Into the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park
47 miles/75k
10863 ft/3311 metres
0600 am start
Time on feet 15h 52m
The beast of a day was here, I think it's safe for me to say that this was the day most people were worried about.
It's long, still loads of elevation, and you've done four days of jogging with minimal sleep, but also the heat is back, in the earlier editions of the race the heat usually leaves after day 2/3, but this heat just wouldn't go, trust our luck to have a heatwave right as the events on.
I honestly think 50/60 more people would complete this race if the heat wasn't as brutal on days 1 to 3.
For me this day meant the most, not just because it was the last hurdle, but I've spent some time up here with my cousin Chris, he sadly passed last year and we scattered his ashes on Pen Y Fan, so getting to this day meant a great deal to me.
He was also the first person to show me this race, he was a true Welshman and loved this race, he shared a video of one of the earlier editions years ago to which I quickly replied "fuck that, that looks impossible".
But here I was, about to attack day 5, with my cousin Chris following me every step of the way.
This was also the day where the start line felt so different, there was probably about 10 of us starting at 0600, the middle and back of the pack runners, we needed as much time as we could get, we all had a nervous look, we knew what this day entailed and we were all secretly shitting ourselves.
I saw Hayley at the start, I was relieved to see her, It meant I knew she was still in the race, as the time went on in the week the DB bubble took over, you became more selfish, I didn't spend much time in the evening talking to other competitors, only my tent mates, I just didn't have the time to be as social as I was on day 1, so you didn't always know if the people you knew had survived the previous day.
You had to just stick to your routine and look after number one!
Shaun came to see us off which was nice, giving us his well wishes. To be honest it was perfect that he was here, Hayley who he knew too had a look of distress, one of the ladies she was sat next to the night before while eating her dinner was worried about the time she got in on day 4, which was near the same time Hayley got in.
But I'm a big believer in success leaves clues, so if you are on the startline of day five, the hardest day, then you have done something right in the last four days to make it this far.
Shaun gave her a well needed hug, and I said something along the lines of "shut up, you are still here, we've got this" it was almost a scenario of good cop bad cop.
But it did make me have a doubts too, did this lady know more about the event than us? It was time to switch that mindset and just get on with it!
I'm very happy to say that Hayley completed that day.
Anyway after that saga, the 0600 countdown came too quick, and we were off!
Power hiking down the road with Steve and we are looking like two broken men, Steve had some big issues with his shins, which is quite a common issue on this event and I had my knee that always needed a few miles to warm up.
Not only did I have issues with my knee, I could feel the other leg feeling the compensations I'm making now, left knee/hip hurting a bit, but I'm still moving and that's all that matters.
I push on from Steve a little bit, and I end up walking and chatting with a competitor called Kelly who was still on the full course, we both had a similar marching pace, it was really nice chatting to someone new, we spoke about our general life, dogs and the holidays we booked for after the event, Kelly was fortunately going on holiday straight away, the perfect recovery trip!
Kelly and I made good time in the first section towards Llandovery, we had a good power hike/jog, and this was a section you could really push on.
We came into the town with people clapping us, but it was quite nice to see some normality of life. I go into the famous bakery, and Kelly pushes on, I quickly realise I can't be arsed to wait to buy something, but also there wasn't anything I wanted, I ran out and caught back up to Kelly, and we start chatting away again making are way to the USK reservoir, this is quite a nice scenic section where we broke into a jog every now and then, both of us making good time on the nice tracks and road sections.
You go through the wooded section, and you soon know the long arduous climb is coming (Fan Brycheiniog) we catch up with another competitor called Emily she was still on the full course too, we have a little walking chat then we both push on, this was particularly a hot section too, before the climb there is a stream.
I had to lie flat on my front to dip my hat with this one, I could've stayed there and had a nap to be honest, Kelly pushes on ahead and this is where my knee started giving me some jip, more painkillers required quickly!
I couldn't match her pace, this was the great thing about this race, we all looked out for each other, but we all knew we were there for ourselves too.
This climb didn't seem to end, so the Tryfan tactic employed, take a breather when you need too, I think this kind of management on certain climbs probably stopped me coming down with some kind of heat exhaustion issue.
I'm finally make it to the top and the wind is here!
It's a mega view, it's rare you get to see the Brecon Beacons like this, it's usually clagged in with poor visibility, but what's more daunting is you can see Pen Y Fan, shit, its miles away!!!!
Time for the tricky part, descending this beast, I honestly lost so much time on this descent, plus the painkillers hadn't kicked in just yet!
It was ok though as the first support point was at the next bit of road, but then when I looked at my map to find out what time I had to be there I had made a bit of an error.
On your map you have a guidance time and a cut off time, the guidance time is usually an hour before the cut off time, but for some reason I thought the guidance time was the cut off time.
That feeling is back, I might not make this, the pain subsided, It's time to run and get to that support point, I start overtaking people again, they look baffled at me because they overtook me on that terrible downhill.
Let's get to that road to get to the support point!
I get to the road and realise there is no support point, I've also caught back up to Kelly. Shit! there's one more climb then a descent into the next road, that's where the support point is.
I push on and just attack this climb, remember, I still think the cut off is an hour before when it actually was.
I push on the descent too, there's the support point, I can see it, with maximum effort, let's get in refill these bottles and keep moving!
I get there and wonder 'why is everyone so relaxed,' I quickly check my map again, the red bold writing states the cut off time an hour ahead, shit, all that work!! I can't say it was for nothing though, all that work saved me time in the latter part of the day!
Refill bottles, dip hat and move, this day had bigger heat allowances, I probably should have taken them, but my personal goal was to still get in under 10pm.
As soon as you leave the support point you are greeted with Fan Gyhirych, which is probably one of the slowest longest climbs of the day, plus you've just eaten.
It's a sharp incline, then it eases a bit before the sharpest point, I take breaks when needed when a guy called Steve Chamberlain overtakes me, I quickly say something along the lines of
"you didn't mention how hard this day was in your blogs"
His reply "I bloody did"
Steve Chamberlains blogs are a helpful read by the way, check them out.
Steve had already done the race before and was back for more, he had to drop down to the hatchling this time round but his buddy Nathan was back for a second time and he was supporting him on this monster day, I spoke to Nathan the previous day and he told me how he didn't complete day 5 the last time he entered the race, but a glutton for punishment, he was was back to finish what he started, and he did!
Finally we are at the top, you can still see Pen Y Fan but you can see all the ups and downs before you are at the bottom but it doesn't seem to be any closer.
It's all slow going and plus there was a the last cut off still I had to make, and yeah it was still hot.
There's a gaggle of us descending from Fan Nedd,.There was a local out on the mountains who was clapping and saying "there is a stream about a minute away".
There was a massive stream here about a foot deep, as I arrive there is people just lying in it trying to cool off, I jump in too, it felt sensational.
It was time to move on and climb Fan Llia, I see a familiar face, its my Uncle Anthony, Chris' dad, he lives in Porthcawl, so he decided to come say hello and spend some time with me.
We get to the top, I check my map to get a grasp on timings, shit, this cut off is pretty close again, me and Anthony start running while chatting, it's a nice distraction.
We overtake a competitor, and he says "he's not pacing you is he"
"No of course not, he's just come to see me, he lives round here"
I apologise.
I was a bit shocked, but glad the guy said something, he was actually helping me out, because there's a potential for other competitors to tell the staff if someone is cheating, thank you Russell.
In the brief before the race Shane specifically says "No Outside Assistance"
I always thought this was people giving food/water to people they know, but I imagine this covers pacing too, it's only fair we stick to the rules, because that keeps the race fair.
Anthony heads off in a different direction, me and Russell have a brief chat, he asks "do you reckon we can make it" (the next cut off) I was like yeah, but we are gonna have to work hard on this next section.
I push on, headphones out, take some painkillers and start running.
I start overtaking people, on the downhills the flats and the uphills, let's get to that support point asap!
I'm at the top of Fan Fawr, you can see the support point, but there's still 20 mins of work to do, I bumslide down this, it felt great and its grassy.
Me and another competitor stayed close to each other, another James, we finally get to the support point with about 30 minutes to spare, even though we had those allowances I still wanted to hit the original cut off times.
Reload water and go, I see one of my good mates here Kita, he came out of nowhere, cracking jokes and making me laugh, it was a welcomed surprise, we had a brief walking chat and I told him he couldn't really walk with me up the path towards Pen Y Fan.
I start eating on the climb, realising im running out of food, for the first time in the race I have to start rationing what's left and most of the things I have left have Caffeine in them.
(let's not repeat day 1 night please)
Right 11 miles left, some of the best views but some of the worst ground to come, no wonder the special forces train on this for selection, fortunately I've spent a lot of time on this ground so I knew what was to come.
I take my time on the climb up to Pen Y Fan, it's a long one, I arrive at the top there is a checkpoint there, also Anthony has came out of nowhere, we say our goodbyes and I have to crack on, times ticking.
He's had to work hard to get here, because he couldn't really take the line I was taking.
Im buzzing to be here for several reasons, Chris' ashes are here and plus I know I'm close to camp, I don't necessarily have it in the bag though, there are some savage descents to come, especially the one coming off Pen Y Fan, I struggle with this one, proper hobbling now.
Straight back up Cribyn, then into another descent, then back up Fan Y big where one of my favourite photos was taken, thank you No Limits, the ground slightly flattens off, a much more runnable section, I have to push on this
I'm into day 3 territory again, time to don the headtorch.
Shit, am I going to make this cut off? Plus I've ran out of food at this point and I can feel the hunger kicking in, a chap called Rogier catches up to me, I quickly ask him if he has any food he doesn't want, fortunately he has some of his Torq flapjack left which I love, he said he couldn't stomach it, but I was starving!
Thank you Rogier, I was running on fumes until you gave me that!
5 days of being on your feet for more than 12 hours a day doesn't just leave you fatigued in the legs it puts you in a massive calorie deficit too, so if you stop eating you feel that pretty quick.
We have the last descent, its dark, I can see the head torches approaching the woodblock which has the last checkpoint before camp, I'm quickly wishing I was them, the knee is throbbing, Rogier takes off, I bumslide this last descent as best as I can, you then hit some flat ground before hitting the woods, I catch Rogier up again, he's looking a bit lost, yet again I've done this section a few times, so I just say follow me.
We pass the last checkpoint before camp, it's about 0930 pm, shit, I need to dig deep in these woods, I might not make it, I leave Rogier, I need to make this cut off, even though I had until 11pm, I wanted to make it in before 10pm.
Also, this last section is a dead spot for the tracker, and people I know who are at home waiting for me are losing their minds, is he going to make it, they also didn't know about the heat allowances.
I work my way through these woods, a place that could be injury prone, it's boggy but all the rocks are wet too!
I finally get on the road that is a about half a mile from camp, I have 15 mins to get in, right let's try and properly run, as much as your watch said it was half a mile, most of the days the camp was actually a bit further, so you couldn't always trust the GPX.
I'm in 0952pm, 8 minutes to spare, plus one of my good mates was there waiting, what a legend, the first time I properly thought I can actually finish this race!
Sorry to everyone at home, I know I had you all worried.
I have to be honest there is a sigh of relief being back in at camp, back to the routine, get food and read dragon mail.
It was time to eat, I see Hayley and sit on the same table, we just couldn't believe it, we completed day 5, I was also eating and looking around and I could see there was an element of good morale in the tent, but you could also see in some peoples faces that what that day had just done to them, I also felt the same, pure relief with fatigue.
I hobble off to the stream for a wash and go to bed!
Learning points from day 5
- Accepting this day would be as hard as It was, which helped when in the low times.
- IMO poles are a gamechanger for this event, especially if you pick up some niggles, ensure you learn how to actually use them.
- Talking to new people can be a great distraction form the pain you are in.
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