Unfortunately my hrm went a bit haywire in the first mile (it was showing a reading of 192bpm - my maximum is 190 - I would have thought, given the pace in the 1st mile, my h/r would have been less than 148bpm at that point!). I decided to take off the hrm strap and just run to feel for the race!!

Ralph davies

John- How did Laurent find the race? And do you know if he ran it at MAF pace? Would be interesting to know if he could be that disciplined!