The S.F. Experience The Fan Dance Winter Edition 2024 – Race Report

Date: Saturday 20th January 2024

Official miles: 15 miles

Strava says: 13.47 miles

Elevation: 3,314 ft /  1,010 m

Weather: arctic wind

Start: Red phone box by Storey Arms

Finish: Pont ar Daf

Route type: mostly out and back

Conditions: icy & windy

Website link: The Fan Dance by The S.F. Experience

Describe the route in three words: 45 mph fun

 The Fan Dance Winter Edition – Race Report

This was a last minute entry thanks to my Blaze buddy John who mentioned he was doing it when we were at boot camp a few days prior. So glad I did it, I blooming loved it!

Parking was a bit of a squeeze at Pont ar Daf due to the volume of competitors and the start time was vague, we were just told to register around a certain time and we’d start when they were ready. I partially liked the relaxed approach but also found it problematic, I found myself standing around for so long I got really, really cold and had to put my emergency layers on.

We were given our brief and we all followed the DS to the phone box at Storey Arms which is the route start. Santa Duthie was there and I embarrassed myself yet again (why do I always fan girl her?!) it didn’t help that John told her I was going to win the ladies race, he clearly doesn’t know Sanna’s elite status over my bog standard status!

There are various weight categories taking place all at the same time:

• Clean Fatigue
• Masters Clean Fatigue (50+)
• Grandmasters Clean Fatigue (60+)
• Loadbearing
• Masters Loadbearing (50+)
• Grandmasters Loadbearing (60+)

Sanna and I were both doing clean fatigue. Looking around, it seemed that the bulk of the entrants were load bearing.

We set off at 8:47am and everyone apart from Sanna power hiked up the start of the climb towards Corn Du and Pen y Fan. Sanna ran, of course. It was actually pretty cool watching her red hair bobbing off into the distance and over the peak before any of us were event halfway!

The wind was something pretty special, we were battling against 45 mph of it, it was so much fun and I think it is the only time in my life I wished I was fatter, it was a struggle to stay upright at times! I did one faceplant into the side of the mountain, my laughter gone with the wind. I tried really hard to attack the Jacob’s Ladder descent with gusto, I think the wind actually helped me. I saw someone slip and fall on the ice ahead of me, and just as I tried to be extra careful in that same spot, I slid and landed on my bum too.

I wasn’t exactly sure how far along the Roman Road we needed to go before reaching the turnaround and aid station, I cheered Sanna as she passed me, already on her way back. I realised I quite needed a wee and that somewhere along the Roman Road through Tae Fechan forest would be the best bet, I had no chances of a successful wee once back in the bracing wind, there didn’t seem to be anywhere well hidden enough to go though. I settled by a fallen tree, realising mid wee that from one direction I was very well hidden, and from the other I was very much exposed. I heard the clatter of a gate and realised someone was coming, I shouted at him to run past with averted eyes! I managed to get in a muddle with my zip, I think all the many layers didn’t like my squat position and it caused my jacket to undo from the bottom, it was then jammed so I had to spend the rest of the race with it partially undone.

I reached the aid station, turned around and headed back the way I had come. John and I greeted each other as we passed. As I was around three quarters of the way along the Roman Road section, I came across someone in the process of getting up off the floor, he had had a pretty bad tumble, I checked if he was ok, he assured me he was and I continued. There was a DS just at the bottom of the Cribyn climb, it was so windy he had to physically hold me upright so he could make a note of my number.

The higher I got the stronger the wind, I was grinning inanely though, this was sooooooooo much fun and it felt like such a treat doing such a short distance! I battled against the wind up Jacob’s Ladder and located the DS at the top of Pen y Fan, time to head down the saddle. As this was a last minute entry and such a short distance, I hadn’t paid too much attention to where we were going, I was very pleasantly surprised that we did not need to go back up Corn Du.

I was soon at the the top of the motorway and tried to pick the pace up, it was exhilarating. I reached the gate at Pont ar Daf which marked race completion, I collected my medal, did a finish line burpee and got a certificate too. I was absolutely delighted to have got round sub 3 hours 30 minutes. Sanna of course had won it by miles, she’d done it in 2 hours 37 minutes – what a beast!

What’s in the snack pack?

• 2x 500ml bladders water
• Gloves & over mittens – ended up wearing
• Hat  – ended up wearing
• Long sleeved spare layer
• Harrier Catbells Aluminium Z-Poles and quiver
• Life Systems survival bag
• Food – couple of bars
• Fully charge mobile

What I wore: Saucony Peregrine 10 ST, Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar, buff for my wrist and a buff for my neck, Sweaty Betty power leggings, OMM Halo waterproof trousers, Stance socks, Montane Dart long sleeve top, Montane thicker long sleeve top, Montane Fireball Lite insulated jacket, Montane Phase Lite waterproof jacket, gloves, Salomon Bonatti waterproof over mittens, Sweaty Betty merino wool hat, Dirty Girl gaiters, Salomon Adv Skin 12 running vest.

Morning preparations: I had been staying in nearby Crickhowell so it was not too much of an unpleasant wake up time. Breakfast was porridge with mashed up banana and fruit stirred through. I did a few stretches and then headed to Pont ar Daf to get one of the final parking spaces. Registration was busy but well organised, we were given maps along with our bib numbers.

Summary

I had an absolute blast on this event, I think part of the fun was because it was a bit different to stuff I have done in the past, i.e it was a short distance! The vague start time I thought wasn’t ideal for planning but overall the event was well organised and the marshals throughout the course were very brave standing out for so long in those conditions. Starting out in waterproofs and a warm layer was certainly necessary.

Lessons learned

Starting in my emergency layers wasn’t great as it meant I did not have any more layers in the case of a real emergency, perhaps some better planning and studying of the forecast would have meant I had packed more layers with me, certainly something to bear in mind for the future.

Results

Gun time: 3 hr 26 m

Overall: 5/24

Lady: 3/12

Strava link: click here