It seems a long way to travel for a BM race, but I'm feeling a strong urge to get racing, and this one is towards the steep and rough end of the Category B spectrum. It's also at 2pm on a Saturday, which means that I can get there and back within the day by my usual choice of transport. But I'm going to leave home quite early to give some leeway for late trains and missed connections; and the hardest climb of the day is going to be the cycle ride from Cwmbran station to the race venue!
In his lifetime he suffered from unreality, as do so many Englishmen.
Jorge Luis Borges
Wasn't Wheeze of this parish once involved in some way with the organisation of this race?
(apologies if this is incorrect!)
Yes, I believe it was one of Wheeze's creations. It went into abeyance for a while, but then was revived by Pontypool & District Runners.
Not for the first time, mentioning my intention to go to a race on this Forum seems to have put the jinx on me. I was up twice during the night, retching over the toilet. I feel better now, but not entirely well. A decision on going to the race will be made on Friday afternoon.
In his lifetime he suffered from unreality, as do so many Englishmen.
Jorge Luis Borges
Are you ignoring the best before/sell by dates again Anthony?Originally Posted by anthonykay
Visibility good except in Hill Fog
No, this time there isn't any obvious cause for the problem. Maybe I'm not getting enough injuries these days, so the only way my body can stop me going to races is to get ill.
In his lifetime he suffered from unreality, as do so many Englishmen.
Jorge Luis Borges
Definitely not going to this race. My digestive problem hasn't improved; I saw a GP today, who thinks it might be a virus, but has booked blood tests for me.
In his lifetime he suffered from unreality, as do so many Englishmen.
Jorge Luis Borges
Sorry to hear about your gastric issues Anthony. Get well soon.
Yes Travs, the Steam Bunny Stomp was indeed my creation. The first running was 1990 and I set it up as a deliberately hard race in south Wales to compensate for some of the "urban orienteering" type races in the locality. The other member of the Steam Bunny Racing Club, Toffer, established the Blaengarw Bunny around the same time. Both races ran for a few years until work and families got in the way. But then Dmitri Vorres of Pontypool runners (who was 2nd in the first race) reestablished Steam Bunny Stomp and has done a brilliant job with it, so much so that this year's race was a counter for the Welsh championship. He deserves all the support we can give him. So maybe next year Anthony??!
Thank you, Wheeze. But there definitely appears to be a conspiracy to stop me racing in South Wales. Indeed, the dastardly Welsh have developed the technology for long-range, targeted, biological warfare.
Consider the timeline:
Tuesday evening, I go onto the Steam Bunny Stomp website and make my entry.
Tuesday night, I am up twice in the night, retching over the toilet bowl.
This continues until Saturday morning, when I am feeling somewhat better; but of course it is too late to do the race now.
And consider the last time I tried racing in South Wales: Four Fans 2019. They started with meteorological warfare, with the UK's hottest July day on record two days before the race, which made havoc with the railway system the following day when I was travelling to Wales. Yet against all odds, I arrived at my destination and started the race, only to pull out at the first checkpoint with severe pain in the plantar fascia are of my right foot.
Is all this revenge for me having the audacity to pick up the M60 prize at Pen y Fan 2018?
In his lifetime he suffered from unreality, as do so many Englishmen.
Jorge Luis Borges
Totally. We dont take kindly to saesnegs coming and nicking our prizes!!
Simon Blease
Monmouth
Looking at the results, they had four MV60's in the first 14 (out of 55 finishers); and that's even without me being there.
In his lifetime he suffered from unreality, as do so many Englishmen.
Jorge Luis Borges
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