Les Croupiers Running Club

Hi All,

I would like the valued opinions of anyone that has run Rhayader 20.

Entered this race in preparation for London Marathon, some say "Race Pace" some say "Training Pace" !!!!!!!!

Race is 5 weeks befor marathon.

Cheers,

Kellinu.

My advice for what its worth....
Treat it as a long easy run because the course is very demanding.Race pace is not possible on such a course..A great event on a lovely but tough course.
Good Luck

I believe DaveH is spot on. Running at race pace at Rhayader would be difficult. Just run it and congratulate yourself on the shape your in, before the Big Event. Your effort in Rhayader will see you through many flat marathon courses. Should you need to test your race pace, I am organising a "20" training run on a mildly undulating course on Sun. 4th (3 weeks before London) from Leckwith. An ideal, "last long one", before easing your training down.

This is a long 20 miles. With the wind and the hills it is the equivalant of 22 on the flat. Race it and you've blown a good time in London!

I will be starting at the back and chatting on the way round. I will probably woalk the steepest hills. A chance to enjoy good company and scenery.

Don't pay any attention to me but I just turn up and run, it'll never catch on I hear you saying :-)

"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler"
Albert Einstein.

Kell - some very good advice given already. Racing a 20 used to be part of my marathon build-up but not any more. Why? - because I'm older now and my body takes longer to recover from a hard 20. Running round would be fine, racing it would mean a significant chance of leaving your best running in Rhayader. Training / racing is a subtle combination - we need strategic tests to see how well we're going, but not too often, and not too long. As an example, I raced a Half marathon in Wokingham two weeks ago, and won't race further than 10 miles now before London. But I will still be running 20+mile training runs - EASY.

Did this many years ago when I was marathon-capable and had trained sensibly. Thought I was running at an easy pace but believe I got carried away by the event and the scenery and actually hit the wall on the late hill about 18 miles (then). The only time in race or training this ever happened to me - so enjoy, relax and take it EASY!

Hi Kell, this is my first time for this event also and I was definately planning on not racing but keeping a constant rhythm. Out of interest about the actual course profile I checked 'you tube' as theres usually someone who's films the event (whatever you're doing) and there's a guy filmed Rayader so you get a faitrly good idea of the profile such as where and how steep the hills are.

As I say if I've never done an event before but am curious about the course I always check you tube for someone helpfully filming it for us!

Only goalis London, lose the battle to win the war is my moto!

See you on the start line Kell.

D

Keep your head down, Kel.
You might not like what you see if you look up....a limited field of vision is sometimes desirable. I've always enjoyed this one but I tend to get carried away by the thought of the finishing line. Control the urge to race until you see the finishing line.

Good thread this... thanks Kell

Provided you do take it easy, for those like me for whom running a road marathon is still a journey into the unknown (I'm probably in a minority of one here, this being Les Croups and all...), there may be another reason to take part in a 20 mile event, even a toughy like Rhayader - I'm talking of course of the 'c' word (errr, confidence that is...). Not everyone has pedigree to fall back on.

With a longest training run of 15m, and longest ever, road run of less than 18m (there goes my street cred...), I was a tad nervous of doing the infamous ('undulating') Gloucester 20 with Wouter last weekend. Just 7 weeks to London, lack of mileage/fitness, still struggling with injury (as always), etc. Doing Gloucester as a 'training/social' run was my only option, survival the name of the game - plus of course chatting, eating, sharing (cashew nuts, jelly beans, dried fruit - I even had my first + last ever 'energy gel'. ARGHHH ! Can still taste the horror of it...).

In the event it was all rather fun, especially the last couple of miles when one could at last stretch the legs and ignore the vow to run at "race pace + 1". Most of those I spoke seemed to be doing as a training/social run. Not being precious about results/times helps..

So I'm getting greedy now and am actually looking forward to Rhayader. Race pace + 1 will still be the aim though. Its also the same territory as the 2009 OMM, but presumably without all that swamp, bog and tussock we enjoyed so much last October.

I'm going to regret asking this, but exactly how hilly is it ? Just over 1000' of total climbing according to Mapmyrun - does that sound right ? If so, similar to the new 3 lap, Gloucester 20 a few of us did on Sunday. The famous Elan Valley wind, plus the fact that most of the Rhayader climb is "all in one", maybe the killer difference though ???

PS And energy gells - why ??

Take your pick Tim, if you click on the Elevation tab and then click on the mini profile you get the full screen glory

Rhayader 2007

Rhayader 2008

Rhayader 2009

i did this a few years ago after the barry 40 it's tough. steep hills when i did it the weather was cold wet windy. i was in pain trying to get my fingers to come back to life. take it easy

Sounds like we'll have a wee Croups party going on in Rhayader. Jelly beans, Tim. Far more enjoyable and deciding which colour to eat next can be a good distraction too. And if you're going for gels - SIS Go gels (tropical my fav) are the only option in my book. All others I've tried are truly foul. Keep up the training!

If you look on Youtube for "The Mad Runner" you can see among his videos one he did of Rhayader 2007, he uses a hat-mounted camera. Naturally only 3d Cinemascope does justice to Rhayader.

Oh go on then Mad Runner Video at Rhayader 2007

At one point on the hill you can see Susannah briefly

Cheers Dom - and respect for your hat-trick of Rhyaders ! Assume you'll still do the Park Run ?

And its 2700'! So much for the route I looked at. Unusual for me to make such a mistake. Just ask Mike D...

Libby - training can be hazardess. A risk of getting fit etc. Is there a SIS Kendal Mint Cake gell ?

Alan, if you struggled, I'm very afraid. Atlantic College 10k is suddenly looking v.attractive

"When the going gets tough, the tough go home" (??)

In shock news I have asked to marshal at the Parkrun that morning.

Sounds like a 'club social' at Rhayader. Is Clare running?
It's also one of the club Long Course Championship races. Lifts needed? There are team prizes for the competitive.

Congratulations to Dom on his (further) elevation to the ranks of marshal. Is this the end of his .... illustrious career as the ultimate race fanatic ?... Will he be recognised?..... Where will he stand?..... We await .. the outcome.

Thanks All.

Great response from everyone and I hear Mick say in my head,

"The Greatest Club In The World"

Let's sort out lifts.

Cheers

I ran the Elan Valley 10 late last year, and the first hill was enough to remove any ideas I had in my head of a fast run! With London in mind, I will certainly be taking it very easy, and as a relative newcomer to the 'Greatest Club' I'm looking forward to it, even if the weather turns out to be as bad as it was in November....just need to find a Croups vest to feel part of the party!

Hi Steve Q - its easy to get a red and green vest...

Join the club (you may have done already ?), run three affiliated races, pop into the clubhouse on a Thursday night (or at one of the Park Runs ?) and have a word with one of those nice people who do all the hard work (John, Phil, Derek etc).

The fact that even people like me get to wear a red and green vest is evidence of the inclusivity of Les Croups !

At Rhayader you see a lot of Les Croupiers vests that aren't Les Croupiers, fooled me the first time, they are Lytchett Manor Striders

Cheers Tim- I certainly have joined, and have done a few Park Runs since.... and think we might have met on the 10 mile course on a thurs night a few weeks ago- I'm sure you dragged me up Penylan Hill!

And thanks Dominic, for saving me from chatting to LM Striders and thinking they were on our side!

Yes, we want to avoid people from other clubs if we can, a rum lot most of them :-)

Bro Dysynni vests fooled me similarly at another race, maybe Vyrnwy ?