rogaining race (Hungry for Bendleby) 9:00:00 [3] 38.0 km (14:13 / km)
shoes: Asics Nimbus 21
Technically this event was the state champs, but Mark Corbett & I had decided to do the roving 12 hour because of work-life balance (after this decision had been made, it eventuated that last week @work was in fact the most emotionally difficult I've experienced in my career). Bendleby is about 50km northeast of Orroroo and there are many 4WD tracks over the rugged Bendleby and Hungry ranges, with a pancake-flat plain in between the ranges, and the fully-equipped campground among native pines by the big creek was fairly central on the map.
The Hungry Range in the southeast looked incredibly steep, so we decided to go NW first and do the entire Bendleby Range section in the afternoon because that would be over 1300 points, but it was slower going than anticipated and we were still coming down from the 100-point trig on Marchant Hill (views all the way north to the Flinders Ranges from there) as the sun finally peeped below the clouds and headed for the horizon. First control after dark we veered a bit too far right on - but no real harm done - next control we apparently didn't both register punches but I don't know how, since I handed the Navlight punch directly to Mark. Finally got to water about 6:30pm; I'd been rationing the last of my 2L for a while but at least it was a cloudy afternoon, although it never rained. Heading south back towards the HH now but it was fairly rough underfoot and slow in the dark, so we finally got there just on 9pm.
I was glad to be off my feet, and to eat some fruit salad with cake & custard because I didn't really want proper dinner, but not so happy to hear the election outcomes...still, feeling more lively than Mark who'd had a funny tummy all afternoon. He did say though that nibbling gingerbread from the full-sized rogaine control (complete with real punch) I'd baked for his birthday helped settle his stomach a bit.