Black Mountains Race

[Wheeze]

Congrats Travs. Your experience on the race is typical. The climbs are incredibly sapping so you find yourself knackered on the flats.
The 'Bal Mawr Bellydance' is also a common phenomenon. I totally expect to cramp on that sodding ridge!!

[Meanderthal]

I also feel like I have to mention a fellow runner... He was ahead of me on the first climb, and I wasn't sure if he was part of the race, as he was wearing what looked like a hi-viz work shirt, baggy combat shorts, a full on rucksack that appeared very heavy, and walking trainers... as I passed him I saw the he was indeed part of the race... fair play to him, it was maybe his first race... he finally came in about half hour behind me, and hats off to him for getting round with all that gear, I hope he sticks with it, because he certainly showed some grit and determination...

It was his first race. He tells me he enjoyed it, although I wasn't truly convinced. He's being 'encouraged'...

[Travs]

Looking forward to this great race on Saturday... is anyone else making the trip?

Was my first ever AL two years ago (seems such a long time ago now, with all I've done in between). A combination of hot weather, the combination of steep climbs, and lack of experience/pacing ability/mental fortitude, resulted in a pretty torrid time for me.

This year I'm hoping to have a real good bash at it and was hoping to knock a reasonable chunk of time off my 2015 run. Although an anxious glance at the MWIS forecast tells me that visibility has the potential to be an issue. I'm fairly happy with the forest section, I think of bigger concern would be the first long undulating ridge run. In 2015 it was so beautiful I didn't really take much notice of where I was going on the ground, and even in perfect visibility I managed to overshoot the dropping-off point down into Grwyne valley, resulting in a panic-stricken dash straight off the ridge to get back on track.

[Travs]

What a tough day out today in pretty atrocious conditions. Some of the race veterans were suggesting it was the worst conditions they'd seen on this race... I wouldn't know, having only done it once before, but it was very wet, very slippy and boggy, very low visibility in parts, and the wind on the Bal Mawr ridge was very testing.

The new RO basically told us at the start that conditions were terrible, rivers full, slippy, boggy, etc. I looked round and nobody batted an eyelid, so I knew it would be a hard day!

I struggled round in 3hrs47 which is 6 mins off my 2015 time (which was gained in hot, dry conditions). But considering general times appeared to be well down, I guess that's not so bad.

Made some rookie mistakes today. Wore brand new Mudclaw Classics and didn't bother to lace them up how I like them, just put them on as they came... the first angled descent down into the Gryne valley let me know about it, as my feet were suffering from the contouring. Then at the bottom of Waun Fach I put my map away, safe in the knowledge I knew my way round the rest of the course...! Que losing a couple of minutes on the way down into the forest, and then again whilst in the forest, when I realised I wasn't so sure...! Also had a nasty fall coming off Waun Fach, slithering about 40-50 feet at am alarming pace. Luckily no rocks and I came to a stop on the heather, but I was a little shook up, and plenty of cuts and bruises...

But now I've got my excuses in, I can admit that I didn't run very well today. I should still have had the capability to post a pb, despite the terrible conditions. The only section I really ran well was the forest section up to the final climb, and the final long descent. And that was mainly through the psychological boost of knowing exactly where I was going on that section. I pulled back a lot of time here, but ultimately ran out of time, and my 2:41 pb went past just as I came off the open fell down to the road...

Another Welsh race that deserves a bigger field. It's very tough, a couple of the climbs are downright horrible, and the navigation is tough in parts. But got to thank all my fellow racers, and the organisers and marshalls today, for just getting on with it and putting on a great race.

Pete

[Dave_Mole]

it was on my list for this year, but things happened....next year for sure

[Wheeze]

Travs. Just one question......what on earth were you doing on Waun Fach???

[Travs]

Haha yes, well spotted! PYGF, not Waun Fach...!

Also toying with a little variation on the first descent down into Grywne... That angled descent off Pen Twyn Glass is not very nice and pretty difficult to maintain any reasonable pace through the tussocks on that horrible camber...

Thinking about continuing along the ridge after Pen Twyn Glas and then just a steep straight drop down to the start of the big climb up PYGF. Of course this is probably only practicable in good visibility. Seems to be a slope that would be much easier to tackle straight on rather than trying to contour, similar to the descent off Dale Head on Borrowdale...

[Wheeze]

Travs, you are right. I have seen people go much further along the ridge and then taking a steeper drop into Grywne. I suspect it is a better route in race conditions.

And, in case you were wondering, I did perform an experiment a long time ago when on a training run. Instead of dropping into Grwyne, I continued around the horseshoe via Waun Fach. I lost about 5 minutes compared to the others who went down and up.