First club run: around the lake

After Having been accepted in a running club, the Eryri Harriers, it took a few days for that to have a practical implication. The first Thursday training was the very day after I became a member, and not only wasn’t I mentally prepared; it also seemed a bit much between the race on Wednesday and my imminent race on Sunday. That Monday there was a training, but I was at the book launch. So it was the Thursday after that I felt I could make my debut. 

On Thursdays, the Eryri Harriers do hill training. My favourite! Uphill, anyway. So I was keen. Although the Facebook page said, the day beforehand, that this week it would only be a loop around Llyn Padarn (where I had had my post-finish dip the Sunday before). But one of my colleagues, who lives in that neck of the woods, reassured me they would probably not skirt the shoreline, but come up the fairly steep road towards Deiniolen, which I had never run before, but had biked several times (here and here). I know it gives you a workout!

I changed in my office and drove to Llanberis. I parked in the parking lot that had been given in the announcement. There was no one else there! But maybe I was just a bit early. I quickly walked to the other parking lot there, but didn't see anything obvious, so I went back. And then I noticed a man in running gear approaching me. He gestured at me: are you here for running? So I gesture back that I was, and I joined him to go indeed back to the other parking lot. Why don't they just give the name of that parking lot in the announcement? But at least I now was where I should have been. And the man had been the one who had sent out the announcement.

I chatted a bit to the other runners there. And then my colleague Chris appeared. He's the only one that I know! Although I recognised a few faces from races.

Chris confirmed that if they tell you to gather it 18:15, the run probably won't start until 18:30. Good to know! And in the end, we finally set off. We went clockwise around the lake, so first on the path to the parking lot used by lots of swimmers, and then over the bicycle path to the end of the lake, and then up the infamously steep road. Now and then the front runners stopped to wait for the stragglers. And I had a bit of a chat with whoever happened to be nearby.

On the bicycle path

A lot of people were talking about a big race that coming Saturday. Everyone asked if I was registered on it. I wasn't! It was mountain running and that’s not my thing. 

I also noticed some people speaking Dutch. There turned out to be two Dutch sisters in the group. One lived here in Wales, and the other one was visiting. It was nice to meet them!

Until the highest point in this run, we had been on asphalt, but then there was a bit of distance on small paths, pretty much all the way back to the quarry hospital. And from there it was only a small distance back. In total we had done 8.6 km. It has been good!

I joined some runners in their stretches, but lamented the fact that stretching makes you stationary, and that gives biting insects a chance. So I was glad when we were done. And then I got back to the car, got home, and got a shower. My first club outing! I hope many will follow!Having been accepted in a running club, the Having been accepted in a running club, the