NGOC Galoppen on Cooper's Hill (and part of Cranham). 8.1km, 490m climb brown - despite not really feeling in to it.
Calf had really been playing up on first time up to run the starts so was very close to wimping out and running blue, but as my surname isn't Maliphant I did the longer course anyway - just put in a lot more effort to stretch out beforehand and took the first few controls slowly and steadily. But it wasn't quite enough and any uphill was a struggle to even walk up - hoping that another week of stretching will get it better, as even today's struggle was nothing compared to pain at Skirrid/Kymin/Tor y Foel.
Caught Dave Austin and Anders at 5 and with them to 6. Took a different (better) route to 7, got into the vicinity first but didn't find the control and spent 5 minutes looking around, struggling to match the map up to anything but eventually found it when I realised which bit was the actual rough open. Dave also messed this one up so was up with him for the next few controls chatting, not really into trying or caring, which was good when I couldn't find 8 because there was a tree trunk obscuring it...
Split up from Dave after 12 as he contoured but I took fast Cotswold Way option - we got to control together. Ticked off features well to 14 and overtook Anders for second time as he seemed to have headed to Blue control. Didn't take road 15-16 (unlike many) and led a large group into 16; none of which followed me afterwards - dog leg back north and take paths around, go on straight after control ends, hit control bang on.
Went through Cranham on 19, happy with route but walking on the uphill, as properly struggling by then. Most of 22-25 (uphill) a walk too but reasonable from there on in.
Still ahead of most of the BOK contingent today. Without mistakes would have been just under 80 mins. Without calf trouble? Hard to tell but my guess would be a bit behind Mark Saunders (still 10th). Not really much to be too disappointed with today.
https://www.strava.com/activities/242781531
Some discussion afterwards regarding how much worse you perform when you spend 2 hours standing in the cold helping beforehand. Suspect there is some correlation, but it probably isn't enough to have made any real difference to me today.