Saturday, March 09, 2019

Well That Was Bloody Close....

I only just made it to my summit in time to marshal. I arrived at Cribyn a full sixty seconds before the first runner came through. Some might call it perfect timing - I'd call it, getting my timing slightly wrong...

So I arrived at Blaen y glyn car park with plenty of time to spare - in the pouring rain. Happy days, I thought to myself but by race time it had cleared up. I then proceeded to layer up as it was bloody windy, before heading out to get to Cribyn, with what I thought was about the right amount of time. With it being a biting cold wind I didn't want to get there miles too soon - but sixty seconds was definitely cutting it close.

It was unsurprisingly hard work into the the strong wind and as I started into the final section of my trek, the ascent of Cribyn itself, I realised it was going to be tight. I kept looking across to Fan y Big, as that was were the runner would be coming from. When I was about half way up the first, steeper section, I looked back to see them coming - shit, it's going to be close, I thought. I pushed on.

After clearing the steeper section, I pushed on along the final, gentler section to the summit. Looking back, as I was about half way along I spotted the first runner clearing the steeper section - not going to make it... I had to start telling myself, "come on, I can run this bit" - I wanted to slap myself for uttering those words, grrrhh. Eventually I made the summit, got out my phone to record the runners and got myself sat down just as the first runner came into view...

The return journey was less worrisome as I tracked the last runner home. It was pretty decent training. The outward journey was 5.75km with 650m ascent and the return, following the race route, 6km with 175m ascent.

Up tomorrow is the Zwift Fondo number five. Pretty sure it's going to the bambino, but maybe I'll feel refreshed enough for a crack at the medio.

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