The 2009 Beacons Ultra, starting from the small village of Talybont-on-usk near Brecon is a great introduction to the world of Ultra running. Well that's what it said on the website so who am I to argue.
After much internal debate I settled on attempting an ultra marathon before I'd even had a go at a conventional marathon, I'd have plenty of time to do a marathon during my training (I did 3 in the end).
I got through my training unscathed and as the day drew nearer the nerves became more apparent, but I felt confident, I'd done a lot of training, I new I could do it! (I also new that I wasn't going to brake any records in the process)
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The hostel manageress had prepared us a little packed-breakfast so I made sure that I was up in time to eat, a good two hours before the race, a bit of last minute carbo-loading never hurts. We made our way to the Outdoor centre in Talybont for 6.30, the race due to start at 7.00. There was the usual milling around at HQ, last minute kit adjustments; do I wear shorts or leggings? How many Helly Hansens should I wear? Do I need more than one water bottle? Where are the nuuns tablets? Will the chicken wrap hold together in my rucksack?
As the race was self supported all of the runners were carrying backpacks and hydration systems, we had a minimum kit list which required us to pack waterproofs, fleece, survival blanket, map reading stuff, first aid kit, headtorch, survival blanket and all the food that we would need for the race.
At 6.50 all of the runners gathered at the start and nervously awaited the off, in total we were more than 100 strong, with a good mix of women, men and age groups.
7.00 and we're off, the course starts off relatively flat, following the Talybont canal for a very gentle 3 miles, I'm thinking to myself in these early stages that this is going to be too easy...Then the first climb, 500 metres in about a mile and a half to the summit of Tor-y-foel, and then the wind starts up, ah that's the Brecon Beacons that we all know and love!
The organisers (Likeys, a local on-line adventure racing shop) had told us to expect wet weather later in the day, the start was fine, if not a little blustery on the tops. As the course descended down to a forest track that skirted above the talybont reservoir the wind dropped and the conditions could be described as pretty good. The weather would make a comeback later in the day.
The forest track/road carried on for at least 4 miles, perhaps more, it seemed to go on for ever and was just a slight enough gradient so that one could feel it was there. Eventually we came to a road and turned up the hill, my strategy was to walk hills and run everything else, but due to falling behind a group I decided to pick up my pace for this stretch, it wasn't long before I crested the hill and had a welcome break as I coasted down towards the next turn off.
The course then flattened out for a couple of miles before reaching the infamous Gap road. This track was decidedly un-runnable, but that didn't stop me from having a go. At this point my legs were feeling tired, I'd done approximately 14 miles and that is the point where I start to feel the lactic acid build up, fortunately I'd remembered the jelly babies and guzzled down about ten in one go, the result; instant energy. I got to the top of the gap and the sky was just about blue.
The next bit was a typical Beacons path of varying sized stones, rocks and surface water, I ran this downhill section fast, perhaps too fast, but wanted to make some time, eventually the path led out to a checkpoint with a nice little fire in an oil drum, I re-filled my water bottle, ate a flap jack and was on my way. a short but extremely narrow path later and we're on to a country lane section, not being an avid fan of road running I wasn't looking forward to this bit, but I found it quite welcoming to run on an even surface for a while.
At this point, around mile 19 I began to feel the inormity of the task in front of me, I hadn't even made it halfway and my legs were feeling heavy, had I gone too fast? Had I not eaten enough? I slowed to walk all of the hills at this point and was quite releaved when the course went cross country over some feilds and into a wooded area, my kind of terrain!
It wasn't to last though as we were soon back out on to the road again and then through a village with a convieniently placed public loo (which I can only imagine pleased the lady competitors no end) about another mile and a half of road led us back to the canal path and what seemed to be a very long two and half miles along the canal to complete the first loop.
I was met at the halfway point by my support crew of one, Delphine, who wasn't allowed to give me anything as the race was self-supported, but what she provided in moral support made up for the lack of energy gels or extra food. I ate a chicken wrap that had unwrapped in my bag, drank some water and lost quite a few minutes faffing with my rucksack, but I felt good for the stop and although I still hadn't reached the marathon point felt pretty good about completeing the race.
Setting off again along the canal we followed the same route as in the morning, only by the time I reached the summit of Tor-y-foel I was drained, I was reduced to a stagger and now that the wind was stronger and it was starting to rain my enthusiasm was beginning to wane. This was the point where I started to have doubts and I guess where I hit my first real wall. I limped down the hill and made it to the next checkpoint where I put on my new OMM smock, a nice bit of kit along the lines of Gore-tex packlite except a bit better (or so they say).
With my jacket on I felt a bit warmer and a little bit better so I stumbled back down to the forest track, this was now a real test, the track went on forever and for some reason I had Chris Rea's "Road to Hell" on autoplay inside my head. Another runner joined me and we decided that we should try and run, good stuff, just the motivation I needed, I managed to get back in to it and keep a pace of around 4mph going quite nicely to the top of the track.
By now the weather had closed in and it was what you might describe as normal Brecon Beacons conditions, the cloud was sitting ominously on top of the peaks and the rain was getting harder, not to mention that it was approaching 3.00 in the afternoon and the light was fading. This was going to be interesting. Another runner joined me as I stumbled up the Gap road again, this time it was even less runable and had a lot of water flowing on top of the path. We decided to walk for a bit. This proved a little too cold for myself and I made a quick apology and told my fellow competitor that I needed to start running again, I made it over the top and somehow developed a rhythm on the descent dodging the huge rocks and hopping over the cracks in the path.
By now my shoes and socks were completely saturated and I could feel hotspots on my toes, the tell tale sign of immanent blisters, but there was nothing I could do about that until the race was over, and with only 10 miles to go, what was going to stop me now?
So I gritted my teeth and got off the mountain, back to the road section with some light to spare, the next few miles were a mixture of highs and lows, I knew I was going to do it, but all of a sudden my knee would start cramping, and I'd think what if I just collapse here?
I managed to get past the village before rummaging in my sack for my headtorch, which would see me safely along the now night time canal section, I even managed to pass a couple of runners at this point which added to my exhilaration, but the canal seemed to stretch on for ever, I kept turning a corner hoping to see the lights of Talybont. By now fuelled solely by adrenaline I picked up the pace, I dared not look at my watch, the stupid footpod senser had told me I'd done 45 miles 5 miles ago. I didn't want to know my time, I knew I wasn't going to brake any records. Eventually the drawbridge came into view and so did Delphine who ran with me for the last few hundred yards back to the outdoor centre.
I arrived back, 32nd place in 10 hours 13 minutes and 50 seconds. 3 hours and 25 minutes behind the winner Mark Palmer who won the race in the humanely impossible time of 06:48:10.
For me this race was about going the distance, it didn't matter about the time, or if I walked certain parts, I just wanted to see if I could do it. And I did. The trouble is now I need to know if I can run 50 miles...
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First man was John Parker of CLC Striders in 41:02.
