Race Evaluation
Valley Forge Battle to the End O' Marathon: Marathon
Cristina
| 1. | I missed the pre-briefs by Wyatt before the start, as I was running to and from the restroom and then looking for a clear and check. So when we started I had no idea what was going on. It took me a while to find the start and number 1, but since everyone was going in basically the right direction I had a chance to just move along and figure it out. | ||||||
| 2. | Seemed to me that a lot of people were going really fast. I let them. | ||||||
| 3. | Ran with Viktoria a bit here, commenting about how fast everyone seemed to be going. Tried to look at how best to get to 4, but it was hard to look at the whole width of the map. | ||||||
| 4. | Ran behind Viktoria for a bit but actually cut down to the road ealier, on the paved part (not smart), then up the road for a spell, cutting across once it was a matter of contouring. I was slogging through the grass and then Joe B. comes running along about 2m away and says, "It's a lot easier on the trail." I grumbled. Got over to the parking lot, around, and down to the control. I meant to drink at ever opportunity but I totally forgot that I was going to be out for hours and didn't drink. | ||||||
| 5. | I stuck left on this leg, all the way to the road, then down to the trails and stayed low. I never found this control on the Mt Misery map and had to figure it out from the Chesterbrook. Would have been a lot easier if I'd seen the map... Only found it without too much trouble because I got confused when I got to the houses and realized I had to go down to the stream. Ate some sports beans on the leg. | ||||||
| 6. | Relieved to have map features to read, until I realized that I actually had to read them. Stuck to my plan to stick to trails as much as possible and cut across on the small one later than some guy who cut across the stream and then passed me. Oh well, seconds lost, but so much energy saved! I would have run right past the little flaggies had there not been someone else who stopped there. | ||||||
| 7. | Silly private property in the way. We probably should have gone right, but instead stayed left and cross the stream and then promptly had trouble finding the little flaggies again. | ||||||
| 8. | Stopped for water at a fountain not on the map, then went left of the condos to the bike path... and ran past the flaggies. | ||||||
| 9. | Unlike most people, I didn't even consider trying to cross the forest/stream and didn't have that water issue. Stayed far left, through the field, and along the trail around the houses. Found the flaggies. | ||||||
| 10. | No issues here, and there were about 3 other people around me. Somehow they disappeared after this. | ||||||
| 11. | This seemed to take a long time. Jeff was just ahead so I didn't worry too much about reading the map too carefuly, so maybe that was why it felt so long. Stopped to have some gatorade and a piece of chocolate, then left with Jeff. | ||||||
| 12. | Ran with Jeff here, trying to remember that we didn't have to go straight. | ||||||
| 13. | These few were fun, almost sprint-like in comparison to the really long, single trail legs. Still with Jeff. | ||||||
| 14. | Almost made a weird 90 degree error here, saved by Jeff and some other guy to actually go left towards the control. Feeling pretty good! | ||||||
| 15. | This was actually tricky. Good thing it was early in the course. Jeff was behind me a bit here, but that other guy was ahead, which helped. | ||||||
| 16. | More little flaggies here, which I guess I ran right by because I was so excited about the straight shot to 17. | ||||||
| 17. | Wyatt showed up somewhere along here and Jeff and I decided to hang a ride for a bit. | ||||||
| 18. | Well, I didn't hang for very long. Passed Maryann along here and said hi and just kept Wyatt in sight. | ||||||
| 19. | Wyatt was moving too fast for me so I backed off... plus I feel back trying to find the map for the next few legs. Felt a long time in coming even though it was a larger scale map. | ||||||
| 20. | Slog. Up. No rush at this point. I was now alone, Jeff and some others having schlepped along with Wyatt. | ||||||
| 21. | Stayed on the trail the whole way, checking out the long leg. | ||||||
| 22. | Felt rgeat to run dowen a field, almost like on a normal orienteering course, but just a tad bit slower. | ||||||
| 23. | There were a couple people at the control when I left, turning around to hit the road. At least one of them turned and followed. Looking at the map along the way I can't believe I even considered going over. | ||||||
| 24. | I hadn't been reading control descriptions and here's where it showed - got to the bridge and ran right over, looking for some flaggies. Took me a bit to find the descriptions and realize it was on the other side. | ||||||
| 25. | Back in the start where I met a surprised Angelica, wondering where the other women were. I had a banana and some water and then headed out again. | ||||||
| 26. | On the way over to the bridge I totally didn't remember what I was supposed to remember from the meet notes. It wasn't until I got to the control that it made sense. No train. | ||||||
| 27. | I went about haflway and then found a non-treacherous place to drop down to the trail. | ||||||
| 28. | Caught up with Mike Lyons and neither of us could find a map with 28 on it. We figured we'd just run into it, which we did. Phew. | ||||||
| 29. | Wasn't so easy on this one. We tried to stick by the river but it got too nasty so we hopped the broken fence and went around, but not until after he fielded a celebratory call from his daughter. | ||||||
| 30. | This map looked sort of complex, by marathon standards, and I didn't really like the double back at 31, but the run along the river was nice, and at least I had company. Spotted Viktoria across the way, and then Corinne. | ||||||
| 31. | Saw Jeff going towards 32, didn't think that might I'd have a chance to catch him. | ||||||
| 32. | A little worried (for no reason) about actually having to cross through woods to get this one, so crossed early and it was quite clear. Saw Jeff in the distance... closer, perhaps. | ||||||
| 33. | Wondered whether I was on the right trail the whole time, but I figured I couldn't possibly pass it, and I was right. | ||||||
| 34. | Saw Jeff and Phil going up the berm, closer... but they were out of sight by the time I got to the other side. Found Peter's map and thought it was one of theirs, so I took it. | ||||||
| 35. | Picked it up a bit to catch the guys and did at the point where the maps switched. It wasn't their map, I was sort of annoyed.Totally tried to go up the wrong street here, even after Jeff and Phil told me I was wrong. Took me a while to figure out. I think I was getting tired. | ||||||
| 36. | Headed for the goose shit field and ate a second pack of sport beans. Jeff caught me back up. | ||||||
| 37. | Running with Jeff again here, both of us obviously a bit on the less energized side. Happy to see Sandy A. at the food stop, though she looked pretty tired of being there. Had some coke. | ||||||
| 38. | Big goof by both of us on the way , jumping off on the early trail that took us right down to the stream. We had to scramble back up the steep slope to get to the control. So much for avoiding the "8% grade" or whatever it was. | ||||||
| 39. | This is getting tiring, writing all this. Almost like running all over again. Gives me an appreciation for how much ground we covered. This one was fine. | ||||||
| 40. | This one was, too, though our achiness showed by how we avoided small walls and anything requiring jumping. | ||||||
| 41. | I had looked at this one on the way up to 35, and figured there was a clear crossing under the highway. It wasn't as clear as I thought it would be, but clearly other people had gone that way... had some water at the stop. | ||||||
| 42. | This is where tiredness really set in. Having to slog along the pavement next to the highway really made it clear how not fast I was able to go. | ||||||
| 43. | Felt better to be back on dirt, and it seemed like the end was near at this point. | ||||||
| 44. | I was really excited about the short leg. But that's it. | ||||||
| 45. | Looked at going under but there was a lot of water, so we went over. I kind of wanted to go through anyway. | ||||||
| 46. | Had enough brain power left to follow the trails. | ||||||
| 47. | Took a minute to figure out how to get to the pedestrian walkway and to convince Jeff that we had to go that way. I think our brains were non-functional. | ||||||
| 48. | We could see someone ahead before the last control, and Jeff wanted to catch him. I kept up, sort of reluctantly. It turned out to be Tom O, and we caught him right before the control. | ||||||
| 49. | Kept up the pace to make sure we stayed ahead and just plowed through - trail on the edge first, then right through the fields to the control. | ||||||
| F. | Stayed on the road to the right and wondered why no one did that in the morning going the opposite direction. I kept waiting for Jeff to kick it in and sprint for the finish, but he never did, so I just went ahead and punched. Done. |
Total Time Lost - 00:00:00