Ultra Trail Snowdonia 100 Miler

it is the 3rd of May it is one week until ultr Trail snowdonia where I am taking on the 100m UTMB race um I am very excited today is going to be a day of sorting out all my gear so packing and checking that I've got all my compulsory gear also making a list of food items that I'm going to buy on Wednesday and then we are traveling up Thursday morning with Wayne my amazing crew and and we're going to be camping at Clan Baris camping site um we will put up the tent on Thursday grab some food and then Friday morning early going to registration for 8:00 100 milers um and we think running is a a cheap spot sometimes so I have done my layout for all my gear I think it's just being prepared isn't it especially when we're in the mountains so um this is all my gear for ultr trail snow Donia I haven't done my food yet um but this is like the basics that I'm going to take with me as well as what I'm packing I've got a crew with me so all the extras are going with him um that is not the compulsory gear that we need so yeah you got your bowl and you collapsable bowl and you'll spark um a cap uh waterproof uh trousers the two sets of gloves these are definitely I'm just taking them with me they're not compulsory gear this will go with my seconder as well as this so this is half a size bigger than these ones which I'll start with and I've got Gators got shocks for music um got my kylo in the wild glasses and and my waterproof hooded uh waterproof jacket I'm going to take a spare pair of socks with me to change um as needed cuz I really want to look after my feet the best I can um I've got a beanie my ID an extra warmth layer this is my emergency food that I'm taking with me a buff um uh it's a self adhesive bandage my long tights spare batteries for my two sets of um lights um I'm going to do bottles so I've got four I'm going to do 1 and 1/2 lit probably of of liquid with Tailwind I'll just keep flat as a flat pack um as well emergency uh bvy bag it's a full bag that's going to be my emergency kit so I'm going to take um some scissors and a few other bits and pieces your compass I'm taking poles with me as well um and so that takes up most of my my main stuff obviously my pack and then I've got some um that's kind of your hot and cold weather gear so and then also I've got my Chargers and things and then these are all my extra extras that I'm going to give to my um my seconder as well as that box so there for Foot Care it is Wednesday the 8th of May and I am I can't concentrate my brain's Pride I had a really really busy day at work today treating lots of really cool people which was great but super busy only finished my notes kind of now which is early evening actually late evening um just from getting home and then um packing stuff or trying to um and then getting kind of last minute Foods together cuz I'm leaving tomorrow morning with Wayne how am I feeling um yeah my brain rain's all over I can't wait to get going but I just want to like pack stuff and then go um the weather is looking really good hold thumbs and fingers and touch everything um so I'm really excited just for this journey and for meeting people and for pushing through and for looking at the beauty in snow dy I just cannot wait um yeah so that's really exciting I'm just a bit nervous here I just don't want to like leave any compulsory gear at home that's probably my biggest thing so here we go 10 minutes before I get picked up and we are heading to clanis it's Thursday the 9th of May and that's all my gear with some camping stuff doesn't look like a lot but there is quite a lot there just a few Welsh mountains to get through uh we have just put up the tent um Wayne is bringing my P hor he's bringing all the stuff through to the tent we saw zaka which is really cool he gave all the way up the up the hill to the the campsite and um it is a glorious glorious day oh my gosh it is just amazing so super super blist and there's our tent um so yeah it's just one night here um and then we get ready to rock and roll registration tomorrow testing the you know the waters so we found out he's really funny when you go like don't actually need half this stuff I just want to see what I could get you today so see going to be a fun weekend see this is how crew go with all the food and the concentration that's what we doing so that's what I'm packing there's my compulsory gear uh there some other stuff good morning it is Friday the 10th of May finally um it is a gorgeous morning it is 6:00 a.m. in the morning the birds are tweeting the Sheep are grazing some sheep behind us um the mountains are beautiful and um I didn't sleep went to bed really early just to try and get some decent sleep and then um was a little bit cold so put another top on and then we had a massive snorer no it wasn't way um St um but yeah anyway but nothing a 10 minute na w't solve um really really excited had loads going through my mind last night as to should I take more warm things should I do this um but yeah all good um eating a muffin for breakfast uh going to have a cup of coffee now thanks to Wayne and we'll leave about4 to 28 to go and register so we got plenty of time to do that which is really cool and we'll come back and then we will um head back to get there for 12 and a 1:00 start deep breath we are in Wales how do you know I wonder so way has just dropped me off I'm about to take to registration got my Messa bag and wings cuz you know got to have wings on let's do this registration uh yeah so my mom dad moved when I was 2 years old um so meeting some really cool people in the line and we're just having some fun but looks very very organized they've got like a little container in there you shove everything in it oh yeah are you already in six did you sleep well done I didn't torches easy there you go yeah you won't forget I'm loud enough as well 227 yay picked up so if this all done that this all team hello team member yeah so we are um yeah we're going to the start not to run at this stage but we're going to do drop bag and take photographs cuz that's important um registration was super super easy literally airplane style uh so yeah it was good it's good how you guys feeling nervous good excited and nervous hey there you go [Applause] we don't quite know we just still we still kind of like just moving around that's thank you and the drop bag there yeah first picture of the start line amazing and from the sky actually look really cool as well cuz you can see the UTS is really cool amazing oh all the fields all the fields so exciting so start line really awesome um got the Slate backing us up beautiful weather um we've done registration uh here with jacqu as well and another friend that he's been sleeping um they're bunking together which is really cool but oh my gosh it's all happening hey comrade shirt H yeah why not got enough of them under the belt it's going to be tough it's going to be hard you're going to go into Dark Places you're going to be heading into a cave of pain you're also going to head into a absolute place of this race in the c music down okay Viking CL right then let's have some hands in the air like you just let's have some hands in the air okay everyone after three 1 2 3 no you have to go on my count one 2 3 one two 3 one two 3 one two 3 one two 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 let's go come on woo woohoo you are ready guys well that was interesting we'll get better as the weekend goes on one minute to go one minute let's get this music going AR well okay to every single one of you here good luck PA look as we say in Wales this is going to be an incredible incredible 100 miles are all you support is ready let's get ready with our cameras let's get ready with our support let's get ready with our hearts kalon C that's what we call it because in around about 30 seconds time 300 Runners are going to embark on the trip of a lifetime as they make their way around 100 miles of incredible err landscape let's crank it apparel come on [Music] 10 seconds p p three one [Music] [Applause] that's [Applause] insane Paris pretty warm start yeah just behind just so amazing heavy breathing already 6 dayss in off way up I think [Applause] almost there not much longer s embarrass slight breeze legs are on fire ready first time I've ever seen the top of Snowden property thanks guys you're amazing oh I don't like this you know sorry no no no don't apologize you guys do your thing we'll get pass as well all good all good thank you oh well done beautiful your pig truck 8 and a half 8 3ks in scrambly but amazing under having fun absolutely are you glorious weather as well spectacular just gone through cp1 Penny pass um iing another CL this is another big one gliders I think um 13 K in tired um it just had liquids at the last one so B of taking some knock um refueling which is good um let me keep going doing well time wise I can rest a little bit but I want to just keep moving forward I mean look at that Bloody Monster real but beautiful views we going 14 and a half K that's all is spasming a bit at the front it's just coming down I think it's called The Devil's Kitchen um so we just done massive climb I've already struggling um I left which is not cooperating completely but yeah beautiful you can't actually see the steepness of those on the Rocks these are this is the GLE section most like that basically slide down um or like the other guys have done they've used poles going down um someone suggested sitting on your ass and doing this but yeah that was quite a adventurous but all part of the journey nothing like a hard darill 16 K hey ja if you get a chance turn around nice little video yeah yeah yeah sweet memories this is what we doing it for guys 20K in can't waake the second CP I had a l of time yeah we keep going enjoy love you done don't be don't be [Music] this is the face of a very very reliev Dawn I literally flew through the cp2 I don't know har I made it with 15 minutes to go um and I could not have gone much faster um it is extremely tight um I ran when I could I probably stopped two or three times I didn't even stop at cp1 like I kept going it's very slow going but I went and so epic to see Wayne and have a second and just his care and attention was amazing in 5 minutes so now we got up 26 K in halfway up if that's nice B of scramble I think up at the top of this one abolutely beautiful but warm still I think that's what kind of cooked me today weirdly just the heat even though it's not been super hot in South African standards I just everyone's actually noticed that good job oh King sunset and not long secret PA listen to some music now it's good shark is it that's where we've come from that's where we going the sun is set we're heading done that way there's a bit of a scramble there you can see the guys up over there scramble down a bit um I'm feeling okay my stomach just feels not great um I am uh 33k is in um been using the poles quite a bit which has been great even downhill got my music on which is lovely um yeah just there's a few people around not a lot we're right near the back because we like just made the um the cut off so I don't think there many people behind me basically um but yeah it's um is what it is um but yeah beautiful beautiful even I got my gloves on I don't actually need them on um and I put my jacket on cuz I just didn't want to get cold yeah um but yeah struggling to eat I just don't want anything so I've had a few gels and I'm drinking my tail but I feel a bit like I actually just want water which is ironic so the next a station I'll try to get water which is going to be cp4 couple K I've got to get there before 2: a.m. um which is 7 hours from the last one um and apparently that's quite a tight one as well so hopefully make it but I'll give it my best so I've just gone past um I've got have just send a Cas to go to get to carpal c um that was like a water point which is pretty cool we just seen like the Northern Light um apparently it's anomal foot light only so got like pinky in this Sky it was amazing um oh was nice to get water I actually desperately wanted some water um I have no idea what these EG KS look like I think there's a bit of a climb and we get into an eight station this is quite hot perod zombie Dawn know what time is all the people got a bit more lively now I need to get cracking I'm I'm really struggling to eat so I'm just feeling really really fatigued which is not good um but I'm going to take some sandwich a station um I don't know what is number five and uh well not going to be up here now but yeah want to try to make these freaking cut off um so a station 5 I was with Wayne and then a station 6 I'll be with him again I think between now and then there's 500 me his elevation I have a feeling it's quite a lot of bog um I'm actually I got some soup down which is incredible cuz I actually feel more energized and I made a a thing to like like rest for like 5 minutes I shoved a shirt on top of me and like I was about 6 minutes or so um but beautiful sunrise it's morning um so yeah I I definitely feel more I RAC in Stage Station there a so um had and then mad um which was like cobri just never came it was like took forever and then Mard just goes on forever um but coming down uh was with these awesome two um Belgium guys um Andy and Bob thank you guys they're amazing um they showed me the way down and which is really awesome and um so and then I ran like on the road like I don't even know 3 car but quite hard um just to kind of see if I could get a bit more time in the air station which I did get it was worth it and I could run um there's some lusters but the strappings definitely help them um there's egg and pains but that's okay definitely in a brighter Spirit now I will give it my best I'm literally cutting Chase off the uh chasing cut off which is very frustrating um but it's what it is right I need to find out where I'm going so those are all buggy bits we've been going on um at 70k is between 5 and six cpck just don't want to care leing the whe very quickly um oh really pretty and another gorgeous day so I'm quite broken um 72 K I'm trying to get my thing now and I just like almost don't want to do it anymore um I don't know I get exercise and jued Asthma which is emotionally involved soone has stce [Music] usually control it just by sling down and controlling my breathing I just for Too Much I Feel L prepared for it I'm chasing me bloody cut off let me stop talking so I can get my breathing back see what happens see you later see you later guys have fun so I think it's more and more I think that one um which is what we're doing now we go down um into crysto um and then we got to connect get on the far side um yeah so that's our next little bit and then we're halfway in mileage [Music] finally of your Gates warmest day again good so peaceful more so another death I was down that way and I realiz where we were so yeah we're on that side all more this beauti 8 so this is what I've come up to and that you can't even see is what we've just climbed you can see the guys down there it's steep top of M M oh go hours to get to the CP I think this may be the end of the road next little Adventure connect so I have just um um my stage of my mind how to open Gates um I've just come from the um sorry I've been awake for a while uh a station um CR really really lovely stuff the yous really have done well with what they provide and the people absolutely you could as two guys um and I was basically thinking of just staying there and I thought well I can't cuz promis that if I wasn't timed out I would keep going so I had 40 minutes so and I got done a bowl of soup so hopefully that stays and I got a coffee fix thing come from my fren Bob um lots of caffeine um yeah slightly bit of M frame I'll keep going let's see how it goes from there yeah this one's going to be a fun one it's up there it's kind of like what an awesome day let's give it a go spoil for View 92 K 86 so um I'm trying to get to or whatever farm for the next a station which I think closes at 4 um yeah I don't think it's going to happen um it's already 3:00 now and I'm sure we've got at least four to 5Ks to go and like this is what I'm contending with and occasionally getting those to try find and like rocks it's like the worst section with fogs and with um like really poor marking as well um I'm just so irritated and frustrated but I definitely gave him my w and that for me is so much more and like I'm going to be completely G cuz I say it's really unlikely I'm going to be able to get through but it's just being so epic um with all the support as well like from family like Glenn and the kids are looking after the house and me and um all the people on the WhatsApp group have been Absolut incredible and Wayne has been just next level with seconding and just been really awesome and I'm just I'm disgusted see like this anyway let me get back and see if we can get some time so I've just left the farm which is CP I want to say uh8 yeah cp8 I got there with 1 minute to spare to be able to carry on so I am carrying on um thankfully there's a guy that I was literally in tears cuz there was a guy that helped me he was a runner cuz I couldn't see where to go um and then he helped me and I managed to get there time had to do like a road Sprint it wasn't a Sprint but in my world at the moment it was and yeah they managed to just fill up my and get out so I'm continuing down to bed get it to see wa um this should be an easier section yeah no it should really should be there's one big bump in the middle I think um and it's a lovely run in there is where I think it is along the the river cuz that's all I've done so yeah and we we [Applause] try this is uh running along to bed gas along the river beautiful what you want to know so why did you enjoy this weekend why did you volunteer one or two things why did I volunteer I guess starting at the beginning so I mean a part of a running group that Dawn's in rarely go to it but then Dawn's just always popping in popping in and the positivity and the energy that she like is in that group I was just like yeah that's somebody that I want to support so straight away put my hand up and then here I am 6 months later wherever it is standing on the side of a mountain very cool and what we what what two two take home things from this weekend or highlights or two take-home um one how awesome Dawn is I guess start I did not tell him to say that start with but just like the sh grit and determination like I mean across the field to be honest but like you know personified in this case by somebody called Dawn um and I just loved how kind of she just ran her race did what she could do and just did her best and I guess yeah like for me it's like a privilege just being that presence you know like to be in that energy to be in that space and you know to have the opportunity to share that with with somebody like Dawn but as well as like the other Runners and their families and supports as well was just Wicked so yeah that's definitely like number one in terms of positive experience number two AP from the stunning views yeah that's good I think there's something about learning for myself as well MH you know like everyone kind of thinks that there's like people running 100 miles and it's kind of like a a bit of like self-discovery and stuff like that but like it's an endurance test as well for the supporters it's kind of like sleeping in the back of a car making sure you know where you're going you haven't got any post codes and you're just like trying to go down these country lanes trying to figure out what's what but yeah I mean like the community and just everyone ping in the same direction you know for this greater goal was just like awesome so yeah kind of like I guess when I have the time to like stop and reflect there'll probably be some like kind of like deeper personal like kind of learnings as well but yeah and give two two tips for people who crewing so what you felt you did really well um and if there is anything you changed from my side I spot on I wouldn't change anything with what you did cuz you're incredible um get there early get it up you know like just get it like absolutely everything so that when they say I need this bank it's there you know what I mean like not that you're rumaging not that it's just in a bag or it's in a box like literally it's like it's all there and you're go that's where that is that's where that is that would be the number one thing just so that you know like there's like an urgency but like a calmness to the urgency it's kind of like you know doing those you know it's it's not like a secret but it's kind of like projecting that kind of sense of calm while also doing everything as quickly as you possibly can it um so like that would definitely be like number one tip um something I would do better next time probably being a blowout mattress for the back of the sleeping on a hard boot is not oh yeah maybe a camper van or something like that um yeah probably look after myself better yeah I think I did all right with it but I think I could just do it better so um yeah I think looking after yourself is key and I think that's why I like those connections with the other lights support you know the other like crew and the the volunteers as well is really good cuz you just get those connections you know and everyone kind of like like I say that positivity is just amazing so thanks for volunteering you are epic it's been my privilege and my honor so yeah anytime be back next to you won't we uh yes yes we will D yes so it's the day after we on Sunday the 12th of May awesome snow Donia behind me and um yeah race didn't go quite as planned um I think again with these races you can you can learn you can learn so much so I got to where did I get to Big G and I got timed out so 113 K into the race um just to put that into perspective from CP checkpoint 2 I was chasing my tail the whole way so I was chasing the cut offs I honestly I knew the race would be tght and the checkpoints would be tight especially at the beginning and I was aware of the times I honestly didn't think cuz I ran really well in the first bit that I would be that close to the checkpoints and when I was coming down into the checkpoint to um I actually I was with a couple of other guys and we checked our watches and if we hadn't put foot in the last kind of three four car where you could actually run fairly well I might not have even made it then and being cut off at checkpoint to and then from then literally every single checkpoint was eras of time and it was like anything you could run that was flat you ran and thankfully with a couple of them so I think going into Copple curig I think and there was another one afterwards there was there were really nice sections like three or five k of Road leading up to which means it's runnable which on this race means a lot um and I was able to run quite well on the flats and stuff but what I found was um even on the second climb which is under the the gliders anyway after checkpoint one you climb up a massive massive Hill Mountain I'll get the names afterwards um but it's it's I had no energy going up and everyone overtook me and um it was a hot day I'm South African but I just and I'm so hot probably early mid 20s honestly or mid 20s maybe but no wind like a very dead you know kind of heat and I think that partly struggled I'm going to ride like a reflection and think of what but I think in my mind at the moment I think the biggest things were during the day I didn't eat much and I was planing on eating quite a lot and um like I was really good leading up to the race with a lot of sleep and then the two days before I had a crazy work day on the Wednesday where I was very stressful and very busy and didn't sleep well and then the night before in the tent didn't sleep at all because there was someone snoring next to us or whatever and also the Night Before the Race and I just didn't eat really well so I think that combined with the heat I just started off and I just had very little energy saying that like my muscles feel really really good like today I'm walking really well the only reason I'm maybe not walking a little bit is because of my feet a little bit but Wayne uh epic crew um we change socks every time I saw him and I promise you that made all the difference with my foot care and strapping so we did a lot of pre- strapping and um I've got one blood blister on the inside of my right foot but apart from that they actually did really really well um so definitely up improveed from when I ran the Ark of uh TR so just talking through the race um and I'll probably go through it again maybe a little bit later CU I can maybe get the names in front but I'm just doing this while it's fresh in my brain and I've got a beautiful mountain backdrop um I think so in terms of going in I got quite a fright kind of chasing checkpoints straight away so that was something that was always on my mind and you can only run as fast as you can run and on the technical it's it's really difficult to kind of you know mobilize and stuff so when I could I would go you know harder on the flats and dance um the crew made all the difference um at one point I literally was like I need to get to the next toop because Wayne's there and that's that's my that's my my current goal and it really was encouraging to know you know cuz he's come out for me he's taken time off for me and and that that means huge amounts and really appreciate it and people that were supporting and I get a WhatsApp group so I encourage you if you get a WhatsApp group going um I don't necessarily look at it but I know those people are are cheering me on and then Wayne just updated them with with that and how I was doing and like all of those things just really help when you cuz you will go down you will go through those dark spots um so he made all the difference with changing sock sorting things out he had all my food out so when I had 15 minutes to the first checkpoint like literally and look he's here hey hey he my name yeah absolutely um had everything ready while all the other Runners had to like grab and go and like just changing the socks getting strapping on like literally just made a huge difference so I knew coming from the arc that I needed a crew to even think of finishing this and um it just it just Bears witness to to how it was so I so as we went on so went through checkpoint one fine actually did quite well after F bars climbed really well and and did well and then I got quite a fright at checkpoint 2 where I'm screaming in with 50 minutes to go having to then race out not having arested and then go on and it was pretty much like that um despite of being hot it was just absolutely gorgeous and my one thing was I wanted to see stuff and um snow is really really special it really is beautiful and amazing and I always took the opportunity no matter like half felt like just to really um look around and um I didn't do loads of videos and stuff like you'll see obviously but I I did enough and I did what what kind of you help get through I love the night sections I just really enjoy the nighttime running and that solo stuff and dark and just your own space and the privilege of of doing that as well um so coming off yeah carried on got to Copper KU which is number four checkpoint four there is no checkpoint 3 at checkpoint 3 though we saw the Northern Light which was epic and amazing um so that was very special um so that was like a water point that they had they had really cool music and just to shout out to UTS guys your crew and all your staff were absolutely Next Level everyone was happy everyone helped out um very encouraging um and it was really really amazing went through CER Kurig um did a really hard run just before there I don't know how hard it felt like 4 minute pace but it probably was a 6 minute pace kilometers um to get there so that I had more time and so I had about I can't remember I'd say 45 minutes so I like lay down for like 10 minutes and just chilled for a bit and then really fueled up as much as I could and then kept going um my body it was weird so my muscles the whole way through have felt absolutely fine I do feel like not feel I am strong and it's not a muscle thing like my muscles are really really strong and I'm really proud of my body from that it was just feet were starting to get a little bit achy but that also wasn't thing I just had low energy from the get-go and I think that was probably my biggest thing um and I'll say why I think that might have been the case but yeah that that's probably my biggest thing from this I mean today I'm walking around no you know nothing else much um the other interesting thing was from the beginning quite early on my anterior tub on my left leg so it's the muscle at the front of your shin started like pulling quite badly and I was like oh this could be a fun CU that was under 20 kilm into the race uh but I managed to manage it good thing being a physio I suppose and it it went away ironically I just I don't know how and then the only other thing I had at one point was a little bit of crump in my right quad and I think that was a little bit due to excuse me dehydration and then also at the time it was quite steep um you know big step ups and stuff so my legs were going into quite a cute angles and that anyway going from carp and carried on and um the rest kind of a little bit of blur but yeah there there's section just before copper C you can run along the rivan also it couldn't run very well and it was a flat like as they say freebie and you make the most of it so that's a section you definitely can make the most of it and I did as best I could and I was always trying my best which you know in the end I know and that's the one thing I can honestly say I've tried the best went over mmar and went over sherod um and coming down made the most amazing Belgium guys um Andy and Bob shout out to you guys absolutely you were amazing just chatting through with you and you kept me going and yeah just you kind of finding the way down and finding the flags and it was my first time a descending shod from that side and um oh my gosh an i if that it was dry as you know it was really dry and we were really really fortunate but if that was wet it would be slippery as whole so I can see it would take four times longer to descend so then you've lost even more time so it's just you just all these considerations where yes it was hotter this year but there were parts that made it a lot easier after that um I ran and to an aid station quite quite hard as well so I got a little bit more time in the bag purely just from that running section on the road I was running quite well from that point um and then from there we go along um just trying to think what's after that so that's when I made up way after and well sh and then we go along and and yeah going to um there's other section the other two sections that I didn't know very well yeah fairly renable and yeah just just Open Country a little bit um then eventually went over um I think it's malar and oh my gosh I didn't realize where they taken us bottom from the Slate all the way up and it was just quite I knew the area cuz i' done a little bit of wcky over there um went over but just yeah again just very little energy and basically my mind was just going I just wanted to give up I was like I don't know what the point of this is is like I'm I can't I knew the end sections I knew what I was ahead for but I was like you know what let's just just keep going and um I went down to CER um with the idea of I just didn't want to do it anymore and what was going through my mind was like well am I giving up because if I'm giving up then that's not an option cuz I don't give up um and then and the other guys with me the two guys with me were like yeah they're done CU of their stomachs and what have you but I was like well what is my excuse and I was running out of excuses and I was like well I'm not going to say give up I'm not going to lie I'm not going to sit on the mountain until I'm timed out that's just that's not me so I got to the aid station and I got and the deal was if I got to the a you know in time and I did I had 40 minutes so I made it so um I carried on and um sent F A distraught message and he's like just one step in front of the other um so that's what I did and the group as well I just let them know like you know struggling a bit and just the messages coming through and just you know keep going so carried on going and at that point I honestly just didn't cuz I knew the normal of it and I knew I was constantly chasing the the the the cut offs which is really hard um because it's not like I could go at the same Pace or go slower because then I would miss it but it's the evidence of pushing through when when you don't think you can because from cuser and I got to bed gellet where I was then timed out um so that's aid station what was that aid station 5 to aid station N I think and the difference of you know being at 60k or whatever to 113 K and like I'm so proud of myself that I got to that point because um like it was damn hard and like I literally got into Farm like with 5 Seconds to spare and I got down I didn't think we'd make it and then I thought there was a way of making it and then my watch wasn't like I couldn't find how it was working on the on the watch and then um I started to cry because I was trying to find how to get down and then another Runner thankfully I mean just God say came out and he was like cuz the flags were awful the the marking on that little section wasn't wasn't great and um went in the bogs and that next section to get down to the farm and he said no it's down here and we went and we the two of us we just pacing and then you kind of like okay what's time and then they get to Road section I thought well if I'm going to give my oil so I was buggered but I just ran up this road and I made it in with like 5 Seconds to spare and then the guy's like you got to grab your all and go so I did that and um cuz I said if I make the checkpoints I'll keep going and yeah then with bed Gill I knew one I probably wouldn't make it just cuz and but also just I knew I couldn't give much more and I knew the next section was really really big section and I didn't want to get stuck on the mountain um but yeah I didn't I well didn't make the next section but I'm so proud to say that I pushed through and I definitely did 100% like I gave it everything absolutely everything um and I think that's the bottom line for me and so for me this is like my proudest race and this is a race that like yeah I just I couldn't have done it without the team and I think that's the thing with this sport isn't it it's it's some people think it's an individual Sport and it's far beyond that it's really not um but yeah uh just huge shout out to everyone and just thanks for all the support and thanks for just encouraging and believing in me and yeah I mean someone's like oh you booking next year I'm like N I don't know um and Wayne very suant said yeah we'll have a conversation maybe before bit later um which is good cuzz I think time has to you settle and and you relook at things and how can I do things differently um so I think those were a couple of things some things that I think um would have influenced the day I definitely think the heat was one of them um uh but from the gecko I had no I was very like low I think the sleeping I might actually plan to take two or three days off before a big event because it's actually probably more important than after um because you want to be as ready as you can and take away variables that might you know cause other stuff to you know like bad sleep and things like that and then also I need to definitely plan my nutrition hell of a lot better I think leading after it it's the one area that I really need to work on and it takes time um and and I do know some of it but I think you know I want to definitely invest more in that so that's something I'm going to work on and also then plan out um to to eat more yeah just more stuff just leading up to it as well um and then the other thing is I want to look at more strength training even though my body feels really good I just wasn't powering up the heels very well I think that's partly because of the lack of uh energy but yeah I think that's something definitely that I need to to look at as well so I'm going to look at getting a race vist or just running with a weighted pack so that's one thing I do want to do um and then I will look at some strength training as well um yeah specifically with that but as I said my my legs feel really good today and for what they did over the last two days and that they're not smashed like I am strong but I want to see how I can get stronger and really push through that next to little bit um so those are my take homes my feet in the end were were a bit rubbish underneath cuz they got wet and they were all crinkly up and stuff and again I change socks and that regularly I don't know how i' maybe change that more it's just my feet tend to do that um maybe have some powder on me a bit more in the a stations that Wayne wasn't there um but yeah that's kind of my take home at the moment um and um but I'm super proud and and and yeah the last thing is this this is definitely a race that like I'm most proud of because I pushed beyond what I've ever been able to push before so yeah let's see what's next

Channel: Dawn Nunes

Views: 4,277

Keywords: UTS, UTMB, Ultra trail snowdonia, Ultra trail snowdonia 100 miler, UTS 100m, 100milers, ultrarunning, Snowdonia, Welsh mountains, dawnnunes

Id: FIIc76gerog

Length: 53min 5sec (3185 seconds)

Published: Fri May 17 2024