Perfect Day

Jones takes the lead from Strain on the run in

How about....

Just a perfect day, morning swim in the sea, and then later, you and me, running high.

Now that's what I call a perfect day especially on a sunny and warm summer's day and that's exactly how last Saturday worked out!

Last Saturday was the 36th Snowdon International Mountain Race, one of my favourite days of the year. At this point I must confess that I've never actually done the race but I rarely miss being there to witness the atmosphere, entertainment and to be in one of the loveliest places I know. Sometimes I stay at the bottom and just see the start and finish, sometimes I run to the top to see the runners reach the summit and this year I ran up to half-way house to see them going up and down and also to see the juniors at their turnaround point. Perhaps next year I will have to actually do the race. You never know!

This is a little different from the scene set by Lou Reed in his song, Perfect Day. That Perfect Day is all about relaxing, chilling, taking it easy. Our very good friends Mark, Lorraine, Matt and Anna came to stay with us last weekend. Mark and Matt both had entries into the race and had been preparing well. The day started with a walk down to the beach and a swim in the Irish Sea. You can imagine that it was a wee bit chilly getting in to begin with. I did a bit of running (barefoot!) on the beach to start with just to get my body temperature up and then ran into the sea. After the initial gasp when the cold water hit it was bliss and we enjoyed a 10 - 15 minute swim. After that it was home for breakfast where I made my usual porridge - without milk but using water - and had to suffer lots of mickey-taking, as the others seemed to think my morning meal is completely unpalatable so they stuck to their toast and cereals! Then it was time to get our things together and head off to Snowdon. Before we left I had a quick chat with the neighbours and told them what we'd been doing and where we were going. Time for some more mickey-taking as they suggested that we should all be sectioned. I suppose to most people whose perfect day would be drinking Sangria, going to the zoo or watching a film it would seem a bit mental to dive into the Irish Sea early in the morning and then run to the top of a mountain but they just don't understand!

So what is it that they don't understand? Why do I love a day filled with that sort of activity? Perhaps it's those fabled endorphins that give me what is known as a Runner's High. Apparently endorphins are chemically similar to morphine. That sounds a bit scarey! Or maybe it doesn't. I know I'm not an endorphin addict because I am happy to have a day off or even a few days off from running unless I am in a beautiful location and the weather is beautiful and then I absolutely have to go out and run. On Saturday I was in a beautiful location and the weather was perfect. .It was an absolute delight to get up on that mountain, take in the views, breathe in the clean air and watch a very exciting race.

 The pre-race favourite was Andi Jones who won the race in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. Andi is a very successful marathon runner and mountain runner who has represented England and GB at major championships all over the world but he loves the Snowdon race and the Snowdon race loves him. When he came past me just below the half way house he was motoring and had a good 80 metre lead over Murray Strain from Scotland. I watched a good percentage of the field come through including Pippa Maddams (England) who had a smaller gap on Catriona Buchanan (Scotland) than Andi had on Murray, Arwel Lewis who is regularly on the podium in the V50 category and who we had told Mark to keep his eye on as he is also a nifty fifty. I watched Mark follow him just 50 metres or so behind and then I watched Matt come through. I then made my way down to the turnaround point for the juniors to give them a shout and then enjoyed an exhilirating run down to the bottom.

Once down there I positioned myself on the road that they first hit after coming off the mountain to get some photos of them coming into the finish. I think everyone was expecting Andi to appear first but, shock, horror, it was not him but Murray Strain with Andi a few yards behind. We then witnessed Andi closing down on Murray and I got very excited as I took a photo and thought I must have got the photo of the day as Andi took back the lead close to the finish. After talking to other people who had heard news from the top I figured that Andi had lost his lead on the descent and just managed to get it back on the run for home but, after watching the race on S4C I now know that it was a fantastic race all the way down the mountain as the pair played cat and mouse from near the top to the bottom. I stayed there for around another 45 minutes until everyone I know had come past and then started to make my way to the finish to hear the race debriefs!

To get from the bottom of the mountain to the finish you have to pass by the Victoria Hotel and that is quite an experience on race day. The hotel is extremely supportive of runners all year round and for some races that start in Llanberis they provide the venue for Race Headquarters and registration. On the day of the International Mountain Race they provide the venue for local people to buy and consume vast amounts of alcohol. From lunch time onwards people arrive from the villages around and gather at the Victoria Hotel. All afternoon they are literally spilling out of the doors, onto the grassy bank in front of the hotel that looks out onto Victoria Terrace where the runners come off the mountain. Once that is full they park themselves and their children on the grass verge next to the road. It is a vision to behold and a challenge to get through the swaying masses who are enjoying their Perfect Day.

Just a perfect day, drink beer with our chums, and then later, when night time comes, we go home.

Just a perfect day, watch runners in the race, then later get off our face, and then go home......

Mark and Matt after a perfect day at Snowdon.