Race Evaluation
US Night-o Champs: Red
jima
| 1. | Feeling pretty iffy from running earlier - only 2 1/2 weeks after surgery. If I'd asked the doctor, he'd ahve probably told me to stay home, but never asked.... Watching previous starters, most seemd to be heading left down the hill past the building, so just took off that way. AS I cam through the field saw someone mucking around in the genral area I was heading for and spiked it. | ||||||
| 2. | Up a little to the field, then over to the road, trying to keep up with the person who was at 1 just ahead of me. Decided to take to road around, seemed like it would be faster. | ||||||
| 3. | Hit the fence and after realizing it was palstic and rather flimsy, decised to follow the elephant path along it, rather than crossing it twice. Caught the trail, then then over the gentle knoww in the middle of the field. Could see some folks ahead of me, found the path through the junk and in. Dew on the grass was making some was doing some wierd stuff with the reflected light off my head lamp - almost mesmerizing. | ||||||
| 4. | Took the trail to the right of the line, then cut left after the green. The gravel area edge and barn weren't lining up in my mind , overran a bit hit the marsh and had to work back throuh the hemlocks to the control. Looking at the splits, maybe I lost more time here than I realized. | ||||||
| 5. | Follow the edge of the field, sorta pace counting. Kept watching for trail on left, saw the first and cut in on the 2d. Right, left, right, up a gentle hill, then in from the boulder. Nailed it. Not moving real fast, but getting more comfortable with the navigation. | ||||||
| 6. | Dumb mistake - should have taken 3 more seconds and picked a better route. Went to trail, then turned right/north and followed it around. Cut the corner on the U-turn then to the field. Probably faster to go left initally, then cut down at the low point past the rockface. | ||||||
| 7. | More comfortable on the trails than in the woods, so decide to take the trail on the right. Read the field edge pretty well, through the stream and onto the trail. Take off from the corner, careful compass, and past the N tip of the uncrassable marsh. Saw another runner heading towards me, almost blinded by his light. Kept on my line, looking fo rthe small ridge and reentrant and saw the reflection. | ||||||
| 8. | Tired crossing the marh at a couple of points, decieded I wwas going to get wet regardless and plowed through. Follow trail around, head in just past the trail trickle crossing, follwo the veg boundary, and run into a cluster of folks. Tyr hard to ignore them, see the Pond/River bank line. Stay to close to teh water along a path and came to where the stream cuts in. Paul Regan right behind me. I turn back and see the control through the junk. | ||||||
| 9. | Wanted to head west over the stream to the small trail, but with a couple of folks right behind me, get flustered in the junk and can't find a place to cross. End up staying on the left side of the stream almost up to the trail. Momentarily confused by the bridge. Get on the trail and cut into the field, Paul not to far behind. Drift right and drop a couple of contours, and have to follow the edge of the junk up. Cut over through the thick stuff and in. | ||||||
| 10. | Paul still trailing me. Completely out of steam, but try to keep moving.Up the hill to the trail, cut over the road, and head towards wehre I think the trail goes through the green stuff. Some parts of the field are mowed, others aren't, variable runability (walkability?). Hanging on behind Paul, Nadim comes cruising up and past us, off the trail and see the control. | ||||||
| 11. | Nadim is quickly out of sight, and I'm losing Paul. Up to the larger trail, almost head straight across to hit the upper trrail, but veer right at the last minute. Up and down over the high concrete wall, high thick vegetation. End up by the trail junction, I think Paul's taken the lower one, so I take th higher one. I hope there's not too much hill into the finish, as I have nothing left. Cut up at the curve in the trail, and hit the lower edge of the clearing, Jog slowly to the trail and in. | ||||||
| F. | Pretty pathetic sprint to the finish - it's misting lightly and it looks really cool in my headlamp, almost like light snow. Cross the line and see my 2 sons - they both started ahead of me - I'm glad they're in. They seem to be fairly pleased with their results. |
Total Time Lost - 00:00:00