Having a good stretch before the start ....
At the top of the first hill !
At the top of the first hill !
Running along Rhossili beach - fantastic !!
Stunning Coastline along to Port Eynon
Blasting along singletrack through forest approaching the 20 mile point
Trail shoe carnage at the finish !!
Well the Gower-thon proved to be the best racing experience so far ! It had everything, from the perfect weather conditions to the sheer variety of terrain: Trail, Mud, Beach, Rocks, Moorland and Forest . Now I had experienced what a coastal trail marathon requires, from my Dorset meltdown experience, I was prepared to take a tip from Enduroman (remember Mr London->Paris?) - to start unnaturally slow.
Although this for me is a challenge of 7 marathons, and the joy of completion is fantastic, a part of me cannot help but to try my utmost to get a high as possible in the leaderboard. In Dorset I started too fast, although I didn't feel as though I was pushing hard, the pace soon caught up with me and I lost about 20 places in the last 6 miles.
In marathon circles - I had BONKED. Hit the Wall. Run out of muscle fuel quite simply. My body was throwing whatever it could find to fuel the fire. And it felt bad, as if my legs were trying to consume themsleves.
I hadn't let my body start the race by burning my fat reserves first, because a higher pace prevents this. So, this time, things were going to be different. Oh yes, I was going to start this marathon FROM THE BACK OF THE PACK.
And what a jolly experience this was. Lots of chit chat and banter filled at least the first hour, and I even took a few photos as you can see above. I even stopped for a wee at one point.
I hit Rhossili beach (5 miles in) to be greeted by my ever helpful wife: "You're going really slow ?! you're 50th at best" - she helpfully commented ....
"It's my race strategy" I replied "I'm going to crank it up at the halfway point!"
Hmm methinks... it seems that my partner of 10 years was not content for me to run this race without at least giving the Leek affecionados a bit of a bashing. So to hell with it, I increased my run velocity from a lowly 6 to Warp Factor 7. Oh yes, eat my shorts people, I am now travelling at 7 mph.
Of course, overtaking people at these speeds is a dizzying experience. At first you see them on the horizon, and then perhaps half an hour later you get the opportunity for a 5 minute conversation as you eek past, before leaving them in your undetectable wake turbulence. This is probably as exciting as Snail Racing. But on these distances it can make a huge difference.
I ran and ran and ran, and never ever felt like stopping. In fact I ran faster as the race progressed. I reached the 20 Mile point at the top of a hill and even passed over the Tangfastics and opted instead for a more healthy banana snack.
I lost count of the people I overtook, and even increased to Warp Factor 8 (or thereabouts) in the final stages of the race. Oh yes folks, I was on fire. It was a fantastic experience to run on such hard terrain and not be reduced to a jelly.
I came in 4 hours 5mins 14 seconds, overall 13th / 99.
When people wonder what running is all about, this surely has to be it. Only sadly to say, Zippy was lost somewhere between Dorset and Cornwall, and this run was dedicated to his memory.
Although this for me is a challenge of 7 marathons, and the joy of completion is fantastic, a part of me cannot help but to try my utmost to get a high as possible in the leaderboard. In Dorset I started too fast, although I didn't feel as though I was pushing hard, the pace soon caught up with me and I lost about 20 places in the last 6 miles.
In marathon circles - I had BONKED. Hit the Wall. Run out of muscle fuel quite simply. My body was throwing whatever it could find to fuel the fire. And it felt bad, as if my legs were trying to consume themsleves.
I hadn't let my body start the race by burning my fat reserves first, because a higher pace prevents this. So, this time, things were going to be different. Oh yes, I was going to start this marathon FROM THE BACK OF THE PACK.
And what a jolly experience this was. Lots of chit chat and banter filled at least the first hour, and I even took a few photos as you can see above. I even stopped for a wee at one point.
I hit Rhossili beach (5 miles in) to be greeted by my ever helpful wife: "You're going really slow ?! you're 50th at best" - she helpfully commented ....
"It's my race strategy" I replied "I'm going to crank it up at the halfway point!"
Hmm methinks... it seems that my partner of 10 years was not content for me to run this race without at least giving the Leek affecionados a bit of a bashing. So to hell with it, I increased my run velocity from a lowly 6 to Warp Factor 7. Oh yes, eat my shorts people, I am now travelling at 7 mph.
Of course, overtaking people at these speeds is a dizzying experience. At first you see them on the horizon, and then perhaps half an hour later you get the opportunity for a 5 minute conversation as you eek past, before leaving them in your undetectable wake turbulence. This is probably as exciting as Snail Racing. But on these distances it can make a huge difference.
I ran and ran and ran, and never ever felt like stopping. In fact I ran faster as the race progressed. I reached the 20 Mile point at the top of a hill and even passed over the Tangfastics and opted instead for a more healthy banana snack.
I lost count of the people I overtook, and even increased to Warp Factor 8 (or thereabouts) in the final stages of the race. Oh yes folks, I was on fire. It was a fantastic experience to run on such hard terrain and not be reduced to a jelly.
I came in 4 hours 5mins 14 seconds, overall 13th / 99.
When people wonder what running is all about, this surely has to be it. Only sadly to say, Zippy was lost somewhere between Dorset and Cornwall, and this run was dedicated to his memory.
Energy Gels : 3
Bananas : 2
Tangfastics : 0
Bananas : 2
Tangfastics : 0
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