20/09/2026
... and, amongst all the hard bits, some of it really was enormous fun.
I had been particularly nervous about Tryfan because it was one section I hadn't managed to recce. Instead, somewhere on that scramble, my inner 10-year-old appeared. Clambering over the rocks felt like being a child again, except this time there was no responsible adult behind me suggesting that perhaps I shouldn't go so high.
I loved it.
Both days brought back warm memories of childhood holidays in these same mountains. Back then we did mostly shorter walks on different days; this time I was doing one mountain after another and running between them.
There was an hour happily running and chatting with my friend when he caught me from his later start, before he reverted to his naturally much faster pace.
There were random conversations and mutual buoying of spirits with other runners, spectacular scenery, and the most wonderfully helpful race volunteers and staff.
And many moments when I looked around and thought simply, “How cool is it that I get to be out here doing this?”
Tired, wet, windswept, in awe of the Dragons (and often marvelling that so many others had also thought this was a good idea when we signed up from the comfort of our sofas)… but also very, very grateful that I got to be out there doing it.
