40th Marathon Eryri
5:30pm, 30th Oct 2024 | Eryri Marathon | 8 Comments
Blog by Forrest Jooligan
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My sixth time running this iconic Welsh race.
Previous results:
2014 4:06:17 655th (no respect given to training for it or pacing)
2015 3:28:00 158th
2017 3:41:03 239th (in spite of 22:02 at Penrhyn parkrun that morning 😆)
2018 3:42:51 272nd (6 days after 3:08 at Abingdon)
2019 4:03:32 562nd (20 mpw in the 4 months prior)
I’d meant to spend the summer building up the mileage to give it a proper crack but once again I got distracted.
Festival season meant I’d averaged just 10 mpw over 7 weeks of July & August 😱
This left me just 9 weeks til race day so I got back on the horse with weeks of 35, 21, 40, 55, 45, 41, 61 & 39 miles. Parkrun times were trending down & there’d been at least one hilly MLR a week. Tanda was now saying 3:25, as good as it had been before Newport in April but I knew there was a serious lack of LR as I’d topped out at 15.2M & Eryri is not your average marathon so figured I’d be looking for 3:5x. Unfortunately, with 3 weeks to go, my left hip had become painful the day after any hard/long runs particularly if there’d been a lot of steep downhill. A couple of physio visits hadn’t scotched my plans but they hadn’t helped my pain either so I was somewhat trepidatious driving up on Friday night.
Arrived around 9pm, registered & bedded down around 11pm.
I was up about 7 faffing about with breakfast: coffee, Welsh cakes, nuts, bananas & blueberries.
Beautiful morning over Nant Peris
Heading towards the start I bumped into a few folk I know from racing in S.Wales & a clubmate. Obligatory last minute poo queue & then off to weave my way to a suitable starting spot. Unlike previous years I had done zero running since Thursday, making do with a brisk walk as warm-up. Ran into another couple of club-mates & we positioned ourselves sensibly between the 3h30 & 4h pacers.
Quick selfie & we were off.
Over the line about 30” after the bang & taking it steady. Mile 1 in 7:56 is sensible, Mile 2 7:58 but now the climb proper starts Mile 3 is 8:57 (207’ climbed), Mile 4 9:57 (309’), Mile 5 takes us over Pen-y-Pass 9:41 (300’ up then 120’ down), Down to Pen-y-Gwryd now Mile 6 is 7:05 & we’re onto the gravel of the Roman Rd now Mile 7 7:19 where I take on a gel Mile 8 7:44 before rejoining the tarmac to Beddgelert. The descent has already wreaked its havoc on my quads & I know it’s going to be a long & mentally taxing day. Mile 9 is 8:18, Mile 10 an 8:08 I fumble another drink here but fortunately it’s not hot & I got some in at the first two drinks stations. Mile 11 8:16, Mile 12 8:11, Mile 13 8:08 It’s traffic gridlock in Beddgelert so we’re weaving between cars but the plentiful support is welcome. Grab a Mars bar from a young donor for the climb ahead. I’m through halfway in about 1:50 so right on track. Mile 14 9:59 (210’), Mile 15 10:22 (261’) I’m in unknown territory from now. Will my body cope or will everything collapse. Right hamstring behind the knee was threatening to give out on me up that hill so I’ve already slowed but I’m determined to run til Waunfawr at least. In spite of the slight downhill gradient my pace has dropped as the quads cannae take it Mile 16 8:56, Mile 17 8:35, Mile 18 8:57, Mile 19 9:07, Mile 20 9:14, Mile 21 9:21 & then the final climb begins Mile 22 10:09 (69’) including my first walk to take on a 2nd gel & fluids. Mile 23 is the killer 12:56 (370’)
& there’s more walking than running. I’ve got 33 minutes to do the last 3.2M if I’m to go under 4h so I’m feeling the pressure. Mile 24 is more of the same 12:22 (331’) but we’ve also left the tarmac again. Mile 25 is off-road & can be lethally slippery but is amazingly ok this year 10:21 (65’ up & 120’ down) The 4h target is going to be touch & go as I’ve got about 10 minutes to do the last 2K. Mile 26 is one of the most brutal finishes to a marathon 708’ drop which starts on grassy mud/gravel, moves to parallel concrete trackway before becoming tarmac proper: I manage 8:50 but have I done enough? At last it flattens out & I summon everything I have run round the corner & into the finish funnel normally known as Llanberis High St. I pump my arms & drive my legs. The finish clock rolls over to 3:59 as I approach it but I know I’ve done it now so, raising my arms,
I smile across the finish line as I see 3:59:2x before going under the arch to receive my water bottle & commemorative slate coaster.
I go into the refreshments hall for a much needed cuppa & swap stories with random finishers for a good 45 minutes.
I’d stopped my watch bang on 3:59:00 but chip took a couple more seconds off 😎
strava has a segment for the 4.5M that is the final killer hill & amazingly this was my 2nd fastest time of the six 49:21 vs a best in 2015 of 44:48. My hip held out & I hobbled the 3/4 of a mile back to my car via the bag drop, my only gripe: ridiculously long wait as they clearly had not organised them effectively. I had to find it myself in the end as did many before me! Managed the 4hr drive home with just one stop in Llangollen for a sandwich & no post-marathon cramping for once.
Unfortunately my hip has become increasingly painful after walking on Dartmoor in heavy boots Monday & Tuesday so nothing done today.
Previous results:
2014 4:06:17 655th (no respect given to training for it or pacing)
2015 3:28:00 158th
2017 3:41:03 239th (in spite of 22:02 at Penrhyn parkrun that morning 😆)
2018 3:42:51 272nd (6 days after 3:08 at Abingdon)
2019 4:03:32 562nd (20 mpw in the 4 months prior)
I’d meant to spend the summer building up the mileage to give it a proper crack but once again I got distracted.
Festival season meant I’d averaged just 10 mpw over 7 weeks of July & August 😱
This left me just 9 weeks til race day so I got back on the horse with weeks of 35, 21, 40, 55, 45, 41, 61 & 39 miles. Parkrun times were trending down & there’d been at least one hilly MLR a week. Tanda was now saying 3:25, as good as it had been before Newport in April but I knew there was a serious lack of LR as I’d topped out at 15.2M & Eryri is not your average marathon so figured I’d be looking for 3:5x. Unfortunately, with 3 weeks to go, my left hip had become painful the day after any hard/long runs particularly if there’d been a lot of steep downhill. A couple of physio visits hadn’t scotched my plans but they hadn’t helped my pain either so I was somewhat trepidatious driving up on Friday night.
Arrived around 9pm, registered & bedded down around 11pm.
I was up about 7 faffing about with breakfast: coffee, Welsh cakes, nuts, bananas & blueberries.
Beautiful morning over Nant Peris
Heading towards the start I bumped into a few folk I know from racing in S.Wales & a clubmate. Obligatory last minute poo queue & then off to weave my way to a suitable starting spot. Unlike previous years I had done zero running since Thursday, making do with a brisk walk as warm-up. Ran into another couple of club-mates & we positioned ourselves sensibly between the 3h30 & 4h pacers.
Quick selfie & we were off.
Over the line about 30” after the bang & taking it steady. Mile 1 in 7:56 is sensible, Mile 2 7:58 but now the climb proper starts Mile 3 is 8:57 (207’ climbed), Mile 4 9:57 (309’), Mile 5 takes us over Pen-y-Pass 9:41 (300’ up then 120’ down), Down to Pen-y-Gwryd now Mile 6 is 7:05 & we’re onto the gravel of the Roman Rd now Mile 7 7:19 where I take on a gel Mile 8 7:44 before rejoining the tarmac to Beddgelert. The descent has already wreaked its havoc on my quads & I know it’s going to be a long & mentally taxing day. Mile 9 is 8:18, Mile 10 an 8:08 I fumble another drink here but fortunately it’s not hot & I got some in at the first two drinks stations. Mile 11 8:16, Mile 12 8:11, Mile 13 8:08 It’s traffic gridlock in Beddgelert so we’re weaving between cars but the plentiful support is welcome. Grab a Mars bar from a young donor for the climb ahead. I’m through halfway in about 1:50 so right on track. Mile 14 9:59 (210’), Mile 15 10:22 (261’) I’m in unknown territory from now. Will my body cope or will everything collapse. Right hamstring behind the knee was threatening to give out on me up that hill so I’ve already slowed but I’m determined to run til Waunfawr at least. In spite of the slight downhill gradient my pace has dropped as the quads cannae take it Mile 16 8:56, Mile 17 8:35, Mile 18 8:57, Mile 19 9:07, Mile 20 9:14, Mile 21 9:21 & then the final climb begins Mile 22 10:09 (69’) including my first walk to take on a 2nd gel & fluids. Mile 23 is the killer 12:56 (370’)
& there’s more walking than running. I’ve got 33 minutes to do the last 3.2M if I’m to go under 4h so I’m feeling the pressure. Mile 24 is more of the same 12:22 (331’) but we’ve also left the tarmac again. Mile 25 is off-road & can be lethally slippery but is amazingly ok this year 10:21 (65’ up & 120’ down) The 4h target is going to be touch & go as I’ve got about 10 minutes to do the last 2K. Mile 26 is one of the most brutal finishes to a marathon 708’ drop which starts on grassy mud/gravel, moves to parallel concrete trackway before becoming tarmac proper: I manage 8:50 but have I done enough? At last it flattens out & I summon everything I have run round the corner & into the finish funnel normally known as Llanberis High St. I pump my arms & drive my legs. The finish clock rolls over to 3:59 as I approach it but I know I’ve done it now so, raising my arms,
I smile across the finish line as I see 3:59:2x before going under the arch to receive my water bottle & commemorative slate coaster.
I go into the refreshments hall for a much needed cuppa & swap stories with random finishers for a good 45 minutes.
I’d stopped my watch bang on 3:59:00 but chip took a couple more seconds off 😎
Unfortunately my hip has become increasingly painful after walking on Dartmoor in heavy boots Monday & Tuesday so nothing done today.
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Forrest Jooligan
Running since 2004.1st race: FoD HM in 2006
1st Mara: London Apr 2007
1st Tri: Lydney May 2008
Joined FoDAC June 2011
1st parkrun: FoD July 2011
1st Fell Race: Sugar Loaf Oct 2012
1st IM: Tenby Sep 2014
1st Ultra: MHU52 May 2015
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