With two high-profile cycling accidents on UK roads this week it has got me thinking about the importance of standing out and safe cycling when commuting in these dark evenings.
The below infographic a has some quite start statistics
When I took the decision that cycling to work would be the most cost-effective option for me I knew that an investment in some good quality hi-viz gear and lights would be a must.
My set up is as follows:
Clothing
Hi Viz jacket
Hi Viz rucksack cover
Hi Viz bands on my ankles
Lights
Rear Facing
Flashing LED on the rear of my helmet
Flashing LED on the seat post (main rear light and the brightest)
Flashing LED on my jacket (built-in and lower brightness)
Static LED replacing the bar end on my drop bars (gives my bike width and as its different encourages drivers to give a bit more space)
Front Facing
Flashing LED (low brightness)
300 Lumen LED static LED light (on roads runs at 100 lumens, on roads with no streetlights at the max)
LED on helmet giving static spotlight
Forward facing static white LED on the drop bars (part of the same rear facing light)
I have also added some reflective Scotchlite material to my seat stays in order to add a bit more visibility. This maybe overkill in some people’s eyes but I would rather be too visible that not visible enough.
Change is needed
As cyclists we have a responsibility to encourage a better attitude towards us, to many times I see almost invisible cyclists cruising along with no helmet and complete disregard for any road signage, running red lights as they see fit. It’s this minority which gives other road users a poor view of us cyclists, so make yourself visible as possible, respect the highway code, what is the point in running a red light and getting flattened under a car, does that get you to your destination any quicker?
It’s not all a one way street though, motorists need to understand that a bike has as much right on the road as they do, that some cycle lanes are so poorly maintained that it is safer for us to cycle outside these. I have had polar opposite experiences with motorists, some giving ample space when passing or slowing to let me pull out from a junction, to others who I have had to emergency brake lest I hit them simply because “they couldn’t wait to get past me” only for me to catch them up at the next set of traffic lights. A bit more patience from motorists would do an awful lot to save lives.
A week on from the Snowdonia Marathon and my recovery is going well. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday were rest days, the blister that I had gotten on the Marathon limited the amount of movement I could do so most of it was spent hobbling around. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday was active recovery (more through necessity than choice) with cycling to and from work. I think getting my legs working again sooner rather than later has helped me a great deal and Saturday was a really good 5.6 mile run at a pace that I was pretty pleased with.
3 miles of uphill and essentially no walking until we reached the top
With the Grim Original 2012 only a few weeks away it was good to get out and do a faster paced run focusing on a shorter distance. I ran with another guy who is doing the race (Kev) and despite the constant uphill our competitiveness meant that although we both wanted to walk on the steeper sections, we didn’t. The Grim in 2011 had 136 meters of climb over about 8.38 miles (according to Garmin) and yesterday was 222 meters so in terms of hill fitness I am pretty confident that weather permitting I should beat my 01:16:47 of last year.
Grim 2011 Route (Image from Google Earth)
For those of you reading this who may not be aware of the Grim Original Aldershot, below are details taken from their website:
GRIM is held over the Army’s vehicle testing tracks so expect it to be interesting! It’s tough but we know you wouldn’t want it any other way and 6,500 nutters in 2011 are proof of that.
Either enter as an individual or round up some mates and enter as a team of three people in either the women only, men only or mixed team categories.
There are prizes for the top 5 individuals and top three teams.
Entries close when we sell out – and we will so don’t delay.
For some filthy fun, enter now – £30 includes survivors race t-shirt.
We’re sure you are tough enough – see you on the start line!
As of writing it seems there are still places available for the Saturday (1st) and Sunday (2nd) December so if you like a challenge, great atmosphere and are not afraid of getting muddy this could be the race for you.
In cycling news, it’s getting pretty cold out there and despite having a windproof jacket and trousers, one part of my body is getting very cold, my toes.
Despite wearing a sock liner and waterproof seal skin socks I get to work and my toes are numb. With this in mind and not wanting to spend more money on cycling kit (not when it can be redirected to running kit :-)) I have gotten creative and fashioned some windproof toe caps.
It’s amazing what you can do with a bit of duct tape and a bin liner!
Fingers (and toes) crossed this keeps out the pesky wind and keeps my toes toasty.
‘The inaugural Snowdonia Marathon was held in 1982, and was conceived as a dramatic alternative to the numerous city and town races becoming so popular. The demanding and spectacular route, encircling Snowdon, Wales’ and England’s highest peak, has given the event a unique place in the annual marathon calendar ever since.’ (source www.snowdoniamarathon.co.uk)
Route recorded by my Garmin, image courtesy of Google Earth
So as the description states and the image shoes, this marathon is a run around Snowdon starting in Llanberis, through Nant Peris then up Pen-y-Pass. Following this it is a downhill and both on road and a brief stint on trail, then undulating road past until reaching the second of the climbs at Beddgelert. After this climb it is more undulating road until hitting the biggest climb of the race at mile 22 just past Waunfawr. This climb continues until about mile 25 before a steep descent back into Llanberis and the finish line.
Enhanced image showing the marathon profile
With the profile giving an indication of the amount of climb involved, this is by no means you classic practically flat marathon with a view for setting PB’s if you have previously run marathons. To put it into perspective how a different a beast this run is, the London Marathon has a total climb of around 174 meters, just compare the below profiles to get an idea.
Comparing route profiles of London (above) and Snowdonia (below)
Going into this run, I knew it was going to be a challenging, with the potential for the weather to really add to the challenge!
Race Day
It had been a long time coming, with the NDW50 well behind me I had been waiting for this race to bring my running year to a close. Training for this specific event had been sporadic but I felt I had a base level of fitness following the work done previously so although I was uncertain of what time I would be able to achieve, I knew I would be able to get around.
I was going to be running this race with Gareth, who crewed the NDW50 for me, with this event being his first marathon. With race number on, kit ready and feeling the anticipation of the race starting we headed to the start line with about 1600 other runners.
Ready to start the run
The race started and we headed off, the course is pretty flat for the first couple of miles before hitting the climb up to Pen-y-Pass from mile 2 to 4. The first 6 or so miles went by in a flash, the general atmosphere of all the runners around us carrying us forward and our pace reflected this averaging about 10 minute mile, increasing slighty on the uphill but us making up time on the downhill. The one section that caused me what would be a repeated problem later on was the section after Pen-y-Pass of about 2km which was on a trail. I was wearing New Balance Minimus Road, zero drop shoes and with the rocks and uneven surface I was getting a lot of discomfort on my feet as the soles of these shoes are very thin and designed primarily for the road.
We got past this section pretty quickly and before we knew it we had hit the half marathon mark in 02:04:26, a new PB for Gareth and I. As we crossed this milestone the second of the climbs was upon us, heading out from Beddgelert. As the legs were starting to feel it we opted to walk this hill, although when I say walk it is more of a march so as to minimise the impact on our time. With this hill out the way from mile 15 to 22 the course undulated along the road heading Waunfawr. During this section we were experiencing the support of the local people, with kids and adults shouting their support and offering high fives. This really kept us motivated, particularly as my choice of zero drop shoes may have been a step to far. My arches were starting to suffer and with the balls of my feet getting sore maintaining the proper gait was getting harder and harder and I kept dropping to my heels which was causing further pain.
My problems were not going to get any easier as we hit mile 22 and the last (and biggest) climb of the race. After 22 miles the last thing you want to see is a climb going from 116 meters to 376 meters in just under 3 miles. This was punishing, there is no other word for it and we were not alone as other runners were suffering as well. We passed people who were struggling with injuries, trying to stretch out their legs and one runner who was throwing up (possibly the dodgy stomach that can come from too much carb gels). This 3 miles of pain was taking its toll and the decent into Llanberis was no better. Dropping from 376 meters to back under 116 meters in about 1 mile just destroys any remaining strength in the legs.
With the balls of my feet in agony and literally no strength in my arches it was a struggle to carry on but with the finish almost there I thought I was over the worst of it, I was wrong. With the finish now in sight both calf muscles cramped up and I literally couldn’t move. This is the most excruciating pain I have ever experienced, Gareth who had carried on about 10 yards turned back and asked what was happening, I said cramp and for him to carry on. Gareth wasn’t having any of that and said we are going to finish it together, so I did the best to stretch and started running, both legs still cramping as I ran to get over the line.
Crossing that line was the greatest feeling in the world, we had done the marathon despite the aches and pains and set a much better time that we anticipated. What topped it off was seeing my wife and kids waiting for me and giving them a hug just made the day even better.
Race done!
Would I recommend it?
In a word, yes. The organisation is great, the atmosphere fantastic and the route amazing. I myself am a trail runner at heart but this is one road marathon that I can see me doing again. If you have done a marathon in the past and are looking for a road marathon with amazing views and something a bit different (read significant climbs) then this is for you. It is a run that everyone should add to their bucket list.
I will be doing a full review in the next few days but until then I thought I would do a quick post with my results and immediate feelings
Results
Time – 04:41:19
Place – 1019
It was a tough race and a tough route but I am very pleases with the result, a PB for both half marathon and marathon time. I went through a whole range of emotions and all sorts of pain, more on that in my review.
Hopefully by the time I do my full post I will have some pictures to include, the only one I have at the moment is me ready for the start.
So far my runs have always been either completely trail or mostly trail and as such I didn’t own any road specific trainers. With the Snowdonia Marathon looming and my birthday a few days before I took the opportunity to get some road trainers.
The familiar look of the New Balance box, I have many of these in my cupboard (much to my wifes annoyance)
Having fallen in love with the Minimus range (on my 3rd pair of MT10, first pair of MT00 and second pair of MT110) I asked for the Minimus road zero drop shoes. Getting my hands on them today, these are my first impressions:
Ah that new trainer smell
Immediately looking at them I notice that the material that they are made out of is more akin to the MT10 rather than the MT00, a thicker yet breathable upper with a bit more substance to it rather than the bare minimum of the MT00
The trusty Vibram sole
When comparing the MR00 to the MT00 , although they are both zero drop shoes the MR has significantly more cushioning under foot, with a thicker sole giving a more protective feel. Trying them on I notice that my foot arch feels more supported, which given the repetitive foot strike on the road could be a good thing. The Vibram rubber feels tough, hopefully meaning that they will be hard wearing and able to put in the miles
This shot shoes the thicker sole designed for the road, while retaining the zero dropThe tongue on the shoe has been redesigned
My biggest gripe on the MT00 is the tongue, it’s a thin piece of material that has a habit of folding over on itself and causing tight spots on the foot and its a real pain to adjust, even a pain to simply get flat when putting the trainer on. This looks like it will not be a problem on the MR00 with a wrap around tongue which is part of the shoe on once side (as per photo). It is also thicker and retains its shape so I don’t foresee any movement at all when running.
So, first impressions are good. I am looking forward to giving these a good test on the Marathon (I know not the done thing really but I have faith in the shoe) I will give a full review of the shoe afterwards.
UltraPlodder.com 