MDC News Tango Edition
The Editor’s bit at the front.
lt’s the only chance I get to be ahead of most of you lot, so while you towel yourselves off
and hang the daps out to dry I’l take the opportunity to rabbit on for half a page or so.
So What’s all this Tangoing then? Well, unless you’ve been doing your hill reps on Mars or
been road running (you wouldn’t, would you?) you would know by now that back in June
John Darby made a very brave attempt on the record for the South Wales Traverse, Which
basically involves visiting all 31 (I think) peaks over 2000 feet in, surprisingly, South Wales.
80 miles and about 20,000 feet of climbing.
John first achieved this two years ago, so this time he thought he’d make it a proper run by
eating only rice pudding straight from the can and drinking only still Tango. In case anyone
thought this was making things too easy, he resolved to not change his T-shirt all the way and
to see how many of MDC’s finest he could burn off during the run.
As you will see from his account in this issue, he succeeded in all of these aims except that of
actually finishing the run. Those of us who helped along the way will know that this was a
brave attempt, and we were seriously impressed with John’s fitness and determination. He
was well inside record schedule at Cwmgu (50 miles), but it seems a combination of the 2000
foot climb on to the Black Mountains and the last two litres of Tango proved too much for
our hero and he decided to collapse in a heap at just about the most inaccessible point on the
Pen Allt Mawr ridge after ten hours and 54 miles.
He’s already talking about having a “serious” attempt in 1996!
In between a couple of the last series of Winter League races, The Greybeards nipped over to
New Zealand for a few hill reps. While there the attraction of running in the NZ Mountain
Running Championships was too much to resist. We’ve bored most people with the photos
already, but a few notes on Kiwi race organisation might be of interest.
First, the 10-mile, 4000-foot course was advertised as “well marked”. This was so on the
lower tracks, where marking wasn’t really necessary, but once on the open mountain the
markers were very sparse. Maps of any accuracy are difficult to obtain, so it was definitely a
case of hoping the person in front knew where they were going. this was particularly so as we
climbed through mist into snow at about 5000feet.
Second, there appeared to be no vetting of entries and certainly no kit requirements. With
only one checkpoint (at the summit), a point to point course and potential navigational
problems in the mist, this appeared a little casual.
Apart from the discrepancy in prizes (winner: an expenses paid trip to Burma; second: a pair
of socks)-honest! I was surprised at the £12 entry fee:- no freebies or mementoes either. On
chatting to the organiser, he said that the cost was due to all land access having to be paid for,
together with all the officials! Apparently this is common practice in NZ, with some
triathlons costing £150 to enter! A bit different from our 50p and all the biscuits you can eat!
But seriously, if we are forced into paying for access anywhere this could be the result.
So next time you hand over your 50p or even £3 for your favourite race, do it with a smile
and be nice to the marshalls.
OK, enough from me. Thanks to our contributor (Big John). Perhaps some more of you will
sharpen the wax crayons before the next festive Solstice – winter that is- edition.
Have You Been “TANGOED” ?
Wasn’t going to bother to write about a failed attempt at the Brecon
Beacons Traverse, but here goes. Training was going well and I felt
good during the Spring. Practising each third of the Traverse was
done at a fast pace just to see how fast it could be done. Sure enough,
times were inside a record schedule. On the day all I had to do was
string three fast third legs together and the record was mine.
The weather forecast was good; Lydia drove me to the start, fog was down on the summits.
Where were Martin and Kay Lucas ? With three minutes to the 5 a.m. start, they appeared.
Apparently they were waiting at the upper car park. Anyway we started on time: without a
photo though; a bad omen I thought.
Good speed to the fog-shrouded first summit had me shouting for Martin to catch me up.
Then in the fog I made a 45degree navigational error on route to the 2nd summit. Then a brief
clearance in the fog enabled us to correct the error, thank goodness. Martin said I was
running too fast, but I felt as if I was holding back. The time indeed was too fast at the first
stop, but I felt good.
NO more navigational errors saw me at Storey Arms some 13 minutes up on the record with
Derek Thornley. Adrian Woods (David Bailey with camera), took me through the Brecon
Beacons section. Adrian even took a photo of me having a pee on Pen-Y-Fan summit !The 9
mile road section with Paul Lewis saw me still gaining a minute up on a record schedule, but
I was beginning to suffer; my stomach was aching a lot and I lost my appetite, a bad sign.
Benji and John Sweeting walked and jogged me to the first Black Mountain summit. I
thought once on the top that I could walk and jog the ridges, but Darby’s will power couldn’t
move my legs faster than a walk. Sure enough, just after the 2nd Black Mountain summit, I
collapsed in a heap. Ironically I was still inside a record time. Benji ran to Llanbedr to get
transport and tell the others via Sue Parry that I couldn’t go on. I had to hold on to John
Sweeting’s shoulders, to slowly stumble off the mountain. Martin Lucas was right, I had gone
too fast.
My diet was the same as my previous successful attempt 2 years before, but a bad stomach
this time didn’t help! I will try again in 1996. Thanks again to all helpers.
Puffed-out-again Billy
P.S. Retired after some 10 hours of running
Old Greybeard’s Problem Page
Your personal problems answered (fairly) confidentially!
- Does Old Greybeard have a timetable of buses from Storey Arms to Cardiff ?
(CG and SB, Brycheiniog)
- No, but John Darby knows a helpful farmer with a land-rover who is used to
assisting people in your condition. Unfortunately it’s rare for your problem
to arise anywhere west of Crickhowell, but I’m sure he’ll help.
- Can Old Greybeard help with my problem of a sunburned scalp due to
“thinning” hair ? (IS, Pontypool)
- Two methods to help your follicularly challenged pate, JS :
1) Run all your races in North Wales, where it rains most of the time (ever
seen Foster or Griffiths with a sun tan ?)
2) Stop moaning and learn to run a bit quicker so the race is over sooner and
you can hide in the pub.
Spending all your working life in a fridge can’t help, either.
- I have been receiving anonymous phone calls in the middle of the night. I
think it’s from North Wales because I can hear sheep and rain in the
background. What can I do ? (Sleepless, St. Brides Major)
- Can’t help you there, Sleepless: dealing with Mike Blake’s nocturnal
wonderings about the Welsh Championship goes with the statistician’s job.
Perhaps if you bore him with the details of the 4 from 6, ifs and buts scoring
system, he’ll go and pester someone else. If that doesn’t work, either unplug
the phone or take up road running – he won’t find you there!
That’s all for now : next time Old Greybeard will be giving advice on how to stop
your son/daughter/wife/husband beating you in races (tie their shoelaces together),
and a helpful list of rice pudding recyclers in the Gwent Valleys. Tango one out!
O.G.B.
What a glorious day you missed if your name doesn’t
appear in the results. A sunny spring day brought out the crowds
this year, doubling the numbers from the previous three yęars and
encouraging spectators to stroll up Mynydd Llangorse to see the
run-in. The course was dry underfoot so it was obvious that a
good time was on especially in view of the calibre of the field.
Simon ran away with it but the next four had a tussle along Troed
and up Llangorse before the last mile and a half dash along the
top sorted out the placings. From the look of exertion on
peoples faces it was obvious that everyone ran their guts out
taking full advantage of this lovely AS 5.5 miler. Nice to see
Benji and Sweety turn up on time but I don’t think the stuff
Benji was sniffing on the journey up did him any good. Bret was
marshalling in Llangorse and would like to thank Danny for the
extra training run due to a wrong turn at the trig. It was good
to see new juniors racing, well done Huw and Christine. Thanks
once again to Puffing Billy for marking Troed and Pat for walking
1.5 miles to the road checkpoint (sorry about the sore legs!)
At 50p entry I’m staking a claim that this is the best value for money race in Wales.
Prizes for the category winners
and spot prizes to Christine (pluckiest performance) Anthony
Morris (travelling from West Yorks) and cledwyn (oldest comp. but
your secret is safe with me).
Hope to see your next year same place, same date but maybe a later time.
Adrian Orringe
