Snowdonia Marathon 2011

brer rabbit wrote (see)

RWMS-you and me doing a May marathon then..almost wish I had gone for Stratford now, it's just I liked the look of Windermere one cos it has nice views of hills!! Don't know what it is like otherwise.

I liked the look of windermere too, but Mrs RWMS liked the shopping at Stratford more... White Stuff, Monsoon, Fat Face, the list goes on... Oh god help me lol 

NQ - Tricky one, after a road marathon I tend to do too much, too soon, but two weeks sounds fine to me. Your body would be or will during the event tell you how recovered you are. Maybe boost the carb meal the night before more than usual to give you some confidence in your energy stores.

Re. nav talk. I always carry a compass, but don't think I've ever used it. Many events provide adequate "destructions" and if not a well marked map will see you right. Especially if you learn what the differant track/path/road types are, read the contours, look for sightings - e.g. things like distant settlements, rivers, even pylons are great for this in all but the wildest English countryside - and orientate it with your actual direction as you move. Also worth carrying a GPS as backup (garmin forerunners nav funcs will do for events under about 8-15 hours - mode depending), if you know how to upload grid refs (freeware on t'net for this) or track/routes. Check out grough route, a must for the outdoor entusiast wanting to map event routes or plan own adventures. I'm sure a compass is a must in barren wilderness or desert environments, but how many of them do we really have in uk? Your never far from a/b-road or other navigatable feature, even if there isn't another human for miles around.

XC for me tomorrow, 6m off-road sounds easy but these things are a heck of a pace its more like a 10k road race. I've already planned my tactic to avoid getting stuck in a queue for first gate about a half a mile in without risking blow-up. I figure those who've given it thought will run hard up first hill, I'll leave them to that and make good strides down the hill following that (I hope). Excited... first race, or even event since early August

Britnik Loved report! Have a feeling you passed me on the way up waunfawer!!

Marlboro 33 sounds interesting........

6miles for me this morning longest since snod getting back into it now, notsure if I'm recovered enough to run a strong race in Conwy half next week will still enjoy it though!!!

Hi TRex I did Snod this year slowly but surely lovely weather again. Hope to see you at HP 40 next year if I manage to get the training in. Good to see you all are up and running again so quickly after Snod. Sorry about your caravan Brer!

Thanks NG, getting over it now but am in process of insuring everything I own. Anyone know who insures trainers??

RWMS-love OH's priorities re choice of marathon destination! Nice expensive shops obviously

Great report Britnick, loved it!

Jason, how are you coping with rehab?????

TR38-you'll storm Conwy next week, it'll be a walk in the park

BR- not well- lol

T Rex- yep, they're all either recovery or easy pace

NQ- I ran the same race after Snod last year and suffered my only real injury ever when i strained my calf muscle and ended up walking most of the race. BUT, I did turn up late and had no time for a warm up.... No racing for me until the Aber 10k- even thinking that may be a little soon- not to run, but to get enough speedwork in for

5m recovery tonight, 10m easy pace for me tomorrow 

XC today, though our league are more like muddy trail races with lots of interesting tough hills. Arrived late and wiped out by first mile overtaking and downhill heroics - I'm still deluded that I'm as fit already as in summer. I didn't let too many positions slip and got over 4mins inside prev best course time.

BR - yes it is worth insuring most things in my experiance, if there were trainer insurance I'd hate to see my - or BN's - quote.

SS - Push on through, go for it, though the snow and ice play havoc with fast running, longer, slower efforts and off-road running don't suffer that much.

Well the legs didnt let me down this morning .......6 mile x-country.... very hilly cousre around some lakes in pembrokshire....with a very steep hill up the side of a dam to finish.  Knee deep in mud and rivers......very slippery conditions but made it around in only a few seconds slower than last year.  I have to say i really think this is one of the toughest races in our interclub league and was even worse than i remembered it from last time.  Conditions were a lot worse though.  No ill effect so far on the legs but to be honest there was not a lot left in them by the end.  Another week of recovery and off to do the Elan valley 10 miler next weekend.

Hope everyone else has had a good weekend and is recovering nicely..

Brit Nick ...great blog report ......bought it all flooding back

NQ2- good going- well done

SS- that's the spirit!

10m for me in sunshine today- furthest since Snod and my legs seem to be recovering well- still not 100%, but on the way. Tootled around at 8.02 av pace

slow meandering plod through the woods for me today   rain held off until the last mile of my return home - and to be fair it helped clean me up enough to be allowed back into the house so can't complain!

legs are feeling ok when i'm out running (albeit at a v slow plod) now

Winter is setting fellow Snods..been for a very random visit to Liverpool today..dont know why, just needed to do something different. Went in search of the Cavern and was little disappointed.

Anyway, was very cold on the banks of the Mersey whilst eating our butties. Good running there folks.NQ-that sounds like a fun little jaunt.

I calculated I did 48 miles last week-not a good recovery plan but pounding those pavements got rid of some aggression.

It's a take on a very old recipe. If I remember right it was for a King or some such and the originanl used up to 13 birds, ranging from  finch sized bird up to and including a swan!! 

Sounds blooming lovely though  - who needs carbs anyway  lol