Dartmoor Long-O 3rd October 2010
The Friday before was wet, the Saturday was sunny so what would the Sunday hold, over night the rain came down and the wind blew. The roads on the way to Hound Tor showed the all the signs of a stormy night but the weather looked promising and a patch of blue sky appeared over Haytor Rocks. All looked promising although there was still a stiff breeze. And so to the start I ventured, an easy first couple of controls is always welcome and then the first climb of the day, legs feeling very average, up and over to control 4,
which seemed to be on the veg boundary rather than in the re-entrant,. Fairly straight forward to 9, but to 10 maybe should have gone North East of the Tor as hard going to the south west. Another long climb from 10 to 11 no energy now, to 12 and 1hr 45min in. See Chris Moncaster and James Turner on the way to 12 as I am leaving, always gives me a bit of a incentive to try and hold them off as long as possible. Nice run down to 13, even have gate opened for me by some walkers, thank you. Clean to into 13 and start the track run to 14, Chris and James speed pass, not trying keep up with them. Clean into 14, and quickly out onto the climb, and there are Chris and James 20m above the control they haven't visited yet! Small victory but nice anyway, doesn't help my climb up to 15 during which Will Hancock runs pass me. From 15 I try to stay in contact, but not really happening, however a hesitation before the control and I am back with him. Can't keep it up and let him go, clean into 17, then passed by the Kromhouts, into 18 then finally Chris and James catch me, can't stay with them then hurt hip trying move to quickly over broken ground. Final climb to Hound Tor hurts but glad to see finish after 17.2km 820m and 3hrs 17min 45secs. Now resting before the OMM at the end of the month.
The Friday before was wet, the Saturday was sunny so what would the Sunday hold, over night the rain came down and the wind blew. The roads on the way to Hound Tor showed the all the signs of a stormy night but the weather looked promising and a patch of blue sky appeared over Haytor Rocks. All looked promising although there was still a stiff breeze. And so to the start I ventured, an easy first couple of controls is always welcome and then the first climb of the day, legs feeling very average, up and over to control 4, which seemed to be on the veg boundary rather than in the re-entrant,. Fairly straight forward to 9, but to 10 maybe should have gone North East of the Tor as hard going to the south west. Another long climb from 10 to 11 no energy now, to 12 and 1hr 45min in. See Chris Moncaster and James Turner on the way to 12 as I am leaving, always gives me a bit of a incentive to try and hold them off as long as possible. Nice run down to 13, even have gate opened for me by some walkers, thank you. Clean to into 13 and start the track run to 14, Chris and James speed pass, not trying keep up with them. Clean into 14, and quickly out onto the climb, and there are Chris and James 20m above the control they haven't visited yet! Small victory but nice anyway, doesn't help my climb up to 15 during which Will Hancock runs pass me. From 15 I try to stay in contact, but not really happening, however a hesitation before the control and I am back with him. Can't keep it up and let him go, clean into 17, then passed by the Kromhouts, into 18 then finally Chris and James catch me, can't stay with them then hurt hip trying move to quickly over broken ground. Final climb to Hound Tor hurts but glad to see finish after 17.2km 820m and 3hrs 17min 45secs. Now resting before the OMM at the end of the month.
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