Time/Position: 2.07.41 (9th from 35 [2nd V50])
Another massive 'personal worst' but at least I enjoyed myself on a fell race today. I nearly won this race in 2012, leading over the top of the final peak, Moel Wnion, and have run sub-two hours several times on it. Not a chance of that today and I deliberately took it easy, conscious of recent distressing issues on fell races, as well as the sheer length of the initial climb up Drum. A new start this year, from the bridge, meaning that the climb starts immediately, up the horribly familiar steep tarmac towards Anafon. I took this very steady but then felt fairly good for the gentler eastwards climb along the Roman Road. The weather had been awful first thing with torrential rain and high winds, but it was clearly starting to improve as I turned up towards Drum. The wind made life a tad tricky but nowhere near as bad as had been forecast. I kept it very steady, continuing the cautious theme up to Foel Fras, where the headwind became more marked. I then ran to the top of Carnedd Gwenllian, unnecessarily as it happened - there was no checkpoint. This meant I was completely alone and although the cloud base was above the top it is always tricky to get the best line down. I went too far left in an effort to avoid the rocks, then curved round in broadly the right direction for Moel Wnion then picking up the ancient Llwybr yr Aryg. Two more runners appeared at this point, careering down a better line, and we all charged towards Gyrn at a decent pace. A boggy climb up Wnion, then a good direct decent in rapidly improving weather, now sunny. Almost 20 minutes down on my theoretical best time for the course, although I was never entirely convinced about the old race timings. And this was a shorter route too! My detour to the top of Gwenllian may have cost me a few minutes, and the descent perhaps a little more, but I was deliberately taking it steady to avoid blowing and really enjoyed the outing.
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