Race Evaluation
Nottingcook Forest: Red course
ParkSchool
| 1. | +00:10 | Something didn't feel quite right about the map as I started off contouring hillside off compass and ran smack into pond. After looking at compass, able to find reentrant fairly easily. Not an auspicious start, especially when the map was copied off clock, and there was plenty of opportunity to at least take a compass bearing before I departed. | |||||
| 2. | +00:20 | Dubious decision not to run directly to trail. Thought I was following sliver of open to intersection, but was actually following next sliver to W. | |||||
| 3. | +00:10 | Seemed a bit long, but hit it without too much indecision. | |||||
| 4. | +00:15 | Past tiny pond to trail, then up reentrant. Overran a touch to the W, but circled back up reentrant. | |||||
| 5. | Due E crossing stream/marsh without difficulty. Contoured hillside. Finally a clean control, although lack of conditioning already apparent going up towards saddle. | ||||||
| 6. | Over spur and down to trail at fork. On compass tentatively but effectively from trail bend. | ||||||
| 7. | Straight E to trail, daunted in part by thickness of woods on more direct line. Then off trail just after split, then over ridge and into flag. | ||||||
| 8. | Made decision to cross marsh, and it may even have been faster, but sure wasn't more pleasant. In water to knees as I couldn't find enough tufts to hop across. Never really came close to losing a shoe in the muck, but worried about the possibility. | ||||||
| 9. | +00:20 | Past open water at S tip of marsh to trail, then trails to just past marsh, over small hill, then along edge of marsh. Didn't notice boulder, but did notice indistinct trail beyond flag helping me to correct. Flag felt a bit further W than mapped. | |||||
| 10. | On line passing pond on L. Was cautious but accurate after making a mess in this area during Day 2 of A-Meet. | ||||||
| 11. | +01:30 | Lost concentration, and failed to read map as I ran compass bearing (quite poorly I might add) to the W. Figured I couldn't miss the big marsh before the control, but figured wrong. Fortunately, able to see several large boulders which I ultimately decided (correctly) had to be W of stone wall well S of intended line. Then able to run around S end of marsh and over back side of hill to flag. Actually went a bit too high as I had to run down from the saddle to get to flag. | |||||
| 12. | W to trail, then took W trail from fork (which felt very intermittent, but did have helpful yellow blazes) to W of marsh. Contoured hillside avoiding lower vegetation and straight in to flag. | ||||||
| 13. | Successfully on line picking up reentrant E of flag. | ||||||
| 14. | +11:00 | On line to just SE of big intersection. then to NE trail, over open hilltop above large cliff, down ridgeline with convincing rocky ground and ugghhhh, no flag. Where was I? Decided I was too far S, so ran along bottom of hillside looking up hopefully. Finally seemed to be heading W into marshy area, so ran back along bottom of hill, but wound up in view of swiftly flowing water. At this point, I decided to climb back up hill and come down more carefully. Climbed up into logged area which I had foolishly neglected to draw on map, but remembered was somewhat S of flag, then back down trying to read map. Saw some large boulders which might just S or flag, but orientation seemed to be a bit more EW than pictured. But they certainly were big, and there were no other boulders nearby, so if they were the right ones, then the flag should be .... oh there it is, right behind me. What a mess, another promising run doomed by this hillside, which was also the site of my only bad control on Day 1 of the A-Meet. | |||||
| 15. | +00:50 | On line to trail, then crossed stream L of line and ran around W end of marsh and started up hill. Looked in reentrant just E of control, but thought I was just W. Ran around to next reentrant noting boulder on spur to E, so corrected back to flag. Passed by PG as I retraced steps. At least I knew I was going the right way now. | |||||
| 16. | Ran beautiful ridgeline and picked up small knolls SW of flag leading me down into reentrant. | ||||||
| 17. | On line, although taking bad route out of vegetation and doing noseplant entering open area. Followed car track (now with circle at end) to flag. | ||||||
| F. | Gave it the best I had left, but would have been worth a lot more if I hadn't made such a mess on #14. |
Total Time Lost - 00:14:35