It was an early start Sunday morning (5.00am). My wife Nellie drove Sam and me down to Brecon. The start was at the canal basin next to theatre Brycheiniog. Registration done, GPS trackers fitted we checked the weather forecast. It was not good – windy and wet for most of the day .
Start was at 7.00am. Head torches on for the first half hour till the Sun came up (not that we saw it! ) it was quite mild which was good .
We made our way up to Pen -Y-Fan , Cribyn . Fan-y-Big . Great to see Pat Pearson on Pen y Fan to cheer us on. Especially with the weather, we were having. I picked up a little niggle on my ankle three weeks back in training which, at this point, I could feel it coming back again. I took some painkillers and pushed on .
Reaching Merthyr Tydfil, which was halfway, it was good to see Nellie, get a cup of coffee, change my trainers and socks, grab some food and off again .
Nellie informed me that Sam was in 4th place and going well; in and out the aid station in minutes. Then came the second half of the race which Sam and I had recced 3 weeks previously and new what to expect – I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not!
Two aid stations later, some painkillers and sausage and chips at the last aid station which was nice At this point I knew I was not going to finish in the light so I put my head touch on. Out of Pontypridd we had one last hill to climb then it was downhill to the finish at Nantgarw. It couldn’t come soon enough .
I finished in a time of 11.35.32. Sam 7.51.59 and second place.
Now time off running and rest the ankle!
