Words are just not enough to describe my frustration and fury at spending well over half an hour finding a couple of the checkpoints on the route, though big swearing might help. That’s after losing my pen, then the paper on which to record the checkpoint codes. So instead I include a photo of an enormous mushroom, some clouds, the Jones/Lye brigade and race control with Big Al and wee daughter. Andy can afford to look happy, he did a very good time and had no trouble at all. Alex too. Though I agree with Alex about the outrageous misplacement of one of the checkpoints. I’m going off to prove our point!
Everyone else seemed cheerful!
Digby
Strava is wonderful thing to help you remember a race and even better to remember all the dumb things you did during a mini mountain marathon. It is all coming flooding back to me…
Mark: “Is your watch on? Do you have a pen? Ok go” Me: “Ok. Which one did you say I am supposed to start with?” Not an auspicious start. End of first track see a nice path that other people have gone down. That’s probably not it. I think this must be the corner of the wood. Nope. I’ll just follow the fence along. Ahh! A cliff! Where was that path again? Right, back on track. That is definitely where I want to go. Oops which way am I holding my map? Which way is north again? Doh! Turn around. Other way. Where did this %^#!& gorse forest come from. A relatively good patch with a bash through the forest in the middle. Why do they plant the rows in exactly the wrong direction? Is that water I hear? It feels like I have been going in circles for quite a while (ends up my bearing was fine I just no clue about my pace and stopped too early). Stuff it. Move on to the next. After some more poor map reading and other various issues: Which bend in the fence, which side of the block, which way is north again? And then try again. Oh there it is. The water was quite loud. Getting dark. Forget the last one head back to car park. Mark and Graham: “Well done!” Me: “Thanks” “What was your time?”
Thanks for a brilliant week of running Mark!
Sean Walker