Running Exhausted

All in all my mini-break recce and race long weekend didn't quite work. That's not to say it's not been good. It has. Even the weather being it's usual damp squib hasn't detracted. No, it's more the concept of 26 miles of recce in the preceeding two days to what is already a tough race. Add in terrible conditions on the day. They had to miss out Lliwedd and take the miners to the top on account of dangerously strong wind - sssh, no, stop it - along the ridge and you're not looking at a quick one - I said stop it. The final nail in the coffin was the gale force winds - NO - over night. I hardly slept a wink. I honestly wasn't sure she could take it for so long - here we go again, No - she being the tent. But she's a strong old gal and I needn't have worried. But I did and adding that to the mix, I was fair exhausted before the start.

As to the race, that went well. Well, that is, until I ran out of steam. I was taking on energy gels pretty regular but it wasn't enough. Despite getting to the halfway point in just outside two hours I was a spent force and for a brief moment I almost called it quits - you actually are allowed to and downgrade to the half Peris race. But you know by now that's not my way.

By the time I reached the second from last summit I was beginning to feel a bit dizzy. More gels didn't help much but I just kept on giving. Fortunately it was mostly down hill from there.

Even the slightest of up hill running brought me to a near standstill but I stuck to it, held off a late challenge and finished in 4 hours and 27 minutes. Slow, I know, but I finished - and I really wasn't far from not actually being physically able to.

In all it's been a good training camp if nothing else. 43 miles and around 16,000 feet of ascent over the three days. I feel all set for next weekend's Lake District Mountain Trial - assuming I recover - oh, and of course, there's Tuesday's Inter-Companies 5 miler for which I will almost certainly not have recovered for.

Just about ready to head home tomorrow. Oh joy, it's just started to rain again...