Sunday morning dawned fantastically sunny, inviting us out for a little jog. Normal routine ensued...breakfast, registration then kit check. Everyone has definitely slowed down in their actions by today and we're beginning to act a bit like sheep, following each other but making sure someone else makes the first move.
It took around 45 minutes to drive back out to our start point at Cemlyn Bay with views ahead of the nuclear power station!
Tough first mile as it was straight across a shingle bar separating a lagoon from the sea : this reminded me of the Grizzly only this time I'd already run over 60 miles before reaching it! Then it was gently undulating fields until passing round the power station via a nature reserve which actually, was really nice before traversing through yet more fields towards Caemes. There were 7 of us running together at this stage and we got a tad lost, clearly missing the vital tern sign and ending up on a road where we shouldn't have been. No matter, we simply followed the road down into the village, probably adding a mile or so to our journey but at least we were back on track.
The days first check point was at Llanbadrig where we learned that Karl was a full 7 minutes ahead of us and clearing motoring (later found out that he had been badly injured in Afghanistan - remember that iconic picture of a soldier on fire desperately trying to climb out of his armoured vehicle?, and would be featuring in a TV programme the following weekend as part of Prince Harry's wounded soldiers attempt to climb Everest). After a brief recharge we set off back around the cliffs of the coast path, past a church and graveyard right on the edge and here the hills set in good and proper! There were lots of little gully's along this part of the coast and all required negotiation down steps and then up again the other side. One particularly memorable one was ironically called Hell's Mouth and it certainly lived up to it's name : there was a ruined stone building set right in the valley, surrounded by very steep cliffs. It was here that Melissa and Max started to put their foot down and forge ahead and I certainly was not going to go at their pace. Jon had dropped off the pace so it was me, Jenni, Meika and Andy in the pelaton. Jenni's knee had really been troubling her for a few miles and it wasn't long before she was unable to run anymore which was really disappointing for her having put in two fantastic performances on the previous days. She ended up walking to the next checkpoint and then having a lift to the end. Andy set off after Melissa and Max but kept getting lost and appearing from a totally different direction at several points when Meika and I ran past!
We lost Andy (again!) just before the 2nd checkpoint at Amlwch where we arrived in time to see Karl set off again, hotly pursued by both Melissa and Max. After topping energy levels up with cheese rolls, haribo sweets, jaffa cakes and coke (great running diet!), we set off again across the cliff tops. Just a couple of miles in, we caught up and passed Karl before we hit a hillier and much muddier section where it was a little difficult to stay upright. Another couple of miles along the path, we had to head inland and spied Melissa and Max just a couple of minutes in front of us stopped at the top of a hill. However, once she saw us that was it...left for dust again! We then got attacked by zillions of horseflies whilst running uphill (so slow, and we couldn't get away from the little biting blighters!) and before long there were quite a few open 'wounds' on our arms and legs. We got a little bit lost running through a quiet village and had to flag down a passing motorist to try to establish where we were. It was here that we found out we were actually further on the route than we initially thought so no wonder I couldn't tie in the houses to the map! Karl caught us up again whilst we were dithering around and this certainly made us put our foot down!
Long downhill to Dulas Bay where the lane abruptly stopped actually in the estuary! The footpath continued on our right but....in the estuary! The next few miles were a case of following the edge of the bay, occasionally over footbridges and through bogs before heading back uphill on the other side. Very, very tired by now and trudging ensued. We passed Karl again! Either he went the wrong way after the estuary and bogs or he has an identical twin brother!
Jenni was cheering us in at checkpoint 3 where more welcome food and drink were thrust in our hands (I think if I had just opened up my mouth like a baby bird, they would have fed me too!). We then set off again on the last leg, less than 10km from the finish. After passing round the quaint little harbour of Moelfre it was then a case of running the downhills and walking the uphills and going round one last headland before dropping down to Benliech. Once again my garmin gave up, this time at exactly 27 miles. The weather was glorious by this time and each of the bays and coves we had run through were very busy with people enjoying the water and sunshine.
We could see the finish line after coming over the last hill but then had to drop down onto the beach and cross a stream before heading onto the promenade and crossing the finish line, hand in hand. Exhausted!
We'd just run another ultra marathon, this time of 29.5 miles in a time of 6:44 finishing in =3rd place.
It was almost another hour before the next runner finished : we were certainly well strung out today.
I didn't get back to the outdoor centre until well after 6pm and then had a quick shower before saying goodbye to those that were back....would only be 4 weeks before I would see Ian, Richard and Chris of VoTWO again at the Atlantic Coast Challenge.
Had a good drive home but craved a Big Mac before I left Wales! Got home at 1.30am Monday morning and back in work at 9am!
Following my exertions the cuts and bites on my legs gave me quite a bit of grief and, after suffering with one particular nasty wound at the top of my ankle for 2 weeks, eventually went to the doctors for some help in clearing it up. Not surprisingly, having had an open sore and then run through everything from farmyards to bog and estuary water (and not forgetting the nuclear power station on day 2!) I developed an infection that required antibiotics to help clear it up in time for the next adventure....
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