Snowdonia marathon 2013

1545557596081

Comments

  • Hey team, back from the dark side.Fab Hardmoors 30 (well 32 on Garmin).Did my homework this time 5hrs 21mins inc faff time..2 lady. Autumn in the air in Whitby,it must be nearly Snod timeimage

     

     

     

     

  • Brer- well done- AGAINimageimage

    Steve- well done! I was going the opposite way on that route later that afternoon. That big climb is worse going down, if that's any consolationimage

    Just to quell any suspicions that I am going too far to the dark side of off road ultras, I have a 50k lined up for December: multiple laps of Newcastle Racecourse's tarmac and flattish ambulance trackimage

  • Cheers JD and thanks for deciding to jog round Llyn Llech last week as it meant, for the first time in my life, i was 1st in my age categoryimage

  • Steve-image you are welcome- never have raced the Parkrun- doesn't fit in with the long run on Sundayimage

  • T RexT Rex ✭✭✭

    Do they race ambulances in Newcastle?  That's a new one on me.  Is that with or without patients inside?

  • T RexT Rex ✭✭✭

    Ridgeway 85, 24/25 Aug

    Looking at the forecast which predicted quite a bit of rain, I decided the purchase of some tight shorts for the first time ever was in order.  I had eyed some pairs suspiciously on the rails in the shop.  Very fancy, a lot of them, with huge Skins logos and the like.  I settled for a plain black pair and put them on for the first time race morning, about 0500.

    It hadn't been good preparation because on Fridays I now do two part-time jobs totalling, with commuting, a 19-hour day and had only got in at 0030.  I seemed to have neglected to ask for annual leave.

    Caught the 0623 train and with a minibus pickup at tring station made it to the open air race HQ near Ivinghoe Beacon, Bucks, in good time.  The rain was belting down which made pre-race preparation difficult.

    Not entirely comfortable with what I was wearing I set off at 1200.  As before in this event, and in other ultras, virtually the whole field disappeared after a couple of miles.  Where are they all hurrying off to, then?  There's still 83 miles to go.

    I was left with a very good companion for much of the first half of the race, H~, who had done no training and was relying on army fitness from five years previously. You certainly get allsorts entering these events.  Hello, H~, if you're reading this!

    He was impressed that there were so many fit civilians, many of them in their senior years.  'Look at you, for instance!' he said to me at one point.

  • T RexT Rex ✭✭✭

    I didn't want to look at myself.  I dreaded to think what I looked like in those shorts.

    The heaviest of the rain stopped and it was getting extremely humid.  It was hard to know what to wear. Decided to make a clothing adjustment in the woods above Tring Park among the rhododendrons and emerged in just a vest - I would have to brazen out the future rainstorms and just keep moving to avoid getting chilled, that bain of ultra events.

     

    By this time I was right at the back and for the the first couple of CPs there was talk of cut-offs and immenent closure of CPs.  This was odd - this year I was making faster progress up to CP4 than in any of my previous four outings.

    This is a trend I am noticing in ultras - there is a much higher proportion of fast runners who are treating them as their specialist events and less recreational types like me.  I'm usually mid-pack in a road marathon but certainly up against it in these ultras.

     

    Must be my age.

  • T Rex wrote (see)

    I didn't want to look at myself.  I dreaded to think what I looked like in those shorts. Decided to make a clothing adjustment in the woods above Tring Park among the rhododendrons and emerged in just a vest ....

    The mind boggles image

    Great day out yesterday with a couple of friends who are training for Long Mynd Hike.  Ran/walked about 15 miles including Caer Caradoc, The Lawley and on to Pole Bank.   A bit of last minute hill training for the Yorkshireman Half next weekend image

    Brer - What can I say?   Well done - keep those trophies coming!

     

     

     

     

  • Not quite sure why my post has come up as all quote ... but I think you can see which bit refers to TRex image

  • T RexT Rex ✭✭✭

    Hmm ...  you do understand I had those shorts on as well?  Not carefully placed leaves?

  • Hey SD, do you know of any spare places for off road-yorkshire marathon, quite fancy it after your review last year. Let me know if you have any DNS buddies aroundimage

    OMG, Trex, reminds me of my Asda pants issueimage

  • Brer - I would recommend you e-mail race director (Charlie Marshall) via Keighley and Craven AC website.   He's really lovely and would probably do his best to offer you a place.   Hope so, as it is one of my fave races (though I''m just doing the 15 mile half this year).  Fingers crossed image

    TRex - I believe you image

  • T RexT Rex ✭✭✭

    brer - I thought you were only going to do 13 marathons this year?  What's going on with you, girl?

  • T RexT Rex ✭✭✭

    Ridgeway, part II

    At about mile 35 you reach a 3-mile linear feature called Grim's Ditch, a 3000-year-old dyke enclosed in a narrow strip of ancient woodland.  It's usually quite spooky in there but less so this year since the daylight was still quite strong.  I was ahead of time.  

    I usually feel good in the 30s in ultras and so picked up the pace leaving my new friend H~ behind with his thoughts.  I was feeling really good and moving fast - reached the end of the ditch - over the road - and without hesitation plunged into half a mile of wood in which it was by now very dark.  Overtook a few runners in there with their headtorches on, but I didn't want to put mine on yet - I wanted to see how far I could get.  And, no, it wasn't into the nearest tree trunk!  Ha!  Out of the wood I went and I was really flying southwards, following the Thames.

    Did about another mile and a half until, amid the tombstones of North Stoke church I gave up the struggle and put my light on.

    Here I made a bit of a mistake.  I fell in with another runner who was actually walking but extremely fast.  He said he was going to walk like this all night and only have about another 20 miles to run in the morning.  Was this a plan?  I kept with him almost all the way to Goring, the half way CP at about mile 44.  By the time I arrived there I was down on my best time.  Should have kept running, but the walking seemed less tiring, much less effort, more relaxing ...

  • T RexT Rex ✭✭✭

    After about 26 minutes of relaxing in the community hall, changing shoes and socks, topping up my water and supplies, reorganising myself for the night and downing the hot meal provided, I headed out into the dark and lonely night and crossed into Berkshire, making the long climb up onto the Wessex Downs where a chill wind was blowing and not another headtorch in sight either in front or behind.  Where was everybody?

  •  you cant leave it there.......image

  • jenfjenf ✭✭✭

    Come on Trex... where are they? And more to the point where were you?

  • I'm in suspense ......... TRex The Movie would definately be a 2 parter image

    Brer - how many marathons have you done so far this year? you must be nearly at the 13 now.

     

  • trying to persuade mr c that conwy is a nice place to visit at the end of november.

  • I'm going through a no targets phase so 'just' going to turn up on the day and see what happensimage

  • oh no.... where is the next bit TRex???

    FR - I like your approach, no target certainly relieves pressure for me. 

    Have my across Wales 'walk' on Saturday and the forecast is dire.... not sure whether to wear waterproofs and try and stay dry ish or to go with the shorts & vest approach and just make sure I don't dawdle (which will be hard running in a group of 4 and ascending plymlimon). It's a 5am start so will be chilly then but could wear layers and ditch at checkpoints I guess. 45miles in the phishing rain does not sound like fun..... 

     

  • jenfjenf ✭✭✭

    Camlo, wear a black bin bag, they are all the fashion these days, then ditch it whenever!!

  • For some mad reason, I have entered this years SNOD. This will be my first marathon so I am both excited and apprehensive at the same time. I've been training for a half marathon and did a 1.42 half today around the North York moors, so fingers crossed it will keep me in good stead for SNOD. As long as I finish and don't embarrass myself I will be happy.

     

  • Hiya Team, am back with full new PC and mobile due to complete techno crash of old gear. New gear is all Windows 8...imageAnyway, think I know what I am doing with it all now.

    Quick read back of all news..TRex and Chrissi..13 was the target, smashed that in July, now on for at least 20 marathons in 2013. I blame the nice weatherimage

    Camlo-what is your event?

    FR-no target..good thinking at all times, takes pressure off and makes the whole job so much more enjoyable. But you know that anyway buddyimage

    Jenf..how's things?

    Panad and TR40..are you good?

    Jason........how's it going? Newcastle is one of my end of year events too.

    Loveenduresforever..can you shorten your name?imageRock on, best marathon ever-welcome to our club. Was my first marathon in 2009..was meant to be my last too. But that's another story.

  • jenfjenf ✭✭✭

    Think we can shorten it to LEF? welcome to the thread. It will be my first SNOD, but I have done the marathon distance before. I've not set myself a time...just to finish!

    Hey Brer, if youve sussed windows 8 can you give me lessons image

    Did some wicked hill sprints this week, now have lovely achey calves lol. Got a nice hilly 18miler planned for weekend. I've got my head together after my minor blip, I just needed to be nice to myself!

  • Brer - welcome back loving the way you say at least 20 is now the target image

    Jenf - glad all ok

    LEF - welcome and stick with us on here it's part of what makes SNOD such a great event.

    Not sure if i'll be running or swimming later looking at the weather forecast image

  • Thank you all for your warm welcomes. Pointed noted about the username lol.

    Jenf - Just to finish is my plan too. I've been doing a bit of hill training on the North York moors over the past week and will increase the miles over the next few weeks.

    Chrissi, - If where you are is anything like York today, you'll be able to go out for a run and swim back. Due to my lack of swimming skills I'm half tempted to borrow the kids armbands when I go out later.

  • panadpanad ✭✭✭
    Welcome to the madhouse LEF image



    well I think I can safely say that this week has been a shock to my quads! Straight back into the hilly commute after 6 weeks of no cycling and a run up Moel Eilio with mr panad yesterday...hoping to do a longish run tomorrow, but will see how it goesimage



    what race are you doing this weekend Brer?
  • Lol Panad,nothing this weekend..marathon somewhere near Huntingdon next week! Glad legs didn't drop off with cycling commuteimage

    LE..you have nice training area, you lucky thing.

  • panadpanad ✭✭✭
    Ok guys, bit OT but any suggestions for some new off-road shoes. My innov8s are falling to pieces, excalibur was supposed to be their last outing but with it not happening and everything else I never got around to replacing them, used them for the snowdon race ok, but they are now falling apart so I'm gonna have to do something about them. My road shoes are adidas so was wondering if going for some adidas trail shoes might be worth a try...

    thoughts on a postcard please...
Sign In or Register to comment.