A Wet Weekend in Wales

10 Peaks Brecon Beacons Long Course, 10 September 2016

For the second race in a row I am left with mixed feelings about the outcome.  On a personal level I finished in a time that is quicker than I would have expected – especially given the conditions – but once again I failed in the core objective which was to get around as a team.

Team at the start line at YHA Danywenallt Talybont-on-Usk

Our four-man team – James Rodge, Anthony Parsons, Andy Morris and myself – had been depleted before the start when Anthony had to pull out having injured his knee ligaments in a freak accident while on holiday a few weeks previously.  For the remaining three, the plan was to start on the Long Course (89km / 55 miles and 4,800m of vertical ascent) and then gauge how we were feeling at the second feed station.  At this point there was an option to switch to the Short Course (58km and 3,000m ascent).  However, the overarching plan was to compete as a team and finish as a team.

The name “Short Course” is totally misleading because it is far from short, and very far from easy.  I had completed that course in around ten and a half hours as my first ultra marathon two years previously and remembered very well how punishing it is.  I had tried to convey to the rest of the team that either way this was a serious endeavour, and we agreed that we would only opt to “go Long” if we all felt very strong at the point the two courses diverged: one third distance on the Long Course and around halfway on the Short.

Feeling good as we eye up Fan Fawr - the first of the "official" 10 peaks

As we ran into that key feed station at around 10am, five hours into the race, we looked each other in the eyes and tried to gauge how we were all feeling. We appeared to be in good shape – our time was spot on our planned schedule, there were no injuries, and even the soaking we had received in the first two hours had not dampened our spirits.  A brief discussion resulted in an agreement to continue on the Long Course, and we set off from the feed station in confident mood.

In retrospect there were some signs to which I should have taken closer attention.  First, at the feed station, James sat down in a deck chair rather than continuing to stand like Andy and myself – a possible sign that his legs were feeling it more than ours.  With his preparation for this event having been heavily disrupted by ongoing foot problems (a possible stress fracture), he had not managed to get the usual training miles into his legs.  Second, the extremely wet conditions under foot – with almost continually boggy ground and the need to wade through several streams – meant that our feet were not getting an opportunity to dry out, and I should have anticipated that toe nail and trench foot problems would become more serious as the day went on.  The boggy ground also made running significantly more sapping on the legs than I remembered from two years ago – we had travelled 27km but it felt a lot more.

James making good progress as the fog clears

It is a really difficult decision: whether to leave one of your team behind.  James started to show signs of tiring as we climbed the initial steep section of the long slog up to Fan Brycheiniog and Bannau Sir Gaer.  Whilst only peaks number 3 and 4 of the 10, they lay close to the far westerly point of the course and represented over half-way in terms of both distance and vertical climb.  Our rest stops had become more frequent and our pace had slowed.  After the steep section, there is soul-destroying, apparently never-ending slow climb of nearly 5km to the peak.  The grind upwards is made worse by being able to see the end destination in the far distance the whole of the way up.  Having dibbed in at Fan Brycheiniog James announced that he had decided he was not going to be able to finish the course, and that he wanted Andy and I to push on and leave him.  He said he would go to the next feed station where he could safely retire.  He resisted our encouragement that we were happy to go slowly and that it was all about finishing together, and he was insistent that no matter what happened he was going to “drop” at the next feed station.  

One of the challenges of this course is the relatively long distance between feed stations.  There are five in total across the 89km – an average gap of 10 miles might feel comfortable in a flat race, but in the Brecon Beacons and on tired legs they feel a very long way apart.  This is particularly the case when you have to get to the next feed station in order to drop out.  One of the key elements in James’ thinking was that, from where we stood at Bannau Sir Gaer, it was over 7km of hilly terrain to get to the next feed station in a layby on the A4067.  Furthermore, from that point there was a long gap of 19km to the next and final feed station at the Storey Arms, and he couldn’t see himself successfully bridging that gap to the next point of safety.  That was why he had firmly decided to retire at the A4067.

Steepest climb of the day up to Fan Gyhirych immediately after the fourth feed station at the A4067 - the only time in the day when I wished I had walking poles

Leaving him was very painful, and Andy and I fell into a period of quiet contemplative running, both lost in our private thoughts.  We hoped we had done everything to ensure he was safe – he had map, compass, phone and the correct route programmed into his GPS watch, both visibility and weather conditions were good at this stage, he is very experienced in the mountains, and there were plenty of other competitors around.  We made sure that the marshals camping out in the cairn at Fan Brycheiniog knew to look out for him on his return – they even got a cup of tea ready for him! – and also warned the marshals at the A4067 feed station.  Nevertheless it was a relief to get a text message from him a couple of hours later to say that he was safely in the minibus awaiting his lift back to camp, and it was only then that I started to enjoy the route again.

Magnificent scenery: Llyn y Fan Fawr in the Black Mountains

James consoled himself that by the time he dropped out he had covered 55km and around 3,000m of vertical ascent – exactly the same as we would have done on the Short Course – and that therefore he had done his ultra marathon.  However, it is still a shame for him because this is such a great event in such superb surroundings – the Brecon Beacons and the Black Mountains are just so magnificent.  Sadly, because we had rain for the first two hours and then fog for the next couple of hours, we didn’t get the wonderful views of Corn Du, Pen y Fan, Cribyn and Fan y Big as we headed out westwards past their southern flanks in the morning.  We did get some fine weather during the middle of the day, and the best views of were undoubtedly from the Black Mountains looking eastwards to those famous peaks of the Brecon Beacons.  Our enjoyment of the view was tempered only by the knowledge that we would have to bag those far distant peaks that night before we got home.

Views of Corn Du and Pen y Fan from Fan Nedd trig point

Some wading may be necessary!

In the event the weather conditions were much better than we could seriously have hoped for given the cataclysmic long-range forecasts from the week before.  We still received the promised massive rainstorm, but it hit us on Friday night rather than during the day on Saturday (race day) as originally forecast.  Whilst an infinitely preferable outcome, the downside of the heavy rain on Friday night was that we all got practically no sleep as the precipitation treated our tents as a drum kit until our alarms went off at 4am.  

Heading towards Cavers' Cottage at Penwyllt

The other downside of the rain was that the ground was absolutely soaked.  I knew to expect some boggy sections but some of the bogs had turned into small lakes.  Also, streams that I had crossed two years ago by rock hopping this time required calf-deep wading.  Since I was a small boy I have always loved splashing in puddles, but I was also aware that I have previously suffered badly from blisters on my soles arising from wet feet never drying properly, and this was probably my biggest concern this time out.  As mitigation I carried spare dry socks in my pack, and had a couple of pairs (plus a dry pair of shoes) in my drop bag waiting at the third feed station – Cavers Cottage at Penwyllt.  In the end I didn’t use the spare shoes – much as I wanted the luxury of dry feet, I knew that it would not last for long, and the tread on my spare shoes is not as good for wet and slippery conditions.  I did however use the spare dry socks, and made sure to reapply masses of Gurney Goo to try to protect my feet from blisters.  Fortunately this seemed to do the trick, because whilst I ended up with the compulsory black toenails, I didn’t get a single blister.

The streams were full, and the waterfalls spectacular

However, I didn’t quite get home injury free.  As I have already said, the conditions under foot were very challenging, and all three of us had spectacular tumbles at some point during the day.  As it grew dark, and particularly given we were following very closely the edge of a very steep escarpment, Andy and I had decided that running with tired legs on uneven ground so close to a precipitous fall was just too dangerous and we had decided on a quick-paced walk for most of the final 15km.  However, on the last descent from Cairn Pica back down to the finish line at the YHA Danywenallt in Talybont-on-Usk, I spotted two other competitors’ head torches ahead, and reckoned that with a gentle jog we might be able to overtake them.  Damn my competitive instinct!  I had controlled it so well all day only to allow it to get the better of me at this late stage.  Predictably, after a few minutes of running by head-torch on such uneven ground I missed a step and fell, badly twisting my ankle.  Andy did a wonderful job of getting me up, calming me down, and then providing guiding footsteps for the rest of the way back to the YHA.  I was very fortunate that it happened only at this late stage because a fall like that earlier in the day would have been a certain DNF.  The most ironic thing is that those two head-torches ahead of us must have missed the (legal) shortcut across a field to get home without having to do a 2km loop around the road, and we ended up shuffling in marginally ahead of them.

The famous Storey Arms burger van

So, not quite the result we were looking for in terms of a team finish, but there is no doubt that Brecon 10 Peaks is a superb event.  It is wonderfully organised by Mark, Paul and their team, with a relaxed feel and a small friendly field of competitors.  The volunteer marshals are just amazing – quick to help with filling water bottles and making cups of tea at the feed stations, and always cheerful and encouraging.  Particular thanks to the mountain rescue team who drove a 4x4 up a mountain track to set up an impromptu water and food stop on the long drag between checkpoints four and five.  There is a school of thought that says ultras are just as much about the food as the running – my highlights were the malt loaf at checkpoint one; dry roasted peanuts and flat coke at two; chilli and rice at three (where, rather bizarrely, all the helpers were dressed in onesies!); tortilla chips at four; and finally the famous Storey Arms burger van with its unfeasibly large sausage and bacon roll – all hit the spot just perfectly.  In fact the biggest disappointment of the weekend was our massive failure to find a suitable greasy spoon for breakfast on the Sunday morning drive back to London – the sausage muffin at a motorway service station Burger King was just such a let down.

Massive thanks to Andy for being such a thoughtful running companion, for dragging me up some of the later hills, for guiding me home when injured, and of course for doing all the driving.  Thanks also to James for bearing his disappointment so stoically – definitely unfinished business, and we will be back next year.

The Statistics

• Andy and I finished 29th out of 125 starters and 83 finishers in 18 hours 29 minutes
• I was fourth in the over 50s
• My GPS recorded 4,865m of vertical climb
• Adjusting for the climb, the 89km distance is equivalent to 120km on the flat
• Strava says I burned 8,650 calories although Andy’s claims over 10,000 calories – how does that work?

Links:

• 10 Peaks Website: www.10peaks.com/brecon-beacons/the-route/
• Results: http://live7.sportident.co.uk/home/multistage/stage/results.html?multistageid=acdbfed2-0aae-46e1-9897-48bd5831fda4
• Strava Activity: www.strava.com/activities/708580414
• Movescount Move: www.movescount.com/moves/move123287966

A “Finish”, or not a “Finish”, that is the Question

Trail des Aiguilles Rouges, 27 September 2015

I am not really sure what I should say to those who ask me whether I finished the 2015 Trail des Aiguilles Rouges (TAR) in Chamonix.  On the one hand I know that I completed the course, and that the official results list me as finishing with a time of 11 hours 57 minutes, a ranking of 353 out of 642 starters.  But on the other hand I also know that I missed the cut-off time at Planpraz (after 18.5km) by four and a half minutes and so was officially disqualified at that point.  It might seem harsh, but those are the rules.  Just because I decided to continue on the course “unofficially”, and just because, for some reason, the marshal neglected to remove my electronic timing tag, does that mean I should claim the finish?  I will leave you to make your own decision.

Trail des Aiguilles Rouges, worth it just for the scenery

The Trail des Aiguilles Rouges had been on my bucket list for some time.  Being set in my “mountain home” of Chamonix, I knew the scenery and trails would be extraordinarily beautiful, and the very steep terrain is exactly the type that I prefer.  It is not a long race – listed at 50km, although my GPS recorded 53km – but over 4,000m of vertical ascent is packed into that short distance.  The race is arranged by the Chamonix Mont-Blanc Marathon association, and uses much the same logistics as the UTMB races held a month previously – needless to say it was brilliantly organised and managed.

I had managed to convince two friends – James and Anthony – to join me in my attempt at the TAR, with the plan being that our wives would come out for the weekend in Chamonix and that the ladies would enter the 15km, 1,200m P’tit TAR on the same day.  Sadly our team of six was reduced to four when James needed a major operation, and Sarah, my wife, damaged her ankle ligaments whilst training in Chamonix earlier in the summer.  As it turned out, Sarah and James made the perfect support crew, and it would not have been possible without them.

642 eager starters in Place de l'Eglise

It was therefore with some relief that Anthony and I stood at start line in the Place de l’Eglise, Chamonix, at 4.30am, fit and raring to go.  Following a short jog through the (mostly) sleeping town, the course then gave us a sharp taste of what was ahead with 11km of almost continuous climbing straight up 1,400m to the Lac Blanc in the Reserve Naturelle des Aiguilles Rouges.  It was a slog that took us 2 hours 45 minutes, but with the sublime views of the sun rising over the Mont Blanc Massif to distract us, the time actually seemed to pass quite quickly.  I will never forget standing at Flegere, a rosy pre-dawn glow rising over the mountains, a 4km long trace of headlights clearly marking out the trail up to Lac Blanc ahead of us, and shooting stars zipping overhead.  And people ask me why on earth I do this?

Chamonix wakes to the dawn sun on Mont Blanc

So what went wrong and why did we miss the cut-off time at Planpraz?  First, with its steep gradients and altitude, to compete well on this course I believe you need to be comfortable climbing at pace. Anthony had certainly put in the work in training, but I think much of his running had been comparatively flat. In contrast, my 75km race in The Lake District in June, plus a week training in Chamonix in July, had put some serious vertical into my legs.  This made a massive difference. 

The climb from Combe Lachenal to Col de Glière

Second, we certainly misjudged the timing of the section before the missed cut-off. Not only were we slow climbing but we failed to make up time on the flat and downhill. We lost a lot of time on the flat section between Col de Glière and Col de Lac Cornu.  The recent snowfall that remained on the north facing slopes had been polished hard and icy by the 600-plus pairs of feet that had passed ahead of us, making safe progress over the large boulders in the scree slopes extremely slow. 

Anthony at Col de Glière

Third, we did not manage our pace well, and given that I knew the route better, I must take responsibility for this. I should have realised that we were tight on the cut-off and pushed us on harder at an earlier point. We only missed the cut-off by four and a half minutes – such a small amount of time in the context of a 12 or 13 hour race – and I am sure that if Anthony had got past Planpraz he would have made it to Servoz and probably even the finish. I had the next 7 hours to contemplate and regret that oversight. 

So whilst Anthony ran down from Planpraz to Chamonix (a 5km, 1,000m descent in itself) where he was met by our efficient "domestiques", Sarah and James, I decided to continue on the course in an unofficial capacity. 

Climb to the Refuge de Moëde-Anterne with the Rochers des Fiz as a backdrop

Driven on by anger at our "failure" and a desire to make the next check point at the Refuge de Moëde-Anterne ahead of the cut-off – thus ensuring that the marshals did not start removing the markers and closing the course on me – I set off on the climb to the Col du Brévent at a pace. I was soon overtaking many other competitors, all of whom were still "in the race", and realised I was feeling pretty strong. I raced down the other side to the Pont d'Arlevé, filling up water bottles from streams on the way – the day was getting hot and I did not want to run dry – and launched myself on the climb to the Refuge, arriving 30 minutes ahead of the next cut-off time. In the space of 10km and 2 hours I had moved from 611th to  541st and was feeling great. Given this I decided I might as well carry on pushing myself and see where I could get to. 

Competitors race past the Lac de Pormenaz on the way to the descent into Servoz

Climbing up past the Lac de Pormenaz

Overtaking on the endless steep and narrow switchback descent into Servoz was not easy. Many competitors were happy to step aside when they heard a faster runner behind them, but getting past large groups chatting away, or runners with headphones often required a gamble with the footing on the precipitous edges of the track. 

I reached the Servoz checkpoint at 8 hours 45 minutes having made up another 93 places. I had suffered blisters from wet feet in a previous race, and after taking a shoe-full in one of the boggier sections by the Lac de Pormenaz, I decided to take preventative action by changing into dry socks at Servoz.  Leaving the check point, I ran through the village and past the surreal sight of hundreds of cows waiting outside the church for their annual "Bataille des Reines", and headed to the last hill of the day. 

The long climb to Prarion

The climb up to Prarion is steep and unforgiving. With an average gradient of 30% and a height gain of 1,250m I knew it was going to be tough. I was by now eying up my original schedule which targeted a finish time of 12 hours. If I were to make that I would have to do the climb in two hours and run down to Les Houches on the other side in one hour or less. It seemed an unlikely target but feeling strong I decided it was worth a final push to see how close I could get. Fortunately the trail though the trees shaded us from the warm sun, and I still had plenty of other competitors ahead that I could use as targets to drag me up the field. Reaching the peak of Prarion at 11 hours I had jumped another 68 places to 380th. Now I knew that a sub-12 hour finish was possible and that knowledge spurred me on for the run down into Les Houches.  Arriving at the finish, I was met by the rest of the crew who had dragged themselves out of their baths to see me over the line – great support guys!

Looking up the Chamonix Valley from the top of Prarion

Sally-Anne and Rachel finishing the P'tit TAR

The girls – Sally-Anne and Rachel – completed the P'tit TAR in 3:59:53,  seven seconds inside a very tough 4-hour cut-off time and they were absolutely delighted. Despite their prior protestations that it was going to be just "a casual walk with friends, certainly no running", when they reached the peak in two and a half hours, their competitive instincts took over and they ran all the way down. Chapeau!

About to collapse over the finish line

The statistics:

• I “finished” in 11 hours 57 minutes in 353rd place out of 642 starters and 529 finishers
• My time was just under twice that of the winner (Matthieu Brignon) won came home in an extraordinary 6 hours and 19 minutes
• I was ranked 40th in my class of males over 50 – the cheek, I was “only” 49 years and 363 days!
• My GPS recorded a distance of 53km, 4,022m of vertical ascent
• The equivalent flat distance was over 85km
• Strava tells me I burned 5,900 calories versus 1,600 consumed in gels and bounce balls
• Whilst the field was predominantly French, 12 countries were represented with good a showing from Switzerland and Belgium, and 18 Brits

Links:

See my track on Strava here

Link to Trail des Aiguilles Rouges website