Gladstone 9 fell race

Race: Gladstone 9

Peaks: Tal y Fan, Foel Lus

Time/Position: 1.33.37 (14th from 57 [3rd V50])

The first non-virtual race since Ras yr Aran in March, a long, long layoff coinciding with my 50th birthday and wiping out dozens of age category plans. I hadn't done the Gladstone 9 since 2008, a ridiculous gap in itself, and today's race was organised in a Covid-secure time trial format, each runner starting at minute intervals. It worked well, although there wasn't much sense of being in a race, as I passed 5 or 6 runners in front of me before Capelulo, but the ones in front of them were much quicker. I'd forgotten the first section of the race, which heads from the edge of Penmaenmawr up the front of Foel Lus then takes the delightful contouring, twisting path to join the Pen race route down to Capelulo. Then comes the climb up the Donkey Track from Fairie Glen: I was disappointingly slow on this, and indeed on all the climbs. At the top, I went straight ahead towards Tal y Fan, and later cut back left towards the main track. I'm not convinced this gains much time due to the heathery terrain, but it feels a little shorter in terms of distance. After the stream above Llangelynin, it climbs through the little valley to the next CP at the start of the long climb along the Tal y Fan wall. I always find this tough: due to its very steep rocky rises interspersed with gentler sections. From the summit, the route takes a direct line down to the stone circle - the path is very vague with numerous boggy sections. I felt slow and disappointingly sluggish throughout, although as the main North Wales coast path is reached and the route heads east over Foel Lus I perked up a bit. It is a quick run-in back to the start above Penmaenmawr.