With all the rain in recent weeks the dam looked magnificent and very loud! It was such a shame the weather was so bad as it would have looked stunning with the sun shining.
131 runners braved the race and to warm us up before the start there was a hot drink and cake for the bargain price of £1, the coffee cake alone was worth turning up for!
There was a 5 minute walk to the start and during that time I was drenched. We had been warned of ankle deep puddles and slippery leaves, they weren't kidding, however these puddles were more like streams which soaked through my trainers and socks, nice!
Between miles 2 to 3 there was a strong headwind as well as a long up hill, the wind kept making appearances (as did the hills) the one constant was the rain. On one of the hardest hills the organisers had very kindly placed a photographer so no chance of a sneaky little walk break, I can't wait to see that photo!
The final mile was all down hill which was a huge relief, sadly the wind machine had been turned back on though so it was like running through treacle. At the finish line there were 3 brave marshals to congratulate me, I can't blame people for not wanting to watch!
My time was slow (1hr 49mins) I was hoping for 4 minutes quicker but with the weather and those hills I'm guessing it wasn't too bad. Sadly though I wasn't quick enough for another piece of coffee cake, that had all gone by the time I'd changed into dry clothes. Next year I'll know to buy 2 pieces at the start!
I'm looking forward to going back to the Elan Valley with sunny weather for a relaxed walk.
12 miles on my plan for next weekend, this running malarkey is hard work!
No comments:
Post a Comment