Well, if you thought the handicapper gave you a raw deal and that you really had to do something about your lack of fitness, be relieved. You were actually running on a 1:10,000 map and not, as you thought, on a 1:7,500 map. This meant that your courses were 33% longer than stated. Originally mapped at 1:10,000, when it was realised that it could be printed on one side of A4 at 1:7,500, the Purple Pen conversion worked but the OCAD didn't.
Mapper and course planner, Julian Lailey, apologies for the extra distance, especially to those who had to retire. The courses were already longer than normal for the Handicap event to enable everyone to get into the better parts of the map, so the extra length was quite something. But there is a silver lining: you really are fitter and faster than you thought and can have no fears for the Compass Sport competition (whenever that might be). Your CSC course will be a doddle. And be relieved, says Julian, that he was dissuaded by the great and good from going ahead with the event on the original date. That would have meant everyone walking up to the start from Brookhouse and running in the snow. Last year, remember, Julian introduced an extra couple of challenges by introducing some dummy controls and others without flags! Well, he argues, it is called the Handicap for good reason and can't see why Dick should have all the fun.