I am staying with my wife at an AirBnb just outside Llanidloes. It’s a great spot. Though it means a drive to the start, and a drive to the town itself – which isn’t totally ideal – but it makes up for it by being amazing.
I get up in the morning. Check the weather. It looks good. I don’t bother with breakfast or coffee and I focus on getting ready.
We are close but I know how time seems to fly by so quickly just before a race so while the race briefing is planned for 6:45am, we aim to get there at 6:00am so I can get kit check done. I registered the previous night so I already have my race number – 199. One of the great things about Pegasus is that you get a choice of number on a first come first served basis. Which other races do this? Comment below.
I apply Squirrel’s Nut Butter (anti chafe) to my feet, and other parts which may rub. Because it is cold it is a little crumblier than normal but I do it without making too much of a mess. Socks on. Shorts on. T-shirt on. Shoes on. Race pack and kit shoved into a bag. Ready. Of course, it’s always wise to have as many toilet trips before an ultra so I take the opportunity again. And then we are in the car on our way to the start.
We soon arrive at the campsite for the start of the race. The place is teeming with runners and family and friends. Many people will have camped there the night before. Runners are doing kit checks, registering, pinning numbers on, chatting excitedly, posing for selfies and waiting in line for the toilets.
I’m ready. Everything is sorted. Runners assemble at the start line for the briefing. Generally I am never usually able to pay much attention – I am usually too excited to get running. All I need to do is complete around 30 miles and get back in one piece. The added challenge for this race is that I have had an injured toe so my training has been very limited. So I am genuinely unsure about how things will go. That adds an edge of excitement or nervousness. This is living life on the edge folks!
I hug and kiss Susie and she wishes me luck. It is the final minutes before we set off. Like other runners the GPX route for the course is loaded on my watch. I have a GPS signal. My finger is poised on the start button.
5… 4… 3… 2… 1… Go!
And we are off. The first bit is uphill from the campsite. I get over the first hill well within the 30 seconds it is before my heart realises it is going up hill. Phew! But my heart is now starting to thump and I realise instantly that it is going to be a LONG day ahead.
I turn out of the campsite and see a car parked in the road. What a fucking stupid place to stop eh? Then I realise it is my friend Vanessa and instantly I’m like – “hey – how are you?!” instead of “hey – clown – why park here in the middle of the road when there is a race on?!”
I get moving and I make sure I take things easy because otherwise I may not make it to the end with my current level of fitness. There’s lots of chatter going on among the other runners. I usually find myself running alot of these races on my own – purposely so I can tune into and lock into my body and how it is performing. It is easy to get carried away. There is soon a hill and I pick a point that I will run to before starting to walk. I find myself playing that kind of game a lot. It keeps me entertained.
I soon turn right. Up the trail. This is going to be difficult. Soon my heart is beating hard. And I am only walking! We are barely a mile or so into the race. It is a single track. I am conscious I don’t want to hold anyone up. It soon tops out and then we are onto another climb. I spot Anita and say hi.
I share a few words with other runners as they pass me or I pass them. A girl has just done the London Marathon recently and says she isn’t feeling her best. I wish her all the luck and carry on. This section is muddy in places but fairly easy to make good progress. Tree roots are a key hazard here. Let’s just stay upright is what I tell myself.
Soon we are running down a hill on a bit of a wonk. As we traverse the downhill section I am conscious of not putting too much load on my downhill ankle. I take things easy. I share a few words with other runners. Everyone is in high spirits – just a few miles into the race.
I’m running along, just enjoying being out on the trails. A race! It is as beautiful as I remember it. Even though I am lacking fitness I am enjoying every moment. Soon we are jogging through mud and I am trying to stay upright. I really am bambi on ice when it is muddy. I think it is a combination of poor core strength and also poor coordination. Can I also blame the fact I don’t have very aggressive shoes on? No? Oh ok – it is worth a try! My old pair of Pearl Izumi N2 will have to do!
What are your go to shoes for trail races?
I round the corner after picking my way gingerly down a few hills. I know I am losing time as I am being tentative with my footing. It no longer seems like a daft thing that some other runners have poles after I had pooh poohed the sight of them at the start. I soon spot a photographer. I put a little spurt on just so I don’t look like I’m walking too much!
Do you get moving when you see a camera lens?
Soon we go over a bridge and after a little bit of trail we come out of the wooded section and I see a reservoir. I spot an opportunity for a loo stop – I have been thinking about the need for this for a while. Locked! Argh! I comment to another runner that the only thing worse than needing the loo is finding a loo and realising it is locked.
I carry on with a combination of jogging and walking. I spot some runners on a trail above me a few hundred feet and wonder immediately whether we are on track. One of the other runners reassures me that there are a couple of switchbacks on the route. And soon we are where they are. Ordinarily we would have run through a trail section but that’s been closed off due to nesting activity.
I don’t remember much from last time, but what I do know is that we will get a beautiful view of the body of water from a great vantage point. Soon we are up there staring down at the beautiful reservoir.
What are the prettiest views you have seen on a race?
I run into the first aid station. Shout my number. I need the loo. I barely break a beat and straight into a cubicle. Phew! With a long break before another opportunity for a proper loo break I had to seize this chance. It probably wasn’t advised to have curry the night before a race. Will I ever learn?
On my way back out I grab some freddos and some fruit. I spot Rhys and slap him on the shoulder and we exchange greetings. He really does put amazing races on – centred around what he knows ultrarunners want and need during races. It is almost as if he has taken the best of every race he has ever done and added some more magic and pizazz!
I crack on. This part is tarmac for a while. Before turning onto trail and a long beautiful descent. I remember getting lost here back in 2021 and ending up off track. This time I am bang on. I hit the tarmac again and round a corner then see a HUGE hill in front of me. I remember this. It comes to a junction which triggers two thoughts. Nine miles to Llanidloes is left. Nine miles to Llanidloes is right. How do people decide? How do I pronounce the town name? Rhys told me but I can’t remember. I am going to spend the rest of the race trying!
I am still jogging. Moving well. I know soon I will turn left. How do I know? My watch tells me! Soon I turn left onto the fire track in the forest. It’s a beautiful pine forest. Wide trails. Easy to run on when I can. I do feel like I am flagging a bit. I’m walking a bit more by now. But I am able to jog the flats and the downs. I know this is the fitness that is lacking at the moment – especially with the lack of training in the last few weeks with my injured toe.
It is as I remember. Beautiful. There’s an amazing aroma from the pines. The view is just beautiful. It winds and turns through the forest. I catch up with some other runners and we exchange brief chats. “Is this your first time here?”. “How are you enjoying it?” That kind of thing. I come across a guy who tells me he has had so many operations, and a car crash it seems almost a miracle that he is here at all! Wow! My back injury and toe injury almost feel totally insignificant now.
I have three runners ahead. I’ve been playing cat and mouse with them for some of the races. I know that I won’t finish ahead – I am using them simply as a motivator to keep me moving as well as I can. I soon round a corner and know the aid station is close. I show my number. Grab some sweets and head up to the source of the Severn. I will return to the aid station to fill my bottles when I come back down. No need to carry extra weight of full water bottles to the top eh?
The wooden sign at the gate shows that it is 45 minutes up and back from the source. Really? That long? I start making my way up. The breeze has picked up. It feels cooler as I pick my way up. Stepping aside for faster runners coming up behind me or down from the source. I’m going to take it easy but not hang around. I step towards a stone and realise it is missing. Ankle deep into boggy water. Nice. It is a combination of feeling the beautiful coolness embrace my foot, and the slight unpleasant feeling of grit in between my toes. Urgh!
A runner is coming down. I step to the side. There is a ravine behind me. The runner gives me a playful tap to the chest. “Thanks buddy!” he shouts. I topple backwards. I’m going. The runner to my right grabs me to stop me falling down the hill. That was close!
I continue to the source. Soon I see a congregation of runners around the wooden totem pole. Selfies. Photos etc. I don’t take one. I have one already from 2021. I feel the slightly splintered wood and grain beneath my fingers as I catapult around it and start on my descent back down to the aid station and the trail. Halfway there!
I am coming down. I’ve been to the source of the severn. The half-way point. There are runners on the way. I stop. I slip. I tense up. ARGH! Cramp! The pain seems to shoot through my calves. Right up my body. I can’t move. I can’t stand still. I grab the shoulder of a passing runner. A little too hard. I don’t know whether I want to stand, sit, or lie down.
The pain starts to dissipate. The runners are with a club and they insist on staying with me while I work out what I’m doing. Eventually I motion them on as my calves go back to normal. I’m left with aching throbbing legs now. I vow to take things easy as I continue back to the trail. Unable to know at this stage whether I can continue, or whether that’s the end of the race for me.
I get back to the trail and return to the checkpoint at the bottom. I grab some crisps. Prawn cocktail – favourite. I take a half custard donut, some Haribo and Freddos. I stuff them into my pack for later. I start eating the donut and carry the crisps in my other hand. Custard doughnuts are lush! The runners who helped me during the cramp incident ask how I am – I’m delighted and all I can say is “fucking doughnuts! Lush!”.
What’s your favourite treat at an aid-station?
I walk for a bit, eating my way through the doughnut and then onto the crisps. They really are just a good vehicle for salt. Which can’t do any harm with the cramp I have experienced. I know that “the science” says that you can’t increase the salt content of the blood very quickly . But remember – “the science” told us not so long ago that stomach ulcers were not caused by bacteria. So go figure! I am inclined to think it is probably my lack of training.
Eventually I am able to try a short slow jog. It hurts. My legs are solid and achy and not moving well due to the pull on my calves when they are cramped. I try to move as quickly as I am able to. Jog. Walk. Jog. Stop. Massage. Walk. Jog. Walk. Jog. Stop. Massage. And repeat. I know I am going to be able to continue and get to the end. Even if it will be slow. Surely this must be the main challenge before the end right?
I turn off the main trail, following my GPX route on my watch. I am sure I almost missed that last time. This section is quite lumpy. The day’s heat is building. I still have my jacket on. Wondering whether I should take it off. I decide to keep moving. Because I am walking a bit I don’t want to get cold. I am also reluctant to stop and tinker. So I keep at it. Jogging the flats and downs, and walking the ups. This section of trail isn’t challenging but my legs are really feeling it and I have to keep stopping to massage my calves.
This section of trail opens out onto the river. At this point it is still narrow and it is amazing to run next to flowing water. It is one of my favourite types of trail. Forest or wooded trail next to water. We must be near a car park. There are lots of walkers and the occasional child and dog. The trail turns to follow the river around and then I cross a bridge and over to the other side on a loop back. It is at this point I give in and remove my jacket. It’s really sweaty by now and I enjoy the cooling breeze on my heavily soaked t-shirt. I replace my running pack on my back and crack on. I search for the second Freddo – argh! It is nowhere to be seen. I then wonder if the Haribo distracted me and only picked up one Freddo which I had after the crisps.
I eventually see a small set of steps after running along a wooden boardwalk. I crest a hill and then start jogging down towards the river. This bit feels wet and muddy underfoot and it’s not long before I lose my footing and slide down like a malcoordinated skier, arm’s flailing. I decide to take things more carefully on this section so as not to risk injury or pulling my leg muscles again.
I know that the third checkpoint is close. Last time I did this race – in 2021 – it came up as a surprise at the 22 mile point. Much earlier than I had expected. I rarely look at my race mileage during the event itself – prefering to be in the moment, and to focus on getting the route right.
I see the aid station looming and I jog in. I’m greeted by one of the volunteers who takes my number. “A lady was asking about you a few minutes ago!”. Ah right – that will be my wife Susie and friend Vanessa. A couple of minutes later they appear. I hug Susie and say hi to Vanessa. I update them on my journey so far and then I tuck into some pizza and a jam doughnut. I grab more freddos and Haribo for the remaining eight miles.
The heat is now ferocious. It is beating down on me and I wish I was wearing a cap instead of the buff I have on my head. I can see a ravine and that the route is indicating that I need to descend to a low bridge going across. I have to shuffle down the muddy trail, hanging onto the handrail. I cross the ravine and up several steps to the other side.
The next part was quite a bit of tarmac. Jog. Walk. Jog. Walk. I remember to drink plenty of water. I only have a few miles to do. But I need to keep things moving. It is getting warmer too – which isn’t ideal. I can see the next turn is in 2.5 miles. I jog. Walk. Look. 2 miles. After what seems like ages I check again – my watch shows 1.8 miles to the next turn. This is taking ages!
Eventually I reach the turn and back onto the trail. I go through a complicated set of gates which seem to involve a weird locking mechanism. Then I reach a small stream and a strange set of gates. Across the bridge and out the other side. There is a HUGE hill ahead of me. That is surely the last isnt it? It feels almost vertical. My calves are screaming at me as I take small steps and make it to the top.
A couple of runners pass me and we exchange brief words about that bastard hill. I know we must be getting close. I am jogging downhill. Walking the brief ups. And generally keep moving. Soon after I reach the town. At this point I know how close I am and yet how far I still have to go. I pass the old market in the town and over the stone bridge and round towards the campsite – Dol Llys farm.
I round the corner and it is now downhill. I see the finish line. Flags for Pegasus identify the finish funnel. I run as hard as I can. Then relief as I pass the line and press stop on my watch. The Race Director puts the medal around my neck and a volunteer grabs my t-shirt.
I bend over. Hands on my quads. It feels good. I finished. My longest race for many many months.
I am an ultrarunner again.
It is a surprise to me. A massive surprise. That I finished in just over eight hours. While it is about an hour and a half slower than last time – before my back injury – I am pleased. I am also excited to see a mini celebration going on with my Garmin! Never knew it did this! Did you know about this feature?
Tempted by one of these amazing races by Pegasus in Wales? why not check out https://pegasusultrarunning.com/
The Untraining Ultrarunner 