Orienteering race (Brecon Beacons OMM) 5:46:19 [3] 23.0 km (15:03 / km) +1300m 11:44 / km
Given the damp state of the kit, and the weather outside the tent and the condensation in, we pass a surprisingly good and warm night. Amazingly, the sleeping bags, which are soaking on the outside, are dry and warm, and I manage quite a few hours sleep. Breakfast porridge and tea are savoured, and we are ready for our second timed start. Bad weather courses, which are supposed to be an hour shorter, are in play. In practice this means no score element, which is a shame because that was the best part of day 1, the linear bits being a bit of a procession sometimes. Almost inevitably the start is straight uphill, but it gets rid of the aches and pains. I miss the path to 1 and under-estimate the distance, but the crowds are reassurance we finally have the right knoll. I take some of Jan's kit on the way to 2 but the weather worsens here and we are battered by stinging hail. 2 and 3 are OK, but the next leg is long and featureless and I can't make the contours fit. So we set a bearing and count the river crossings. It gets windier and colder but we find a stream to take us over the last hill almost alone as everyone else goes round again. The wind is ferocious by now but we finally turn east so we have it behind us for the highest part of the race over the Black Mountain. The walking on shorter grass is much better here, but the wind on Bannau Brycheiniog makes standing difficult! Eventually we are off the hill to retrace the first part of yesterday's race back to the track through the forest, and photographs. It's over. The tent at the event centre has been partly flattened and tractors are towing cars out the parking field. We opt to forget the meal and just change shoes so we can get to the b&b in time for tea and cake. A weekend to remember, and no mistake. We end up 71 out of 175 entries, having been 83 out of 107 finishers on day 1. We are the third mixed vets team but second in the handicap.