Brecon Beacon 40 Mile Ultra

Wales was once again calling to me, this time in the form of an ultra race (40 miles). This was my first race of 2013, as part of the run further championship and also the Welsh Ultra running one.

Over Christmas break, I had struggled with illness and like so many others I fell into the belly bursting blissfulness of food and drink. It is the season to be jolly so ho ho ho and round and round I roll.

Having only done half the course as a recce for the event three weeks before the race I was extremely nervous and terrified. I was rattling like a bag of nuts and bolts.

Also struggling with an on going knee injury, I was almost in two minds about the race before it had even began, not a good mindset to be in. I still decided to go ahead with race, with the idea of just getting round the course. I had no expectations about time. I just wanted to drag myself around the Welsh Hills.

I decided to head down the night before in order to get a good nights sleep. This didn’t really work due to my nervous. This didn't also help Caras night sleep either.  Having gone to bed with Salmon in my belly I woke up to an overcast morning and headed down to breakfast.  I had a one egg and a cup of tea. I also meant some other runners that were staying the B&B  (the Allt). This turned out to be a blessing in disguise.  I was here with my partner and she kept reassuring that I would be okay for the race, be insisted I should eat more. Thanks for the support. 

I got myself ready and headed down for the 8am start and the race briefing with an 11minute delay we set off. I was still in two minds about my race plan after the trigger.

I set off thinking I can either hold back or I can run with the Andy, Chris and Lotti who I had met at breakfast that morning.  They had early said that they aimed to get round in 9 and half hours. This was a time I was not capable of, but I decided that I would just go with them.  I prefer company when running. As I find I can learn more, as am still new to the sport.  

I quickly caught up with the three and asked if I could join their party. Running at a pace that was slightly above my comfort zone for the distance of the race, I decided to just go with the flow. We head up the first hill after running along the canal. This was the part I had ran three weeks before.  It was time to feel like a kid again, the downhill section after a 25minute walk up Tor y Foel.

We then reached the first the checkpoint 7 miles in with the rain in our faces, we took on some food and water.  We then headed to my favourite part of the course around the quarry and Glasgwm forest to see waterfalls and run along the tight paths made up of mud and limestone rocks.  At this point Chris was being fuelled by his eggs that he had for breakfast, we can all remember the smell…

We then headed towards Pontsticlli Reservoir exposed to more rain and wind we ran through peat and mud. It was at this point Lotti decided to head back HQ as she was using this a training exercise for another event. So me, Chris and Andy carried on. We arrived at Checkpoint two, 9 miles into the 40mile race. I could start to feel the aches in my legs, so I decided to do some stretches at every checkpoint.  At the checkpoint a man on a bike with a yellow waterproof on asked me if I was okay, I said I was and we carried on.

We then started the 6 mile uphill along the Twyn Mwyalchod mountain towards Bwich Duwynt Checkpoint.  After the shake holes we saw a man with a gun, alarm balls start to ring, as the rain and wind acted as our shadows, and become a cloak for him, we moved closer will saw his army uniform, and joked that we were on his side.  Taking on some salt and vinegar crisps and snickers.

I moved through the bogs and water, which curved our excitement for the race, if the quarry and forest was the favourite part of the race, this was the least. What goes up must come down.  It was extremely hard work moving through bogs and water, and to make matters worse as we were reaching the summit of the mountain it decided to hail, and rain horizontally in our faces with winds up to 45mph, according to Chris’s Garmin. As the elements increased its lashing and torments, I thought I would not be beaten. I continued and decided to increase my pace in order to get off the mountain. This was definitely the most challenging weather I have ever run in.  I looked round for Chris and Andy and there we putting on waterproofs.  I good Idea I thought, but the idea of stopping didn’t appeal to me.  At this point I could not feel my fingers or toes.  We reached the Checkpoint 3 and headed down towards the car park, a one and half mile downhill I could sink my teeth into. The thought of not having the wind crash against my face and the hail not hitting my neck was too much of a relief to be hanging around.  I ran down over taking some of the runners that had previously overtaken me coming up the hill.

We reached the checkpoint and Andy had decided to call it day, as he wasn’t enjoying the race and he had some discomfort in one of his legs.  Me and Chris continued around the loop back upwards Pen y Fan, the second hardest ascent. Chris was looking strong, and become an inspiration at this point. I was a withering and shivering mess. I couldn’t stop shaking due to the cold, I decided to put my untested waterproof trousers on for some heat. This worked and within five minutes I was okay to move on. The ascent seemed to go on and on,  in fact it went on for approximately 2miles. This took a lot out of my legs.

This was an up and down course, in terms of both the route and the weather. At the bottom of the mountains we were sheltered from the rain and wind, you could almost feel some sensation within your toes and fingers and at the top of the mountains we exposed to the worst conditions that Wales had to offer, turning our skins, bones and muscles to ice.  In some was it was soothing, well if for a moment.  The fleeting visits from the sun always brought a smile, and a little bit of hope.  The next descent was 3 miles to checkpoint 6.  I enjoyed the technical aspect of this part as some of the routes were tight and slippery. In fact Chris and I both fell over coming down, We also managed to overtake someone else.  I also saw the man on the bike and yellow waterproof at the checkpoint, he had asked how I felt again as I every time I saw him I was stretching and taking on water., I can’t remember my reply. Chris had already headed off and I had to run a bit harder to catch him up.

At this point I didn’t feel that great, I felt a little dizzy.  I told Chris and he gave me a chocolate biscuit.  A lesson learnt here, take more food. I also had more nuts and jelly babies and water as well some crisps.  We were heading up to Cribyn the hardest and steepest ascent, I tried to keep up with Chris as much as possible, as I knew if I didn’t my race was finished.  He was much better at the ascents than me.  It was so hard moving against the wind and going up a vertical hillside. In fact I got cramp in my foot and had to stretch it out.   This was a never-ending walk uphill, I thought I was on Escher’s staircase.  Chris reached the top before me and let off a scream, and I did the same, we both looked at each other and said we wanted to go off the mountains on to the home straight.  So we went our legs loose for while to checkpoint 7. 32 miles.

I had earlier said to Chris and Andy that it would be downhill from here, I was wrong, as we had another bit of ascending to do. I was gutted as was Chris. Apologies.  In sense this was more testing as I didn’t expect it and it was also made up of peat.. Once we reached the last summit we let go and started to head downhill, I thought we were moving well as we were gaining on someone. Then to our surprise someone ran past us at some knots. I not sure who and what that was? Well played that lighting bolt. To have that much left in your legs at this stage was impressive.

We did in fact overtake a few more people on the way down Twyn Du which made a change for me.  Once we get to the Talybont Reservoir we were on the flat run back to start at Talybont Outdoor Pursuits Centre.  At the Dam I saw the yellow man on the bike, who said to me, “your still going then” yes I replied, he told me it was two miles to the finish.

Me and Chris then ran to the finish as we both wanted to put the race behind us.

We crossed the line together with a time of 9hrs and 11 minutes.

We finished Joint 41^st overall, we were greeted by Cara, Andy and Lotti. Thanks for the support.  Cara Also helped me to regroup and hobble back to the B&B.

I was really pleased with my time, as it was a whole hour quicker than my gold time.  I was that pleased with the time, I almost cried! I also tried to eat a bacon and egg bap, but that managed to miss my mouth and land the bap on the side of my face, much to the amusement of the cook and Cara.

Overall I was pleased with my performance, as I managed to finish quicker than I expected. I think this was down to running with Chris, Andy and Lotti. I owe a lot to them for seeing me through the race.  Thanks Guys. Chris later reveals that I had gone grey before Cribyn… Thanks for the Chocolate Biscuit. I also saw the man in the yellow, who also revealed that I looked tired at mile 9…Great race full of ups and downs…