Rhayader Round the Lakes 30K  -  2nd March 2019

Race Report by Tracey Horton 

After suffering with a year of plantar fasciitis back in 2016 and subsequent flare ups, I thought my days of running long distances were over. During 2018 though, I managed to control any niggles through lots of stretching and strengthening. Inevitably, my mind started to turn to thoughts about maybe, just maybe, being able to run a marathon again. It would be a long way back though.

At the end of 2018, Joe told me enthusiastically about the Rhayader Round the Lakes race.  This is a 30k race around the stunning reservoirs and dams of the Elan Valley. Never mind that I had no idea where the Elan Valley was or whether my unpredictable body would still see me around that kind of distance, I entered it. If I could do this, perhaps a marathon would be in my reach again. 

Surprisingly, my training went o.k. I managed to get in two 20 mile runs and an extreme 18 miler around North East Bristol with Joe on the snowy weekend. Who knew that running around Longwell Green could be so dangerous? The pavements were littered with mini versions of those moguls you see in Olympic skiing. We both hoped that the race day weather would be better, especially as it was cancelled last year due to snow.

In the week running up to the race I found out two things. Firstly, Storm Freya was making her windy way towards Wales on the 2nd March, bringing with her treats including 40 mph gales and torrential rain. Secondly, I realised the true extent of the ‘hill at the start’, it was basically a mountain! Looking back at Strava now, I can see the ‘hill’ started at around 1.2 miles and finished around 4.8 miles. A climb from 677 feet to 1589 feet. That sounds a lot to me, and it felt a lot. I reflected that this is not be a race for the faint-hearted, and as a rule, I’m generally pretty faint-hearted!! This would be interesting.

We arrived in Rhayader on the 1st March. What a beautiful place, rolling countryside, red kites majestically gliding through the skies and the river Wye, bubbling peacefully alongside the town. Early to bed on Friday, but you don’t have to rise too early for this race as it starts at 1pm. A strange time for me, as I normally run early and eat afterwards. This time I had to think carefully about breakfast and how to spend the morning hours without tiring myself out. However, by the time I had got my number from the HQ (5 mins from the B&B, great planning!), and had a gentle stroll around the town, it was time to get ready.

Again, the start was very close to the B&B and at that point the wind hadn’t really got going and it was still dry, hurrah! I met up with Joe and Liam at the HQ and our small band of EGRC runners headed off to the start. The start is in the town and for the first mile it’s pretty much all downhill. Then you veer out of the town and start on the hills, gradual at first before you really start to ascend. Jon Doyle has run the race before and told me to look back at this point. Look back I did, down into a stunning valley and lake. This also took my mind off the steady climb and the fate of the runners ahead who had already turned into walkers. Avoiding the cow strolling in the road, I managed to make it to the top, relatively unscathed. ‘Phew!’ I had done the tough bit. Ironically, this proved not to be the tough bit. It was at this point Freya started to make an appearance. 

At the top of the mountain, the wind really picked up. By this I mean, it blew in your face, taking your breath away, it blew into your ears, taking all sound away other that its own whoosh! It blew into my body, forcing me sideways. It was tough, but somehow exhilarating. Especially, as at this high point, you could see a road stretching out in front of you, all downhill. Fantastic! But then with this excellent vantage point, I looked a bit further on to see another uphill leading onwards. Surely, we wouldn’t be going up that? Unfortunately, I could definitely see the bright fluorescent tops of other runners already making their way up. Soon one of those would be me!! 

I had thought by this point, the wind would calm, but it didn’t, Freya continued to relentlessly batter us. Normal people probably would have gone home for a cup of tea…but we are runners, and so, by definition are not normal!!  Even the enthusiastically cheering spectators were urging us on from the shelter of their cars. Still we battled on, heads down, legs frozen, through water stations, around bends and past fields of rainbow coloured sheep. 

Every now and again, I thought to have a look up and see the beautiful valleys below us, and at 15k the official photographers were there to take photos of us looking as cheery as we could! It wasn’t until afterwards I realised that they were there because we were running past one of the stunning Victorian dams. So the background looks fantastic, even if I don’t!! 

There were points when I felt good (running downhill mostly!) and points where I have to admit, I felt rather light headed. In training I hadn’t faced anything like this (the hill at Willsbridge was a tiny bump in comparison), and I don’t think I got my nutrition right. At about 24k, I had promised myself I would have one of my remaining two shot bloks and save the other for a ‘treat’. In the end I wolfed them both down, and they did give me the energy I needed to get to the end. Lesson learned though, even with breakfast, I still needed more sugar!

At about 27k I had a chat with a man who had the run the race before and said cheerfully, ‘there are just two more hills left!’. Er…pardon??? Sure enough, there was a long climb back into the town which was something of a mental and physical battle, helped by a little chat with Liam who I saw at this point. Then, finally, we were back in the town, running up a little hill, waving at Joe’s mum and suddenly, there was the finish. Time for a sprint finish. Well, that is what it felt like. I probably looked like someone’s drunk auntie at a party (I am an auntie, so am qualified to say that!).

A quick drink of water and then back to cheer on the other runners coming in. Although about 10 minutes after I finished, Freya decided it was time to deposit her cargo of torrential rain on us. Time to get back to the B and B. Unfortunately, I knew again I had got my nutrition wrong as I felt dreadful until drinking a bottle of apple juice about 3 hours later. That perked me up in time for a celebratory meal in the evening.

This is an absolutely beautiful race. The Elan Valley is spectacular and worth a visit in its own right.  However, it is a toughie and the unpredictable weather is definitely a factor in that. Would I do it again? Perhaps. But I definitely need to work on my re-fuelling strategy both during and after the race. I have my distance running confidence back now too, but maybe I’ll try a flat one next!