- Friday night was Ras-Y-Hafod, a shortish local trail race
- Saturday leg 5 of Dave Almond's BGR
- Sunday was Derek and Dave (from Cumbria) Paddy Moelwyn's leg.
Friday night was cracking. I got my running mojo back on a 6 mile and 1000ft local trail race (Ras-y-Hafod) through forests. But the best part was there was a kids race. My two were too young to enter (year 3 and above), but Dick the organiser let them run and I paid the entry fee anyway so they got a meddle which they were very happy about indeed. There were not confident enough to run on their own, so I ran round with them and they finished before some children who were at least 2 years older. Probably less than a mile, but they enjoyed it and it was great to see then so enthusiastic about running. I was not going to do this race as I had a Paddy to pace, but it got moved back 24 hours and as this is a local race and the kids could get involved I felt I had to support it.
Dave Almond's BGR was a textbook round, though I hear he was wobbling a bit at the end of leg 2. By leg 5 he was very strong again and took 13 minutes off the schedule from Newland's followed by a gaggle of puffing and panting pacers. I stopped at Newland's to conserve some energy for the following day. Dave has been one of the most supportive people on my attempts, he has trained hard and helped on lots of rounds so a well deserved 21:50 round. I am really pleased to have been there to see him finish.
A short sleep in a car park below Blencathera, an early start and drive down to Capel Curig for 9am was not the best prep for supporting the longest leg and their last of the Paddy Buckly from Capel Curig to Nantmoor. Dave and Derek has delayed their start by 24 hours on account of weather and Dave had dropped out around the Glyders. Derek was about 40 minutes down by Capel Curig and had some work to do. I struggled to keep up going up Moel Shabod and got left behind over the next 2 peaks. I went back to Capel Curig and drove round to Croser and walked up to the quarries with some extra food. Good thing Derek had Simon Ellis from Tattenhall as pacer who should get a knighthood for taking Derek over the rest of the leg and getting him to their start point 15 seconds before the 24 hour deadline. This was by far the most excisiting round I have been involved in and really wish I had been able to keep up, but I had taken too much out of myself on the previous 2 days. I enjoyed this round more than any other I have supported, in part because of its light weight feel, part the closeness of the end result and in part the relaxed and good natured, not too serious approach. It was a real pleasure and I really regret not being able to keep on with Derek and Simon, but I am also glad they left me behind as Derek would not have made the 24 hour limit otherwise. I won't be trying 3 events in a weekend again.
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