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Feb 2022
7:14pm, 16 Feb 2022
5,719 posts
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Joe Hawk
White Peak is a great one for quad mashing
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Feb 2022
9:05pm, 16 Feb 2022
5,380 posts
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Windsor Wool
Snowdonia had my quads destroyed at 13 miles. I thought I’d be ready for the hills but I simply hadn’t done enough downhill training to cope with that 10 miles of proper downhill that come after Pen-y-Pass. Have I mentioned before how much I hated it 😂?
I tried to run a session tonight. What a joke, there was no rhythm to be had across, down or in to the hoolie!! One to forget.
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Feb 2022
10:02pm, 16 Feb 2022
5,720 posts
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Joe Hawk
Still never done Snowdonia
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Feb 2022
10:31pm, 16 Feb 2022
17,080 posts
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larkim
I still rue the day I had a chance to take WW down at Snowdonia 
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Feb 2022
7:54am, 17 Feb 2022
5,381 posts
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Windsor Wool
as Apollo said: 'there ain't gonna be no rematch!'
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Feb 2022
8:38am, 17 Feb 2022
17,081 posts
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larkim
TBH I'm not sure my calves could have been made to suffer enough on that descent into Llanberis even if I'd known you were only a couple of minutes up the road!
I didn't mind the down after Pen-y-Pass, it was the long slog into the wind after Bedgellert that was hard that day. But I also got overtaken by quite a few on the descent, so maybe I'm just crap at descending so I save my quads anyway!
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Feb 2022
5:51pm, 17 Feb 2022
19,040 posts
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Chrisull
10 miles of descending .... salivates ... where's the entry form?
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Feb 2022
7:03pm, 17 Feb 2022
17,988 posts
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KinkyS
Hammering down that first Snowdonia descent is awesome. But not as awesome as attempting that final offroad descent in the wet in road shoes! Never managed 3:15 there but still one of my best mara attempts
Chucking yourself down the final descent at White Peak also comes highly recommended...
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Feb 2022
12:38pm, 20 Feb 2022
1,521 posts
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Big_G
A quick write up about my Seville marathon. (TLDR, a 13 min PB, with 3:06:14).
The whole weekend started off quite stressfully due to Eunice. My flight was 9am on Friday from Bristol, and as a late decision I found somewhere 2 miles from the airport and stayed there the night before, to avoid any potential problems with the 90-min drive up from Devon. Flights were being cancelled or delayed around my flight time, but mine went ahead, so I was very lucky. I had a big smile on my face when I felt the wheels leave the ground in Bristol and again when we touched down in much sunnier climes in Seville. I’ve really missed the foreign marathons these last couple of years.
I got to the hotel and went straight back out to get the expo stuff sorted. I knew it was a bit of a trek out there, but I got a bus to and from and it was fine. I was pleased to get it out of the way though, so I could enjoy Saturday without thinking about that.
Saturday I went for a 4 mile run, heading out to the start area from my hotel so I knew the way for race day. The rest of the day I did a fair bit of walking, lots of eating of tapas, and enjoyed the city a lot. It’s a great place.
I slept pretty well, but when I woke up at 5:30 I was really nervous. I’d bought some breakfast from the supermarket but it was a struggle getting it down, so I decided not to force it, and just eat bits here and there before race start.
I got to the start area in plenty of time, and after the usual faffing, made my way to the front of my 3:15-3:30 group to try and avoid any potential weaving in and out (I got my place off the waiting list so I don’t think I had much say in my start pen, so I was fine with this). But, more or less on the start line there was the 4:30 pacer so no idea what was going on there as they’re usually pretty strict with the groups, and basically everyone (me included) surged forward.
I’m generally quite useless at remembering the sights out on a course, especially when going for a time, which I was today. So I’ll have to skip over that really, except it all seemed quite pleasant, with a lot of support! It’s flat and fast though (they say they’re the flattest in Europe, but I don’t know if that is true - regardless, it is very, very flat, so totally perfect for me) and it was low humidity, a decent temperature and a gentle breeze. So ideal really. No excuses can be found there!
In prep, I had written down paces and I told myself under no circumstances to go quicker than 7:10/mile until half way but, errrrm, the 3rd mile was 7:08. I got through half way in 1:33:34 and a quick ‘systems check’ and I realised all was ok. I felt relaxed, no niggles, I’d had plenty of water and at this point I’d had one of my 2 gels. I did have a flash of a memory of that hard half marathon I did in the wind 2 weeks ago, where I finished in a disappointing 1:34, but I put that out of my pronto!
Not particularly intentionally but miles 13-20 were quick (too quick?) as they were all under 7min/mile and indeed the last 10K was a struggle. But they virtually always are so I just dug in, and I knew a big PB was on. I just had to keep going.
In the last 2-3 miles, even though I was slowing, I was going past loads of runners and as the streets were narrower in this section I couldn’t keep my pace smooth as there was quite a lot of congestion. In the last half a mile I had a real ‘jelly legs’ moment and my thoughts turned to that chap who had to be helped over the line at London a few years ago. I did slow a bit here as I didn’t want to fall, but then the finish line came into view and I pushed on to finish in an official time of 3:06:14, which is a bit over a 13min PB, from Malta 2018.
I’m delighted! This time was really at the top end of my hopes. I had a GFA in mind (I don’t know if this will qualify but it’s got to be in with a shout, at quite a bit under 3:10) but if you look at my splits they do seem a bit odd I suppose, as I started off steady-ish, got a bit quicker, and then slowed down again. But this all averages out to 7:03min/mile, and I’m really very happy with my performance today. I don’t think I could have done any more really.
I’m back at the hotel now and part of me wants to go to sleep whereas the other part wants to go out and find tapas. I suspect the latter will win!
In summary a great race, I’m delighted with my time, and the splits are below. Garmin’s funny though - ‘Unproductive’ 😀
7:27 7:12 7:08 7:12 7:08 7:06 7:04 7:02 7:08 7:03 7:01 7:01 6:57 6:56 6:54 6:48 6:49 6:54 6:55 6:46 7:03 6:59 7:06 7:15 7:08 7:14 3:04
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Feb 2022
12:53pm, 20 Feb 2022
2,995 posts
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B Rubble
Great run BigG. The splits look fine and a negative split to boot.
Sub 3 could certainly be on the cards in the next year.
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