I have waited a couple of weeks to ruminate on my thoughts and allow sufficient time to absorb such a terrific experience and to better understand what I have achieved, experienced, and learned about the event and myself.
My stated definition of success was to complete day 1 and in this regard I failed. Why? It was extremely hot the week of the event, but the simple reality is that I was not strong enough to cover the ground at a consistently good enough pace. Particularly the descents over rocks, due to a lack of strength and my lack of experience in the mountains and the terrain.
What went well?
I completed The Hatchling! Which is basically half distance and elevation each day, which for me meant around 110 miles with ~7,000m of ascent over 6 days. This was the first year of a formal Hatchling event and the atmosphere was terrific with warmth and good feeling between participants and the awesome event crew. Race Director Shane Ohly’s race report says of the 298 starters, 87 were Dragon finishers (29%), Hatchling finishers, 147 (49%), Dragon and Hatchling (79%).
My legs were good, I am sure aided by the daily cold dip in a stream or river next to each of the camps. Feet were also good with no blisters and only one hot-spot from the Wednesday onwards, which I taped and was fine. Overall, the body held up well, particularly my right hip which was replaced some two years ago.
Navigation was easier than I expected. The map was a great reference to maintain good orientation, aided by the dry weather and excellent visibility to provide an idea of what was coming next. The real plus was the excellent GPX file (route) and my Suunto watch, which provided nice indication of the route and which direction to take.
My camp admin was good, something I had learned during the MdS back in 2011. By camp admin I mean eating; prep for each night in an 8 person tent; good sleep; prep for each morning with the mandatory kit check, and generally remaining focused on what to do next. On a six-day multiday event, time in the camp is as critical as the time you spend on the course.
What have I learned for next time?
Completing The Hatchling is great preparation for another go Dragons Back effort!
My weekly mileage was low until 1st April when I started a run-streak and gradually increased my mileage to ~40+ miles per week by mid-June. I would love to have a second attempt at Dragons, but I need to mentally absorb this year’s effort and discuss with my family. The training and preparation require commitment plus a lot of support from your family.
If there is a next time, I would include a weekly long 20+ mile run by April and much more cycling on my Wattbike, to increase the weekly training volume whilst keeping my running mileage in check. Continue with the rowing, which I think contributed to good, purposeful climbing. But I was slow on the descents, partly for fear of falling and partly due to lack of strength in my legs. So, more squats (kettlebells) and weighted steps. I have already adopted a morning stretching routine to replace the sporadic efforts I was doing pre-event and am feeling more supple and refreshed each day.
I would take more electrolytes to cater for the heat. On day 1, I had consumed 2.5 litres of water by mile 16 and descended the last three miles of Carnedd Dafydd without water.
Emotionally?
An immense feeling of pride to be stood on the start line inside Conwy Castle watching the seconds tick down on the digital clock whilst the Welsh male voice choir sang beautifully. Looking around at the competitors next to me, I was not alone with a tear in my eye. After such an investment in time and effort training and preparing for this moment, everything did feel a bit surreal. Then finishing inside Cardiff Castle six days later was an absolute relief and sense of achievement.
Pulling out of Dragons
My only low moment was deciding whether to pull out on day 1 at the 19 mile support point at the foot of Tryfan. I arrived some 7 minutes inside the cut-off, the crew were brilliant helping me to refill my bottles with (this time) 3 litres of water. But I felt exhausted and left the CP with only a couple of minutes to spare, then I sat on a rock pondering what to do. My clear goal had been to at least finish the first day. But unless I could cover the ground much faster, I would miss the next cut-off. So, I walked back into the CP and pulled out, deciding to save my energy and to commit to completing The Hatchling. This was the right decision and the next day my disappointment had evaporated.
Being so humbled
Each day I marvelled at the absolute beauty of the Welsh mountains, so inspiring and incredibly humbling. We were mere dots on the landscape and often there was no other person in sight. And thanks to the hot weather there was zero cloud, so the views were stunning every day.
Equally humbling and inspiring was the way the elite athletes went past, offering encouragement as they covered the ground with amazing speed and grace (the elites started each day 2.5 hours after our 6am start). In a nutshell; good food; good support and camaraderie from competitors and event team; being in nature; washing (without soap) in a fresh stream each evening and revelling in the stars, the sky, the sunrise and the geography of each day.
Have I changed?
I have regained a sense of self-confidence, my positive outlook and sense of pride following three years of health and related issues, and I feel really grounded. These long multiday events bring you right down to earth, distilling what is important to complete the event and providing many hours of uninterrupted thought for self-reflection.
I wish you well with your next challenge, happy running!
Andy
Life is a Sine Curve 