Peaks: Elidir Fawr, Y Garn, Glyder Fawr, Lliwedd, Snowdon, Moel Cynghorion
Time/Position: 4.13.16 (55th from 200)
The hardest Welsh mountain race of all - some explanation for the fact that it's been five years since my last attempt at this event. Sadly, I didn't have anywhere near the right amount of hill mileage in my legs for this, but gave it a bash as it was part of the Welsh and British championships this year. As such, the quality and size of the field was remarkable and the pace very high as we set off - rain clearing - from Llanberis. This is one of the unique things about the sport - unlike even the highest profile 10k, here you are competing directly with the very best in a relatively small field. As a result, you get instantly blown away by superb athletes and it puts you firmly back in your rightful place (55th in my case!) The sheer scale of this event meant I deliberately took it as easy as was feasible on the inclines through the quarries, always atmospheric, to Elidir Fach. Skirted this, then took the longer line to gain the misty summit of Elidir in 48 minutes from Llanberis. Superb running around the head of the cwm as all the mist cleared away from the Glyderau. This is the route's highlight, best enjoyed when fresh! I slowed for the sharp haul up Y Garn, then tried to keep a steady but sustainable pace for the rough descent down to Llyn y Cwn and the steep climb up Glyder Fawr. Although it was taking a while to find my rhythm on the climbs, once I did I started to feel reasonably strong and I got to Pen y Pass via the long 'red spot' descent from Glyder Fawr (missing the 'short cut' from the glacis and wasting more time) in 1.56. The real race then begins: in 2008 I suffered badly from dehydration over Lliwedd and had no wish to repeat the experience. This time I was more cautious, jogging the Miner's Track to Llyn Llydaw with a full bottle of water, then scrambling over Lliwedd, trying to keep pace with Adrian from Eryri across Bwlch y Saethau and directly up the rocky East ridge into the mist on Yr Wyddfa. The summit of Snowdon was as crowded and surreal as ever, and I dodged the crowds from the cairn and leapt onto the railway to ensure I didn't miss the turn for the Snowdon Ranger path. Indeed, if the race just descended to Llanberis from Snowdon it would be relatively easy - but it doesn't, so the crux is this brutal final leg. I fell quite badly on the screes of the Ranger path - the momentum meant an inevitable somersault with head-on-scree contact. Never pleasant, but I managed to minimise the blow and continued, a little shaken. A painfully slow descent and tough climb back over Moel Cynghorion - now out of the mist - in 3.47. Had 13 mins left to break 4 hours, which wasn't going to happen. Instead I got even slower down to Maesgwm and through the deep stream, developing an appalling stitch for the final 'fast' run through Coed Victoria to Llanberis. This lost me even more time as I was reduced to a crippled jog, removing bumbag and bent double in an attempt to relieve the pain. Then came a desperate effort to recover in time to represent North Wales at the starkly contrasting Welsh 10k champs next week.
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