Lletty fell race

Race: Lletty (9m/2900ft/AM)
Time/Position: 1:25:57 (3rd from 44 [1st V40])
When I last did this route two years ago I came away thinking that it was the hardest fell race in NE Wales. Although I surprised myself by taking well over five minutes off my 2009 time today, I still think it is the toughest local race: a splendid, satisfying workout. The start is brutal, a vertical (seemingly!) mile of climbing from the bottom of the Vale of Clwyd up to the main ridge, followed by a short-lived descent to the ultra-steep climb up Moel Arthur. I didn't feel very good on this, having not warmed up properly, and found myself well behind Neil, Jez and another runner as we crested Arthur. But then I gradually started to gain on third place during the climb back up to Moel Llys y Coed. Good running along the ridge, light rain and wind, before the long descent down to the Cilcain reservoir. Then comes the contouring and boggy climb all the way up to Moel Famau. I felt slow and over-cautious on all the descents, concerned about the achilles, and lost sight of the third runner on all of them: particularly the very long descent from Famau back down to the bottom of the Vale. However, as we climbed yet again back up to the ridge at Moel Dywyll, a viscious climax, I realised I had the legs to gradually gain on him and passed him just below the ridge. He was still close for the long run along the ridge, but I managed to pull out a bigger gap along the undulating ridge to finish 3rd overall. My first race since Snowdon, so quite pleased that all the recent cycling doesn't seem to have done any harm.