Race the Train!

I spent this past weekend in Mid-Wales to Race the Train! This was a quirky race to beat an old-fashioned steam train, whilst doing a trail run through sheep fields and the like near Snowdownia National Park.

I went up to Wales with Tim and Desiree, who are both part of the Serpentine running club here in London. We hired a Passat for the weekend and we were able to leave London just after lunch on Friday afternoon to make it to mid-Wales by dinner time. Due to the event popularity and the scarcity of hotels in this part of Wales, it would have been very difficult for us to find accommodation anywhere less than an hour's drive from the race. However....we were able to stay with a fellow Serpentine club member, Adrian, in his holiday home in Llwyngwril, just 20 minutes from Towyn where the race starts and ends.

We shared a pasta meal on Friday night, porridge for breakfast on Saturday morning, and then we headed to Towyn for the race!

This is me before the race (i.e. dry and not muddy)

The "start line" for my 5.5 mile race, considered the "fun run" Doesn't look very official does it?! We did have chips, but I don't have my final time yet

A view of the train from the race itself



This is me in the last 100m, sprinting to the finish. I beat my goal of under 1 hour, which is under an 11 min mile pace. Considering the terrain, I am quite happy with that!)

Adrian, me, Desiree and Tim after their 14 mile race. I had already changed and eaten lunch by this point.

For a celebratory dinner on Saturday night, we all went to George III, a dining room and pub in a nearby village on the water. For those of you who didn't know, I haven't been drinking since Spain and I decided to break my 25 day fast with a bottle of Pouilly Fuisse. I am still going to keep off the alcohol during the weekdays for awhile, all in an effort to get in shape before the end of September.

After a game of Scrabble (I lost) at the house on Saturday night, we all hit the sack and set our alarms for a reasonable start on Sunday morning. Us Americans treated our host to an American breakfast of streaky bacon, pancakes (with blueberries and bananas in some), and scrambled eggs with peppers, mushrooms and onions. Complete with filter coffee, and it was quite a feast!

We drove back to London on Sunday via North Wales (quite a detour), but worth it for the breathtaking scenery (hard to capture from a moving vehicle) and a vist to Conwy Castle.



Back home to London by dinner time, and I am exhausted but feeling good about my race and having enjoyed a weekend away from the city. This week it is back to reality as I only have a few weeks to study for my project management exam, as well as continuing to run/do yoga and start hosting some dinner parties!