Felinheli 10k

Another post about running? Well, yes! There's just a lot of it going on at the moment. And the reduced pressure at work allows it.

I had another midweek race; this time, it was the Felinheli 10k. I had not done it before. But I quite like these races you can just do after work. And closer to the time I saw it had a nice route: over Vaynol estate. 

Given that it was Felinheli I could go on bicycle. It's only some 20 minutes from work. And then 45 minutes home. So I got changed in the office and headed that way. Given I was on bike, I had no parking trouble whatsoever! And with 350 runners registered, I suppose many people couldn't say the same thing.

A quiet part of the festival/race terrain

I did my usual pre-start regime: get my number, drink some water, go to the loo, do a warmup, and appear at the start. It was a hot day. I had decided to run without anything: there would be a water station after 5 km. That would have to keep me hydrated. It would be nice to not run with compression belts or vests!

I was aiming for a time of about 44 minutes. Maybe a bit more. My personal record is 43:37, but that was set at a rather flat course, and I had been really going for it. In this race, there wasn't really anything at stake for me. I hadn't done it before, so I was going to set a personal course record anyway. And I had no expectations regarding medals. If you have done a race before and ended on the podium, you are quite motivated to push it hard the next time as well!

We set off. Initially, the field was quite busy. And soon we were on the coastal path. That has lots of potholes, so you had to be vigilant. That sort of path is easier when the field has spread out a lot! But we were working on it. 

Close to the start

I was going slower than my intended overall pace, but well, this was the uphill part of the route. I was just making sure I stayed close to Arwel. And I was enjoying the shade we generally were in. 

When we reached the end of the estate we got onto roads, which initially even went downhill. That sped everyone up! Including me. I ended up overtaking Arwel. And I saw fellow harrier Megan in the distance. She runs in my category! So that makes her someone I really want to overtake. And it looked doable. 

Caught overtaking Arwel (also in Eryri vest)

There was a water station just beyond 5k. I saw they handed out little plastic cups of water. That would barely touch the sides! But it would have to do. I think I managed to drink about a third. The rest splashed all over the place! 

We then headed back to the estate. And on its outskirts I managed to overtake Megan. Success! I trundled on, and got to where the road went noticeably downhill. It was gradual enough for me to not get cautious. I legged it! The kilometres zipped past.

I could see Eryri Harrier Claire in front of me. She wasn’t very far, but neither was the finish. I decided not to go chase her.

You can tell I’m tired by this point

At some point I passed a sign indicating there were only 200 m left. I was glad they had put that up. The race ends in some sharp corners, so you couldn't see the finish, and sound didn't travel freely either. I came around two of the corners and was almost there. And then I saw Harrier Rhian behind the barrier. She was screaming her lungs out! And waving a cowbell around. That was lovely. It gave me energy for a last sprint. And I could see I had done it within 45 minutes.

Finish pic

Behind the finish there were people handing out bottles of water. I really needed one! And they were also handing out fruit. That was nice. I went for an apple and a satsuma. And I went to my bike to get my recovery drink. When I had downed that I joined Rhian, who was cheering with her friend Helen. Together we cheered on more people.

At some point I got a bit cold. It was past 8 pm. I went to my bike to get a jacket. I also checked my result: 44:52. And 6th woman. I was proud of that! There had been 159 in the race. I could also see I had a category win. That meant staying for the presentation. But I was very aware I also would have to bike home! I was about 45 minutes away. And I only had a few jelly babies to keep me going. After the Llanrug race I hadn't made the mistake again of eating too much too closely before the race. So I decided to go back to the fruit people and request a banana. They were happy to oblige! And I also went to the loo.

With Rhian and Helen I cheered on the later runners. And when the organisation started to back up the course, I went to I knew the presentation would take place. The lady who had won, Emma from the Cybi Striders, had also won the Bethel 5k. She is fast! 

To my surprise, they not only had prizes for the first person in each category, but the top three. I got my prize as the fastest woman over 40, and also the one for Megan as she had already gone home. She lives close by so I could deliver it. Then it was time to go home.

Presentation pic

It was a beautiful evening so biking home was quite nice. And I even got honked at by one of the Thursday runners, Iolo, who had also been in the race. A bit of a long night but worth it! 

Weird dead tree on the way home