A milestone achieved last weekend - I completed my first marathon! Snowdonia in 5 hours 36 minutes, 1210th out of 1260th finishers and battled through heavy rain, thunder and lightening and hailstones.  Given my aim was to complete the challenge and not be a DNF I am chuffed!

I have followed a 16 week plan (the FIRST plan, Furman Institute of Runnning and Scientific Training) based on 3 "hard" runs per week (a long run building up to 20 miles, a tempo run set at paces based on latest 10k time and speed/hill training session) plus cross training mainly indoor rowing, weights and yoga for me.

Here is my race report for anyone interested!

Drove to the race start in Llanberis with the rain already lashing down but a small patch of blue sky over Snowdonia. A bit of hanging around at the community centre and then a 10 minute walk up to the start line. At this point the weather looked more promising and in good spirits at this point. I was running with my husband G who had not quite stuck to his training plan shall I say so we had a few plans on how to get in touch with each other/meet up at the end.

Then it started, here's my recollection of the race, a bit fuzzy given my brain got colder and more hypothermic towards the end!

Mile 1-2 Splits 10:22, 9:50 Sun shining and everything feeling great, was suprised to look at my watch and see 1.57 miles as I tried to see the first mile split!

Miles 3-5 Splits 11:09, 12:42, 12:45 Started to climb in mile 3, uphill all the way to mile 5 hugging the side of Snowdon. The heaven's opened and we were lashed with the first sudden downpour of rain. Welsh rain, thick and unrelenting, absolutely soaked to the skin and shoes full of water sloshing around the toes, lovely! Managed to keep running, if slowly up this first major climb.

Miles 6-7 splits 9:56, 11:01 Loved this bit coming down the other side. The rain stopped for a moment and there was a tantalising glimmer of hope that the sun might just come out (ha, ha!). Off road bit in the 7th mile which slowed me down a bit, I'm not very sure footed on rocky terrain! Some tremendous support on the way, 2 young girls screaming, jumping up and down, really made me smile. G caught me up on the downhill and managed to take some photos of each other (hopefully negating the need to get ripped off by MarathonFoto!

Miles 8-12 Splits 10:33, 11:12, 10:40, 11:17, 13:07 Mainly flat and downhill before the turn right in the village of Beddgelert. Not very memorable this part, just tried to keep plodding along. Had a walking break to eat an energy bar in Mile 12 and then struggled to get going again.

Miles 13-16 Splits 10:55, 13:43, 14:29, 12:36 Turned right in the village of Beddgelert at the halfway point for another relentless upward climb. Had to walk through the village due to some traffic congestion and other pedestrians on the roads and struggled really to push on up the hill. Legs felt ok but this was the start of pain deep in the hips, ouch! Chatted to a few other runners including one chap at 14 miles who had done 40 marathons and a few ultras. Wow! He assured me that I was doing well for my first marathon and Snowdonia had been his first years ago in 5 hrs 15 minutes. I'm so grateful for the encouragement I really needed it at this point as the wheels were starting to fall off a bit and the pain in the hips was getting worse.

Miles 16 - 22 Splits 12:36, 12:22, 11:55, 13:25, 12:12, 13:15, 14:09 Things starting to get fuzzy now. Mile 15-16 more torrential rainfall this time sideways rain from the left freezing the left side of my body. Fairly flatish but my pace slowing as the pain in my hips grew. My heart rate was starting to get lower as I couldn't seem to generate enough speed to warm my body up, my legs were moving but only just. At the 16 mile mark a flash of light and a rumble of thunder and more lashings of rain! Was running with a guy who was doing his 7th Snowdonia marathon which kept me going - again some company and encouragement kept me going!

Mile 23 -24 Splits 19:01, 17:17 The long climb up the Waunfawr pass began. The fantastic army checkpoint informed me only 4.2 miles to go! these guys did a fantastic job, water, energy bars, isotonic drink and plenty of encouragement! Truly amazing given the help was voluntary! I knew just from looking at the ascent and feeling my hips that I'd be predominantly walking. However never at any point thought I wasn't going to make it. This was where comradeship and banter with the other runners really spurred me on! At 23 miles the heavens opened again, this time icey hailstones coming in at every angle! But the banter kept us all going, you have to have a sense of humour in these situations. One guy had both his sons walking/running next to him, they had joined him in Waunfawr to spur him on through the final parts of the race!

Mile 25 Split 16:22. The top of Waunfawr pass started to flatten out and shuffled along with a lady from reading Harrieers and a scottish guy from the 100 Marathon club, tried to keep each other moving. Both had run Snowdonia and both warned me about the final 1 mile descent into Llanberis!! I was pretty numb everywhere at this point, my legs wouldn't move fast enough for me to generate any heat.

Mile 26: Split 18:37. I innocently thought this would be a lovely downhill bit to the end. Silly me! the rain had turned the track into a waterfall and mudbath with lakes interspersed along the way. My hips were screaming with pain every step down and I thought I was going to fall and roll all the way to the bottom. But only 1 mile to go kept me focused mentally, the longest mile I've ever done!

Last bit! At last the downhill stopped, turned left into the village. My hips loved the change and managed some speed and sprint across the finish line! Hurray! What a feeling, not a brilliant time but the challenge for me was getting round in one piece. 5:36:45. And a nice slate coaster momento at the end. We'd picked up our commemmoritive T-shirts the previous evening. So no faffing there at the end which was nice. And an aluminium foil to wrap around ourselves, boy did I need that!

Then the wait for my hubby G to come in. Given he hadn't done any training for this apart from 3 x 3 mile runs around our local reservoir, a 10k race and a half marathon I was a little bit anxious. I knew he had the mental determination to do it and spent the first 25 years of his life walking and climbing mountains in the Himalayas (he's a Nepalese Sherpa). However 8 year of relatively sedentary life in the UK has taken it's toll and he's not as fit as he used to be. And he only gave up smoking 1 month ago....

It seemed like an age, chatted to a lady who was waiting for her friend B. She was also running a marathon for the first time and had a fim crew following her story, training and the race. We then heard news from the film crew that they had filmed in Waunfawr and G was in a group of 7 runners keeping together.. good news! At 6hrs 15 he cam round the corner....ran/hobbled across the line, doesn't matter he still completed it, very proud of him (although I'd have prefered him to have done it with the training!)

I was shivering uncontollably now so straight to the car, nice warm clothes on, food and 2 1/2 drive home to Leeds.

Today I ache but feeling suprisingly well - and still can't believe I've actually done it. The good news is I don't have any blisters, my feet, knees and ankles are absolutely fine, the pain in my hips just let me down. I didn't take any painkillers with me, never crossed my mind to pack any but I overheard some runners on the courses swapping painkillers. Would this have helped me at all?

So will I do it again? When I finished it, the answer was, absolutely no way! Now I've done the post mortem, I think me and Snowdonia have some unfinished business.....gradually increase my base mileage, lose that extra stone I was carrying around and introduce a bit more off road stuff is the next training plan. I've already entered Edinburgh next May - it will be an interesting comparison to Snowdonia being mainly flat and all road!

well done-what a first marathon to take on-lousy weather conditions.Your report is of the Ken Follett's " the Pillars of the Earth " mould.

Top girl Karen, I was thinking of a first marathon next year but still need some work at it, and after every half marathon thinking could I go round the course again? to which the answer is always a firm no.

Any finish at that mileage is a result and you threw in a few hills just to make sure, next a tri?

I thought that after my first half marathon Derek! This was a challenge I set myself for my 40th year, something that I thought I'd never be able to do. I found the mental attitude is the key, not worry about pace just go out and enjoy it despite the lousy weather conditions. I knew I wouldn't be breaking any speed records so just getting around was the challenge for me. There was tremendous support on the day from other runners, marshalls and the local people. This was an amazing event, spectacular scenery and I'd definitely do it again (now I've recovered 4 days after the event!).

Next challenge is a sub 5 hour marathon - Edinburgh entered next May!

Good luck with the FIRST program for your half marathon, Marge! I'm sticking with FIRST program for the next marathon - it seems to have worked for me. Knocked 2 1/2 minutes off my 10k time in 8 weeks (half way through the marathon training program) and have a 10k in 2 weeks time to see if I can go sub 55 on the back of the marathon training (hopefully another 2 minutes off). I initially followed the Runners World version but I have now got the FIRST book which puts more emphasis on "hard" crosstraining sessions twice a week. I did like the variety of the program too, although the sessions are hard, long runs done at 10k pace at 75 seconds!

Hope you have positive news from your test for the stress fracture....

Good luck for your marathons Mark! I don't think anyone I spoke to after Snowdonia didn't enjoy it (even though we all looked like drowned rats afterwards). Now I have forgotton about the pain I'm already looking forward to having another bash at it next year or maybe 2012- improve my base miles and fitness and some strategy on the course! I'm sure you would love it if you entered!