Welsh 1000m peaks race

Race: Welsh 1000m peaks fell race (22m/8000ft)
Peaks: Carnedd Llewellyn, Carnedd Dafydd, Carnedd Ugain, Yr Wyddfa
Time/Position: 5:21:28 (8th from 82 starters in Class A, 31 finished)
A weird sense of deja vu after finishing this race oblivious to any media interest, then seeing it on the news while relaxing at home in the evening. Rather strange to have been involved in this as well as last year's OMM (and also quite pleasing to have completed both in relative comfort before any subsequent 'abandonment'). It was a cracking day out, very much my cup of tea. The weather was bad, but nothing particularly unusual, more 'unseasonal'. The wind is the real issue, and it was only really strong between Llewellyn and Dafydd, and on top of Snowdon. I wore helly, windproof and waterproofs - and packed a sac with extra clothes. Seemed to do the trick, as I was relatively comfortable throughout. Started in heavy rain from Aber, then took it nice and easy up to Aber falls and Cwm Afon Goch. The slog up the slope below Bera Mawr comes immediately afterwards and is probably the toughest climb of the race. I got the compass out as the ground flattened out, took a line SW to pick up the cairned track which leads over to join the main track up Foel Grach. Skirted this (but deliberately missed the shortcuts further west, given poor viz), then ran up the main track to Llewellyn where my hands froze in a cold wind. Took 5 mins to get my gloves on, then enjoyed the very windy crossing to Dafydd - wild and exhilarating, no-one else in sight at this point. Very thick clag as I retraced my steps then took a vague bearing east to land dead on control FS (which was in the wrong place). Steeply down to the lake, then the awful tarmac down to the A5. Ate almost all I had on the long climb up Nant yr Ogof - the rain had eased slightly at this point and I felt OK after the food (wet liquorice is not ideal though!). Crested the Glyder ridge bang on Llyn Caseg Fraith. Given the importance of locating the next checkpoint, I got the map out and took proper bearings across the plateau. Definitely worth taking the extra time here! Virtually bumped into the marshall, so thick was the mist, then had a reasonably quick descent of the Miner's track, far more comfortable than last year (although my finishing time this year was nearly 15 mins down on 2008). Passed two runners on this descent, and - although I didn't know it - was 3rd or 4th at Pen y Pass after the lakeside bog. Lost 3 or 4 places immediately as others caught me on the lower Pyg track. But the race was in the bag, and I just tried to maintain reasonable pace - running where it levels off - up to a very windy Carnedd Ugain and Snowdon. A rather hostile summit, so I just ran down to Clogwyn, put on my fleece, and trotted down to Halfway House for a cup of tea and some chocolate. Another jog down to Electric Mountain (making the day a 27.5 mile ultra?!), where I met K,M,E. Only realised that things had gone wrong lower down the field (airlifts etc) when I watched the news later that evening. Over 50 in the fell runners A class retired (many presumably forced to stop at Ogwen), with similar proportions retiring in the other 6 (?) classes.