Famau run

Just failed to break the hour on this headtorch run with Peter. I was quite keen to get a decent run in, with the prospect of a 15 hour flight to Singapore via Qatar tomorrow - and the likelihood of dramatically reduced mileage in the tropics next week! It was very muddy underfoot tonight, with thick mist making life even more difficult around the top (amazing how hard it is to locate the descent path at night in the mist, despite covering the ground thousands of times before in all conditions). Just over 62 mins for the circuit.

Wrexham Cross Country

Race: Wrexham XC (North Wales Cross Country League race 3)
Time/Position: 32:42 (25th from 146)
Having missed the first two XC league events this season, the only reason to do this was to help the team and take advantage of the proximity. It was a pedestrian performance over this flat course, although at least I kept to a reasonably consistent pace and made up a little ground on the final fourth lap. Yet again, my time was more or less the same as the last time I did this race two years ago, although it was a bit muddier today. Indeed, cold and persistent rain fell throughout the race.

Allt Fawr hillwalk

It's becoming increasingly difficult to persuade the children to do any walking at all, so I settled on this little outing from the top of Sychnant after a night in Conwy and a morning jog along Marine Walk and through Bodlondeb. Maximum scenic reward for minimum effort, although milky white cloud replaced the crystal clear morning sunshine as we made our way to the top. A nice picnic gazing out over Anglesey, then we completed a little circuit by descending to the lake and back on the North Wales coast path. Being optimistic, this may have reignited E's enthusiasm for the hills.

Penmaenmawr fell race

Race: Penmaenmawr fell race (10.5m/2000ft)
Time/Position: 1:22:16 (10th from 194 [4th V40])
Heavy rain overnight cleared to leave a beautiful autumnal morning: the northern Carneddau was at its scenic best. Kate dropped New Jersey guest star John and I at the top of Sychnant and we jogged down to Dwygyfylchi so I could show him the start of the route. One of my favourite races, and areas: this was my sixth time in the event, I think. I always flatter myself that I know the hills above Conwy quite well, so it was very frustrating to continually take bad racing lines throughout today's race! It is always run 'in reverse' now, and I find the best lines a bit hard to find this way round. The initial long gradual climb to the top of the quarry went quite well, with superb sea views towards Anglesey and cloud peeling gradually away from the higher Carneddau summits. Boggy underfoot, but I managed to make up some ground initially across the main bog to Bwlch y Ddaefaen, then really enjoyed the fast road running down to Cae Coch and the home leg. I then made a crucial tactical error. Jez's group of four were out of sight, well ahead, and I was with a second group of six of seven runners. Feeling reasonably strong, I went ahead on the first hill after Cae Coch, fifth or sixth at this point, but then stupidly followed the wall. Within minutes, I spied the group behind ploughing up the main path 200m further left. I was left with an exhausting haul over tussocks to regain the group, by which time they'd gained a few hundred metres on me. I tried to make up the gap during the final section: my favourite part of the race, scenically, through the little valley to the fords and down past little Llyn y Wrach to the steep donkey track. But I couldn't catch them, and lost another place before the finish. Ended up slightly frustrated, finishing in more or less the same time as I recorded two years ago: all very enjoyable though, as ever, and after excellent free beer and soup John and I extended the mileage by running back over Sychnant to Conwy.

Capenhurst Border League

Race: Capenhurst 5.5m (Border League race 2)

Time/Position: 31:07 (17th from 356 [3rd V40])

Having not got back from Belfast until late last night, and still rather tired from the intensity of yesterday's race, I wasn't especially optimistic for the second BL race of the season. I started quite steadily and cautiously, as a result of my tired legs, and was very surprised to find that I felt reasonably strong on the second lap. Indeed, I felt better than I have for months - it seems an age since I moved through the field in a race rather than merely hanging on for dear life. I've raced around these roads many times before, so know every twist and turn, and was particularly keen not to get into a sprint finish that I knew I would lose! I managed to pull out a reasonable gap and just concentrated on holding my place for a respectable finishing position. 

British and Irish Masters Cross Country International

Race: GB/Ireland Masters XC Championships, Belfast (8k)
Time/Position: 29:21 (77th from 85)
It was a pleasant surprise, and a real honour, to be selected to represent Wales for the first time - albeit in a style of event that I rarely do. The race itself was inevitably a steep learning curve: despite doing around 300 races in 15 years of running, I have never experienced anything like this level of consistent, super-intense competition throughout the field. The calibre of all the athletes was incredible, as the race was closed to all but the international teams, although at least I was fully prepared for this! I was obviously keen to put in a decent performance, so was a little distressed to find my cold worsening again after last week's Abergele 5. By the time I flew out to Belfast last night, however, my sinuses were clearing and I felt reasonably good when we caught the bus from the city centre to the race. The championships were scheduled to be held at Stormont, which I was looking forward to visiting, but the circuit was sadly waterlogged so it was switched to the Queens University playing fields on the outskirts of Belfast. I was in a 6-strong Welsh team competing in the 40-45 category along with the 35-40/45-50s in the final, fastest four lap 8k race. The course had been badly cut up by the earlier races, and was very muddy and heavy going in places, but generally relatively flat by XC standards. The pace was extremely high from the start, although I managed to hold my own for the first three 2km laps. I concentrated on keeping clear of a big 10-12 strong group of Scottish and Irish runners, initially felt I could sustain the pace, and was quite pleased to be running strongly at first. But the sheer unrelenting speed started to cause me problems as I ploughed through the mud at the end of the third lap. With around 1km to go I began to blow, and slowed. Within seconds the big group that I'd been clear of caught up, then swept past: an indication of the ruthless intensity of the competition, and all rather gutting after the first three laps. A Welsh team-mate then went past right on the line. I was reasonably pleased with my time, given the muddy 5 mile course, but was obviously disappointed not to have put in a better performance to finish higher up the field.

Abergele 5m

Race: Abergele 5m/North Wales 5m Championships
Time/Position: 28:51 (11th from 217 [2nd V40])
My cold got far worse over the course of the week, so I was on full medication for this race. As such, I was pleasantly surprised to record exactly the same time as last year. I didn't particularly enjoy the experience, however, struggling a little bit on the gradual climb up to St George's and just about maintaining some kind of pace on the steep final hill. The finish is good and fast, however, and the conditions were rather like last year: cold, crisp and sunny. Eric stormed past me in the last 200m and I couldn't respond: indeed, the entire field seemed smaller but stronger than last year, as I failed to retain the category title, and my cold got far worse after I finished and the medication wore off! That said, this was a welcome confidence boost in advance of the International XC Championships next week, especially after last week's disaster on the OMM and the sluggish BL opening before that.