Ras Y Moelwyn fell race

This week I have been mostly enjoying:

• extra 90min in bed every morning

• beer with dinner when I feel like it

• pint with mates after work

• walking down stairs like a normal human being

• body and mind feeling fresh, and free from the fog of 100 mile weeks 

Yes, it feels good NOT training for a marathon.

Weird day on Friday. Receive some very good, and long awaited, personal news. I try to live with equanimity generally, but today I am totally buzzing, cannot control it. Go to pub, 1 pint, 1 RedBull, then run 1 mile flat out. No warm up, right out of the gate. 4min 47.

Local fell race next day. I have crashed abit after yesterday. Stunning day and a magnificent race over the Moelwyns, which tower over me everywhere I go. Been trying to avoid looking at them too much this week, as the traverse from one mountain to the next is as hard as it looks.

Gareth Wyn Hughes read something on social media from me saying I was doing it, so he has turned up too. We are running pretty close for the first 3 miles of 10 mile course. I get my leg stuck in a bog, he gets a gap, I can’t close it again, and he summits the first of 3 hills about a minute ahead. I twist my ankle a little bit on the descent and slow down to let it recover. Suddenly, Gareth is out of sight and I am in 4th place, with another guy just behind.

 

Rather than panicking and fighting, I let my body take me up the hills and enjoy the scenery. When we get off the mountain and back to firm, flat ground, I do enough to regain 2nd place.

I did this race 5 years ago, where I won (read blog post here). I clearly remember running every single step of the course that time, whilst wearing a Kenya vest. I don’t know how the hell I did that on such a tough route. I am seriously impressed with my 32 year old self!

I love this race, it could be my favourite fell race. It has everything, tough ascents, tricky, fast descents. River crossings, gate jumps, and epic, spectacular views. Excellent organisation from Hebog fell runners.

We have family up to visit for the bank holiday, and we have a brilliant time drinking in the afternoon sun. Fantastic weekend, except all our visitors pick up the same tummy bug I had a week ago, feel fine one minute, then vomiting guts out the next. Hope they aren’t scared off forever!?

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Non-running related highlight of the week

I won a bottle of Moet in Chester Half last week (read blog post here). It went down so well, with family, in the Saturday afternoon sun.

Best thing on the internet this week:

It was once a dream of mine to be the first person to run sub 4min for the mile, and also summit Everest. No one has ever done both. The Brad Pitt of Athletics, Nick Symmonds, is a 3.56 miler, now aiming for Everest. World silver medallist in 800m with super quick pb of 1.42, likes to mess around in the off season. Beer Miler, Paris Hilton dater, also does fly fishing.

MileToMountain.com

Thing I’m digging this week:

Olympic and World 1500m champ, Asbel Kiprop, has been busted for EPO. He has released a statement saying the Kenyan drug testers have falsified his sample because he didn’t pay enough bribe money. Read details in Reuters article here

I’m not digging this at all. I knew Asbel quite well for a period, and lived with his brother. He is an incredible athlete, ever since he won the World Junior XC Champs he has been on a different level. He is absolutely talented enough to be a clean Olympic Champion. Corruption and bribery is a way of life in Kenya, it is rife at the highest level of society. Even getting something as official as a passport requires a bribe. I am not saying Asbel is innocent, but just that he COULD be telling the truth, and we will probably never know.

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30/4/2018	AM	PM
Monday	REST	REST
Feeling very weak after tummy bug last night. Long day at work
Tuesday	REST	REST
Still feeling weak, loss of appetitie
Wednesday	REST	5 miles in 29.30
Feel much better
Thursday	REST	2 miles in 10min
fast 2 mile tempo, because I feel like it
Friday	REST	1 mile in 4.47
Saturday	Ras Y Moelwyn – 2nd. 12 miles total	REST
Sunday	5	REST
TOTAL:	25 miles	tm = treadmill