MDC News No.7 Summer 1988

After much waiting, at last the bumper funpacked etc; the summer edition of

MDC News.

Interspersed with articles of varying degrees of seriousness, you

Will find all results not previously notified (up to and including the soggy

Transfan), and a mid point-championship table.

There are also details of a

new club race on 11 Sept, and an entry form for the Twmbarlwm Fell Run,

organised by Risca Road Runners on 3 August (at 19:00).

As this is a Wednesday, we thought we would not organise a normal club run for that day.

Some where in this magazine (I can't tell you where because I haven't yet

Worked out page numbering on this b machine) you will find an article by

Adrian Belton on the South Wales Traverse for which he and two non-members,

Andrew Addis and Mark McDermott, broke the record by running 80 odd miles and

Climbing 32 peaks in 17 hours 15 minutes. Mark McDermott has since gone on to

break Joss Naylor's 12 (?) year old record by running up 76 (yes, Seventy-Six)

peaks in the lake district in twenty-four hours; a total of over 40,000 feet

of climb and God knows how many miles. I am sure that you would all join me

in extending the congratulations (and sheer gob-smacked amazement) of the

entire club to everyone involved in these tremendous feats (with these

tremendous feet?). I get knackered just reading about it.

Back to the more mundane matters of everday club life. We have had seven

excellent club races so far this year, and there are five races left.

These are:

27 August 

Brecon Beacons

20 miles/5000 ft

Pete Evans Caerphilly 884968

11 Sept

Llyn y Fan

5.5 miles/2000 ft 

Martin Lucas Bridgend 880009

24 Sept

Black Mountains

18 miles/5500 ft

John Darby PontYpool 50491

9 October 

Llangorse Loop

4 miles/2000 ft

Les Williams Cardiff 752876

6 November 

Ffordd y Bryniau 

9 miles/2000 ft

Jonathan Gibbon Cardiff 555369

The Wednesday nights (18:15 for an 18:30 start) have now been filled to the

end of the season.  These are:

13 July

20 July

27 July

3 August

10 August

17 August

24 August

31 August

7 September

14 September 

21 September 

Bargoed leisure centre

Ystrad Rhondda leisure centre

Llanthony Abbey (with overnight camp for drunks)

No club run -Twmbarlwm fell race see elsewhere in this issue

Pontypool leisure centre - Benji's silly relay races

Abertillery Rugby Club (Les planning next years races)

Neudd Reservoir dam - practice for Saturđay/say goodbye Beacons

Merthyr Snow Trail (Les has sane fiendish idea!)

Chepstow leisure centre (Gerry/Sue/Alice PLEASE !)

To be confirmed, but probably Llanfair Discoed (Dels idea)

Traditional end of season at the Rose & Crown, Eglwysilan.

If the weather and light holds, then there may be further ad-hoc runs.

Otherwise its back to Llanishen leisure centre for the on-going AGM, at least

until Cardiff City Council pull their collective finger out and finish

Leckwith stadium.

You will notice that there is no crossword this time, Ray Eagle having won the

previous two competitions (should there be championship points awarded?). I

was going to replace it with a colouring competition but everyone got there

crayons wet this summer. For what it's worth, the solution to the last

crossword appears somewhere in this issue. I hope everyone finds something of

interest, please forgive any spelling/gramatical/typing errors you may find

(there are no prizes for spotting those). Thanks to all those who contributed

articles, results etc.  Back to the informal format next month.

A SAGA OF THE MOUNTAIN MEN

Winter nights in the feasting halls of the Muddy Dap will resound for

many moons to come with tales, legends and downright 1ies telling of the

awesome day in July 1988 when the heavens opened and the gods of rain and clag

threw fearing and trembling amidst the tribes struggling to complete the

mightiest challenge known to man; speak its name with reverence and awe lest

he gloom and mist spread once again over the land, the Transfan race

For this was a time of which myths are made, and young fell runners in

time to come will tell with trembling knees of their fathers' fathers (and

their fathers' fathers' fathers) courageous conflict with the worst a South

Wales summers day could throw at them:

Myths such as the parting of the

foaming waters of the turbulent Tawe by the all conquering Parry of the tribe

OTGog by uttering strange sounds in an alien tongue, so that he maY cross dry

shod to the eastern shore: Myths of how the same Parry of Gog caused the

waters to close up after him almost sweeping away one Hagley of the Dark Peak,

save for him being plucked from the foaming deep by Dennis the Bald of a local

tribe with an unpronounceable name: Myths of how the magician Benjl, Whilst

seated on the very summit of a windswept peak, did with one wave of his

striped umbrella render that craggy vantage invisible to the oncoming runnersS

such that they passed by him in the mist to either side without registering

their numbers and thereby risking the feared ritual of disqualification:

of course the mythical sacking of the fortress of Cwm Llwch by the bedraggled

yet cheerful hordes such that not a chicken leg, nor yea, even a half stewed

tea bag was left upon the field of battle; and of the ultimate departure of

the warriors to their several mountain retreats, each bearing their medallion

commemorative of the day, and a certificate attesting to their prowess which

will be handed from generation unto generation.

So, when the day arrives to hang up their daps, and even the hair of

Uncle Les (he of the elixir of eternal youth) turns grey, tales will again be

told of that famous day, and free ale will be theirs who can say "I WAS

THERE!"

And now, the results:

Thanks to everyone who came and ran the race, and to all those who helped with

its organisation. Next years race, Over essentially the same course, will be

on Sunday May 21 at 2:00pm.

Les Williams.

CORRESPONDENCE-LETTERS-COMMUNICATIONS-MISSIVES-MISSALS-EPISTLES-POST-MAIL-ETC.

1.  FROM ROBERT BENJAMIN - CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP

With the number of races now in the club championships now twelve in all

(actually 13 as of this week; ed) it is nearly impossible to compete in them

all for the following reasons:

1.  Having a holiday between March and November is now very difficult indeed without missing out one or two races, and 2: To

avoid injury for that period of time is difficult, and people may be tempted

to compete whilst caryying an injury.

I have two suggestions for a change in format to the club championships,

as follows: 1. Two short, two medium, two long, and two others, maybe a

downhill race and a hill climb on a hill to be decided. These could be races

restricted only to club members and held on Wednesday evenings throughout the

summer, or 2: To select a number of races (say 8) from a list of 12, which may

be races other than MDC ones. Other races popular with MDC members such as

Machen, Kilvey Hill, Caradoc, Titterstowe Klee, Offas Dyke, etc could be used.

To add extra incentive to the championships and to make them more

exciting, the current leader could wear a yellow vest, which would be passed

on to other leaders throughout the championships (a la Tour De France) which

the winner would retain at the end of the championships. Each stage winner

could be awarded a stage winner T shirt.

Editors comment: I too believe that a reform of the club championships is now

necessary. would not mind seeing a system whereby only nine races of the

thirteen counted, eight running, plus thirty points for marshalling on the

ninth!

We would be very grateful to receive as much correspondence or as many

suggestlons as possible prior to the ongoing AGM being held every Wednesday

night throughout the Winter at Llanishen leisure centre. And talking of

democracy, details of the new (thirteenth) race in the championships appears

on another page of this magazine. (Look for it!!)

2.  FROM ADRIAN BELTON - SOUTH WALES TRAVERSE

News from one of your further lung members of MDC! Along with Andrew Addis

(my Karrimor partner) and Mark McDermott (with whom I did an 18 hour Bob

Graham Round last year) we all did the South Wales Traverse together on

30/04/88 in 17 hours 15 minutes.

Enclosed is the report/schedule and ratification form which I've sent to Derek

Fisher - I've not yet done an edited version for the newsletter, but please

feel free to publish whatever bits of it you feel appropriate.

I'm checking with Derek Fisher to to see if our time is a new record - I think

Phil Dixon held it in 18 hours 2 (or 10) minutes.

If anyone wants to contact me about the "dos and "donts" which we learnt en

route I'll be pleased to hear from them we ought to encourage more people to

have a go at the Traverse - after all, it is the Holy Shrine of MDC, in their

territory!

Hopefully I'll be in South Wales before long, but first there are a few yacht

races (Scottish Islands this week, then the Bens of Jura) first, and perhaps

a Paddy Buckley round in June.

Adrians account follows on the next five pages.

SOUTH WALES TRAVERSE

A record breaking attempt on 30/04/88 by Adrian Belton, Andrew Addis and Mark

McDermott.

It is 8 pm on Friday evening in the Bridge Inn at Ammanford. Mark and Andrew,

plus our "roadie" Mike Greenwood are already several pints up when Adrian and

our other "roadie" Rex Strickland arrive. A few pints later and the decision

is made...... we go tomorrow at 5 am, despite uncertain weather. Saturday 

could be misty, but Sunday could be worse, and we don't want to wait 'til Bank

Holiday Monday.

So, we make our peace with our Bed and Breakfast landlady, start packing and

preparing at 10 pm that evening for a 4 am reveille. The prospect of a

"daylight" traverse, after some two years of planning is finally here. Going

so early in the year meant that we had to finish by 9 pm-ish if we are to avoid dark.

So our 15.5 hour schedule aims to get us back to Llanthony by

8:30 pm - time for a few pints more!

4:45 am on Saturday and we are at the start - I'm still not sure exactly where

it is supposed to be, but the small car park by the A4069 is dark, cold and

windy, and there seems no prospect of any sunshine. In fact, the clag is

down, and out come torches, compasses, maps and extra "Helly" tops. One, two,

three, GO at 5:00 am, which number, 123, is also the bearing to the top of the

first summit, Garreg-Lwyd. Handling map/compass/torch in the dark over

slippery rocks at this unearthly hour is not good, and we lose a minute on our

schedule.

En route to number 2, Garreg-Las, the darkness lightens and we

start recognising the landform, but still pick up a poor route up the steep

West flank. The cloud is blowing around us, visibility only 50 metres, and it

is cold and damp, so a few more minutes are lost.

The route to Bannau Sir Gaer was reccied by Rex and Adrian last year in

similar conditions, where we made an error by drifting North from Garreg, so

we returned and reccied it again. Murphy's Law has a long lasting effect we

made exactly the same error and ended up on Waun Lefrith. 5 more minutes

Lost. The pace quickens up to number five and we press on to Fan Hir. And on

and on. Unbelievably, we miss the track and head down the spur to the South

West. Luckily, we realise the error and retrieve ourselves. Even then, we

lose the track off Fan Hir down to the Llyn, but start motoring down to the

road and our first stop - breakfast. 8 minutes down on schedule, but the

worst is over and we're feeling good.

Over the spur to the A4067 on scheđule, and a quick drink before the qrind up

Fan Gihirych - losing 4 minutes on schedule. Still unrelenting clag and wind

but we make qood time to Fan Nedd and down to the minor road on schedule for

the section.

Fan Llia is easy, and then there is a good run all the way to Fan Frynych,

where we recover the original schedule. Perhaps we don't eat and drink enough

on this section as we gained all the way to the Storey Arms, wher Martin

Stone, Helen Diamantides and Alison Wright are also there to greet us.

Up to Y Gyrn, while the girls run on over the Beacons with our food and drink for

this section. Here the effects of the previous fast section start to tell as

we slow down, and Duwynt seems a never ending climb. We force feed Andrew and

pick up đrink again when catching Alison and Helen below Fan-y-Big. A good,

sociable run all the way, straight over the top to Waun Rydd, and we're back

on schedule. The line to Allt Lwyd is deceptive, and the steepness of the

descent for tired legs mean that we reach aur lunch rendezvous 3 minutes down

on the overall schedule.

Mark strips to shorts, Andrew wants to sit in the car, and Adrian meanwhile

starts on up the direct ascent of Cefn-yr-Ystrad. Martin loads up with all

our kit for this section, whilst Helen goes back to look for Alison. Andrew,

however, decides he wants more lunch halfway up Darren Fach, but is running

again by the summit. We lose ten minutes on the ascent, but make even time on

the descent to Pyrgada.

Here we're left to the road section whilst our pacers drive the route,

cajouling us along. The sun is out, and it is a warm, hard run. Tretower

sees us changing back to fell shoes, and a veritable tea on the move, uphill

to Cwm Gu, but we've lost over 20 minutes on the schedule by the time the

ascent of Pen Carrig-Calch starts. Rex forces us uphill, and Martin resumes

the role of porter and pacer. Meanwhile, the poor weather is closing in

again, and it's a long and lonely climb up onto the Black Mountains.

Here, the scheđule doesn't really allow for the 'tiredness factor, and we

steadily lose time, probably due to the debilitating weather which turns nasty

on Mynnydd Llysiau. Into the wind and rain off Waun Fach, and it's a hard

grind down to Pen-Twyn-Mawr.

Here, Andrew takes over and shows us a direct route down through the forest to

the picnic area where our supporters await us. Helen and Alison join the

throng, and each runner has a pacer. Morale is lifted, and we make good time

over to Gospel Pass, especially when the weather clears for a while.

At Gospel Pass, we're an hour down on scheđule, but Mark Elgood is here to

meet us - having hoped to meet us earlier, he was delayed in traffic jams.

His arrival was fortuitous, as Martin had just injured himself.

Into the gathering gloom up Hay Bluff, Mark and Alison together, Helen pacing

Adrian, and Rex chasing Mark (E) into regrouping with Andrew. The ground

conditions deteriorate and the weather closes in again - straight into our

Faces. It is a long and horrible slog to the trig at Pen-y-Garn-Fawr and thoughts of the schedule have long vanished. Its survival, finishing in one piece. The descent to Llanthony seems to go on tor ever, and we emerge by the farm at Trevelog for a grotty track run to Llanthony.

The support team seem more excited than the runners, who by now are somewaht

tired! Into the car park, and quite a group is there to meet us. 17 hours 15

minutes, 10:15 pm, and no time or energy for a drink. Within two minutes

we're in cars and driving to our various hotels/bed & breakfasts. The initial

feeling is one of disappointmentat having slowed down so much, and missing our

schedule by over an hour and a half, but then, we were aiming to set a new

record (Phil Dixon's record of 18 hours 10 minutes was set in 1986) and so,

in the circumstances, Could be well pleased with the attempt. It was

‘lightweight', organised with the minimum support and executed according to

Plan.

With the benefit of 20:20 hindsight, our attempt was beleagured by the weather

• wind, clag and rain, very poor conditions on Black Mountain itself.

Furthermore, our scheđule didn't really take into account the tiredness factor

after that road section in the middle - perhaps 16 hours would be a good time

in the right conditions.

Nevertheless, a superb route, a successful traverse with all 3 of us doing

together, brilliant road support (their rally driving exploits in between each

road crossing to keep up with us is another story! My car has never been the

same since - it took a day of valettinq to qet it clean!) and good company on

the hills by experienced and understanding pacers - thankyou all.

Adrian Belton

14/05/88

RUMOUR HAS IT.

..that the horses were not the only ones taking a crap on man v pig

..that Martin carries more on the Karrimore than on his months holiday in NZ

..that not only the soles of Walshes are made of rubber

..that Byron has seen more weddings than finishing tunnels

..that John Brooks has perfected the art of bonking during long races

..that Some race organisers have applied to the IMF for grants, because or

unpaid entry fees

..that Adrian Woods was taking full advantage of his local knowledge and

navigational skills at the Cwn Nant y Groes race

..that Dennis Thomas preferred to wear his old flats rather than dirty his new

Walshes on man v plg

..that Benji took the opportunity of sunbathing at man v pig

..that Jonathan has discovered a much quicker route for Moel Elio

..that enquiries about the most direct route to Lampeter for next years Sarn

Helen should be sent to John Wilson

..that Benji discovered on the Moelwyn Peaks hitherto undisclosed information

Concerning Freds family tree

..that next years Trans Fan will be billed as man v kayak

FOR SALE. .EVA cheque book Covers for that extra big bounce……

THE PAPS OF STEEP HOLM …. . .. .A TALE OF TWO TITTIES (sic)
The idea of a race over the eight highest peaks on this fearsomely rugged
island in the Bristol Channel was first conceived in the warped mind of
Martin, the once honorable MDC club secretary, after his run in the 1987 Jura
race
Steep Holm has seen many battles and weathered many storms through the
Millenia. Its commanding position in the Bristol Channel, twixt Cardiff and
Weston-Super-Mare, made it a natural steeping off point for "Operation
Overdragon", that disastrous first attempt at an amphibious invasion of Wales
by the English. Steep Holm has subsequently changed sides many times; indeed,
at one time, a natural continuation of Offas Dyke split the island. However
little evidence of the ramparts can be seen these days, and since the Welsh
subjugation of the English masses in more recent times, Steep Holm leads a
more peaceful existence. Controversy however, brings the island back into the
limelight with a claim from two Welsh researchers that irrefutable evidence
exists proving Steep Holm to be the site of Arthurs Camelot.
Controversy also reigned in the public bar of the Muddy Dap as Martin
unveiled his plans for the first running of ‘The Paps Of Steep Holm Race’.
The once hon sec originally floated a plan that had competitors starting and
finishing the race on barry Island, and canoeing to and from Steep Holm. This
idea was quickly scuttled by the committee as giving the once hon sec and his
wife an unfair advantage - they are the only ones with canoes.
The planning stage saw some serious pollution spillages in the Bristol
Channel, and the discovery of a strange brown ring on neighboring Flat Holm
Island. This ring was first assumed to be evidence of an extra terrestrial
landing area, but the explanation was more simple. A comment from one of the
more "social" committee members of "I've been pouring over the map all
evening had first been taken as a sign of said members dedication....it
wasn't, and he had been! FOE were warned of the impending environmental
disaster as a tide of Brains SA threatened to engulf Lundy Island. (Did you
know that the name of Lundy comes from the Norse word 'Lunde', meaning Puffin,
more commonly as Fratercula Arctica, the smallest breeding Auk south of the
arctic. Now, there's not many people know that!)
Eventually, an extremely demanding 11 mile race was planned, requiring
8500 feet of ascent. The route, taking in three peaks east of, and all five
peaks west of Offas Dyke can justifiably lay claim to being not only Wales'
toughest, but, since a recent well publicised ruling, Wales' only mountain AND
fell race!

Competitors will have many things to look out for throughout the race, in
particular, the "Steep Holm Devil", a small mammal unique to the island
believed by many to be the original Welsh dragon. (Many drinkers down the
‘Dap’ dispute this, pointing to the landlady as a classic example).
Competitors should also keep an eye out for those two previously mentioned
bacchanalian bards searching for Arthurs grave.
At its mid point, the race passes through the remains of Steep Holm
prison, the island having been used at one time as a penal prototype for
Australia.
(This just goes to disprove the old adage of "practice makes
perfect").
Before you all rush off to post your requests tor entry details for this
race, I should point out that this first event will be restricted to members
of the organising club. This is in order to test the organisational details
for transport to and from the island etc before going 'open' (FRA members
please excuse the four letter word) and to give Les Williams a cxhance to win.

As they say in motor racing Circles,"Keep it on the island"! - Wynn Llaregqub

Zen and the art of Fell Running
A Professorial colleague of mine, aware of my particular fetish, recently
Pointed out during our weekly Macrame class that there appears to have been very
little academic research done into Fell Running. Shocked by this pedagogic
omission, I decided that being the scholarly type, I would undertake a nifty bit
of book-learning.
Confident in my own academic background (a grade 'D' GCE in metalwork) and
armed With 6 HB pencils and a Marmite sandwich, I retired to the University
library, where guided partly by a voluptuous but short-sighted Malaysian student
of archeology, I was able to locate the classic sports psychology model - the
inverted 'U' hypothesis. I summised that this would be appropriate to Fell
Running because by standing on your head you can see that the "U looks like a
mountain; well, at least some mountains. (ok, it looks like the Buchaille Etive
Mor which. đoesn't have a race up it yet, though a club run up it from the
Michael Sobell centre may be in the offing).
Now the hypothesis seems basically to be about the relationship between
Performance, Cognitive anxiety and Physiological arousal. Now I dont know where
abouts the arousal comes into Fell Running, though I đo admit to having a hot
flush whan Angela Carson took her cagoule off in front of me during last year's
Ras Llewelyn. However I can see a relationship between a Fell runner's
performance (i.e. race) and anxiety.
The theory states that at the peak of the inverted 'U', there is a fall-off
in performance due to a raising of the cognitive anxiety. What it means is when
you've dragged your unwilling carcass to the top of Pen Y Fan and looked down
into Cwm Llwch you're scared shitless and the descent is at the speed usually
associated with the use of a Zimmer frame. This is described as 'Going Over the
Top' (L. Hardy, The Psychologist, June 1988). How apposite: obviously Professor
Hardy had Fell Running in mind when he penned these words.

Unfortunately, my research was dealt a blow when it was pointed out by a
rather smug (though I hasten to add apallingly youthful) student, that the
inverted 'U' hypothesis had been seperceded; It's a load of tosh....Brian' (The
Sun, June 1988). In its place the latest development is the Cusp-Catastrophe
model of anxiety and performance which attempts to clarify the relationship
between cognitive anxiety and physiological performance which (as I'm sure you
guessed) the inverted "U' failed to do satisfactorily.
Now instead of all this abstact Smart-arsing which has no doubt left most of
you intellectual pedestrians clapped out (Fell runner born, fell runner bred,
strong in leg, weak in th' ead Prof. D. Clutterbuck in his 1983 Sylvester
Stallone Memorial Lecture), i will use an example to demonstate this model.

Picture a group of fell runners during a race. After a nippy start they nave
reached the hill. (It could be anywhere, Pen Y Fan, Blorenge, Cwm Nant Yr
Groes). They are running uphill. The going is hard, lungs bursting, legs
hurting. There is tension. Each runner glances at the others. There is only one
thought in each runner's mind. There is only one thought straining and nagging
who's going to start walking first. Anxiety levels rise. The angle steepens.
They are barely shuffing; their chests feel as though they're stuffed full of
red-hot Brillo pads; a monsoon of phlegm fills the air but each is determined
not to be the first to drop his hands on to his thighs and start to walk. The
mental pressure is enormous and is related to physiological performance; viz
they are in agony. Suddenly, the consciousness of sensory experience becomes to
Great for one. In other words he is buggered and he starts to walk. Lo and
behold! A drop in his performance but also both a direct and inverse
relationship to the runners around. This is called the Bifurcation set: i.e. one
set of runners seeing this weak willed sod start to walk will think 'got him
and will somehow carry on running and eventually win a spot prize of a pair of
socks; the opposing set of runners will see him walk and instantly think "thank
God tor that" and start walking also, and will probably be timed out at the next
Checkpoint.

Doubtlessly further research will be stimulated when my findings are made
public. Future topics may include:- the relationship between dogs and the
variable speed of runners, Fell Runner's irrational distrust of inanimatee
objects (e.g. compasses) and Frolics for all in mixed showers (Not the
intellectual rewards of a research item but much more fun)
Dr. Pullyerself-Together (M.A.N.)
Emiritus Professor of Psychology and Car Maintenance
University College Cwmboi.

NEW RACE NEW RACE NEW RACE NEW RACE NEW RACE NEW RACE NEW RACE NEW 

MYNYDDWYR DE CYMRU

Present

Ras LLYN-Y-FAN race

at ll:00 am on Sunday llth September 1988

5.5 Miles / 2000 ft ascent

This will be the first running of what will become hopefully a classic medium

length ‘A’ category mountain race.

After an initial climb on a qravel track to Llyn y Fan Fach, the course

follows an anticlockwise skyline route over Bannau Sir Gaer to Fan Foel, from

where competitors select their own route to the finish. In clear weather the

route is obvious, with superb views of Llyn y Fan Fach, but navigational

skills will be required in misty conditions.

START / FINISH :Car park East of Llandeusant village (OS sheet 160, gr

797238); from Llandeusant follow signs to Llyn y Fan. The venue is about one

mile from the village, with ample car parking.

CHECKPOINTS: 1, Llyn y Fan Fach dam; 2, Bannau Sir Gaer summit (2460 ft);

3, Fan Foel summit

ENTIRIES: On the day only, at the start fram 10:00 am.

COST: 50p to cover basic refreshments: limited prizes.

ENQUIRIES and further details from Martin Lucas, Chestnut View, St Brides

Major, Mid Glamorgan; 0656 – 880009.

**** This race counts for points towards the MDC club championships ****