Trac Mon 5

Race: Trac Mon 5m (Border League race 2)

Time/Position: 30.14 (55th from 317 [1st V55])

A workmanlike outing on this good, novel course which loops around a smooth-as-silk motor racing track, exposed to the full force of the prevailing wind near Rhosneigr. I had done it twice before, including (I think) the first time the league ever raced here when I ran it in exactly 28 minutes. It might have been a slightly different route then, however. I was a little conservative today, as both big laps contain a steepish climb, and was disappointed with my time. That said, it did the job, I was first in the category and managed to score in 9th place for Buckley, not easy at my age!

Welsh Regions XC Champs

Race: Welsh Regional XC Championships, Newtown (9k+)

Time/Position: 37.29 (104 from 159 [3rd V55])

This course was a quagmire two years ago and I was expecting a similar experience today after lots of rain. In the event, it was a bit drier (a relative term as there was still a great deal of cloying mud!) and I had a reasonable although unspectacular race. It is always a very strong field, of course, with the best cross-country runners selected from every Welsh region, and I was in the 55-64 category for the first time (I think it's the fourth time I have represented North Wales at this event). It felt very similar to Bala last week, as I started quite cautiously but managed to retain a decent pace for the remaining laps. I scored in second place for the 55-64 team, North Wales came away with the silver medal, and I picked up a pleasing bronze in the competitive individual race.

Bala XC

Race: Bala XC 9k (North Wales League race 3)

Time/Position: 39.16 (52 from 144 [1st V55])

After my puzzling implosion in the season opener at Trefnant, I took a deliberately conservative approach here on this new course through the farmland east of the Tryweryn. Although flat, the course gave a classic cross-country outing with some deep bog mixed with drier bits and a gravel track. I usually pride myself on my pacing, which made the Trefnant issues even stranger, so I plodded fairly slowly around the first lap. I started moving in the right direction on the second lap as the course got even boggier to become a classic XC mudbath, picking up a few places but never really moving particularly quickly! My age group rivals weren't that far behind so it was nice to finish first in the category, not that common for me in cross country. Washing the mud-caked legs in the Tryweryn was an essential cool down!

Preston 10

Race: Preston 10

Time/Position: 61.45 (41st from 247 [2nd V55])

With the cancellation of the border league, I immediately initiated 'plan b' and headed north for this long-established 10 miler. It has been quite some time (maybe almost a decade) since I last did a proper 10 mile road race, and I wanted to see whether I could put down a decent V55 time. As such, this was an adequate performance that probably reflects my current speed and fitness. In my heart of hearts I knew I wouldn't be able to maintain sub-6 minute mile pace for long, so breaking the hour seemed unlikely. On reflection, 6.10 pace probably isn't too bad in the circumstances. My PB is 58.20, set at Wrexham in 2012, and I obviously wasn't thinking in those terms! I went off a bit fast, still wondering whether a sub-hour was on the cards, and undoubtedly paid for that later. I realised the danger at 5k, however, and knocked it back a bit, going through the first five mile lap in 30.30. It was quite a pleasant circuit from Hutton south-west of Preston, along some lanes via Walmer Bridge to a big track down the side of the Longton bypass, which wasn't quite so pleasant! Conditions were perfect: fairly cold and sunny with a light breeze, and the circuit is quite flat. It was bit frustrating to have to concede I will probably never go under the hour again, but at least this was a club record and should get me fairly comfortably into the North Wales all-time top 10 in the category. It combined with the Lancashire Championships, so it was a strong field of serious runners with lots of quick veterans competing.

Widnes parkrun

'Race': Widnes parkrun

Time/position: 18.22 (6th from 323)

Having run 17.36 at the Wirral 5k, I also wanted to add a decent V55 parkrun time to this year's schedule. Widnes, as the 7th fastest parkrun in the UK, seemed a good choice. Sadly, however, enthusiasm triumphed over experience here and this was just too soon after the marathon for a decent performance: I felt a bit jaded and was half a minute slower than I had hoped to run (20 seconds down on my previous running of the course). Still, it was nice to see have a post-run breakfast with Dave and actually we were lucky to avoid the torrential downpours earlier that morning.

Marathon Eryri

Race: Marathon Eryri

Time/Position: 3.26.11 (134 from 2209 [1st V55])

A significant race in several different ways. Firstly, it has been a staggering 19 years since I last did it in 2006. Secondly, I have never won my age category in a marathon before, or even come close. Thirdly, I'm still recovering from the heel injury that meant I missed most of the training I had intended to do. Finally, I had a place for it in 2022 when I was well trained after London, but glandular fever meant I didn't even make the start line! It is also, of course, a wonderful event through a landscape that I know intimately and that means a lot to me. The weather was typical late October, nowhere near as bad as the multiple inclement weather races I've experienced (the OMM and numerous other events at this time of year are one of the reasons I have taken such a long sabbatical from this marathon after my two previous runnings). Basically, intermittent squally showers and fairly strong cold north-westerlies, unpleasant to those unused to it. I wore a light base layer and carried a windproof for emergencies but in the event I was fairly comfortable throughout. The start used to be close to Nant Peris but is now just outside Llanberis and I took it nice and steady down to Nant and then a controlled climb up to Pen y Pass, which I crested in around 35 minutes from the start. This set a sustainable steady pace, nothing spectacular, and I remained conservative on the rapid descent to Pen y Gwryd and then the gravel track down Nant Gwynant (it used to go down the main road). Superb views to a moody Yr Wyddfa as a heavy squall swept in from the North-West (the prevailing direction all day). Along the lovely shores of Llyn Gwynant and Llyn Dinas and then into Beddgelert on 90 minutes. Good atmosphere, and I was pleased to feel quite comfortable despite going through the half way point not much over three hour pace. The crux came next, the long climb out of the village coincided with the day's worst squall, into a violent headwind alongside a hailstorm. All quite draining, and the pace really slowed. That said, it was the same for everybody and the hail soon stopped. Even better, the headwind weakened as we approached Rhyd Ddu and was nowhere near as bad as I'd expected round the shores of Llyn Cwellyn, with superb views over the Nantlle ridge with even a tiny bit of brightness around. Kept a decent pace ticking over until Waunfawr, after which comes the famous savage climax up to Bwlch y Groes. I reached Groeslon in 2.55 and then, as I'd expected, hemorrhaged big chunks of time, especially where the lane gets steep. Another gel revived me, and I did manage to run a little more of the climb than I had expected. Even where it levels out towards the atmospheric old quarry, it stays tough, and more weather came in from the north-west at this point. I was still feeling pretty good, and was looking forward to the descent into Llanberis - but it was, predictably, very slippery and hazardous with lots of people falling on the grass and gravel, not ideal in Vaporflys! Caution was necessary, although I still passed a lot of runners and could finally open out a bit on the tarmac above Llanberis. All told, I lost around four to five minutes over the last 5k from my predicted time at Beddgelert, so not too disastrous. I met Tim and David in the baggage tent, got into warm clothes, and quickly into a warm car heading home for tea!

Trafford 10k

Race: Trafford 10k

Time/Position: 37.05 (227 from 1376 [3rd V55])

A well-known ultra competitive 10k, renowned for fast times. For whatever reason, I had never got round to it before and although I knew I was unlikely even to get near my best V55 time (Colshaw Hall's 36.35 from June) I thought a speed session would be good, the intention being to try to run a controlled and steady race as a confidence boost. This is what happened, and although it was my second slowest 10k since I turned 55, I did feel pretty comfortable until the last kilometre, which was good. As anticipated, a very strong field attracted by a pleasant, flat course in the countryside south of Partington towards Dunham Massey. Finished miles down the field, and was nowhere near the two quickest V55s. A family brunch in Altrincham followed.