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Race Evaluation

2001 Billygoat Run:

Nadim

1.	Followed others	Still thinking of a plan...oh, time to go. Where is #1? Remembering the mistake at the Susquehanna Stumble, I run easy and follow pack. I see some people from the Stumble who did well and follow them. Following Tim Good, I see him take a bad fall in front of me at a stream. He seems to acknowledge being okay and I run past. Loosely reading the map I figure out I'm about half way there, then look more carefully near the lake to the NE of the control. In hind sight, this is poor route choice, but I'm just following for now.
2.		Quick check of map; still seeing a line of runners heading my way, it's not much trouble to continue following.
3.		Check map. Up and down. Follow, follow. I need more work on the steeper hills of Orienteering. I feel fine considering the increase in my running training mileage. Knees are not as strong as I'd like on the downhill.
4.		Nice down hill, following still. Take a quick gulp of water at the control but worry about staying in contact.
5.	Followed others	A group of 3 head off north from 4, down, cross the stream, then up so I follow after them. At the trail, we all realize it's the wrong way and correct ourselves. Over the stone wall, we drop down to the stream. We cross the stream without using the bridge. I can now see other runners using the bridge. At least the water feels cool and nice. Decide 5 is difficult and out of the way. I remember that Peggy said she had trouble up there the last time she ran in this park. I don't want to skip 5 but looking ahead for the first time, there doesn't seem to be a much better one to skip. I decide to skip it.
6.	Followed others	Cruising on the trail, I catch and pass some others. The trail is rocky so I still have trouble reading and running. Seeing Peggy and some others, I catch-up and follow from behind. Turning off the trail, we head into the woods. I think I'm too much to the east and look west. Peggy looks east and finds it. Like Velociraptors, the pack reacts all at once and converges. I'm surprised at Peggy's burst of speed to the control. It give me a feel for what the competition is about.
7.		Still staying with Peggy, I notice we hit the wall corner, having tracked perfectly in-line toward 7. We use the path most of the way and I'm surprised when I get there to find that it's a real chimney. Perhaps it should have been marked as a ruin.
8.	Followed others	Seeing other runners rushing ahead, I decide to follow them leaving 7. We go too low, all the way to the creek. Climbing back up on the path, I see other taking a better route. I walk up the stairs and get to the control at the same time as Peggy who took a more efficient route as usual. I drink some Gatorade and go.
9.	Bad compass work Bad distance judgement Not thinking clearly Followed by others	I take off from 8 I follow runners again. Getting a good look at the map for the first time on the smooth trail, I realize I must cross at a bridge. Everyone went north. In hind sight, south looks quicker. I catch Peggy and pass her. I catch Peter G. at the dam but can't pass on the narrow bridge. This is a good thing. Peter asks me if I've beaten Peggy yet, I say that I've gotten close but never have. On the trail now and perhaps pondering this I pass him. After finishing the race he later tells me that he was about to say that I should have stayed with him. The thought crossed my mind but I don't feel it is would have been very sporting of me. It's better to make my own mistakes and learn for a while. Having lost my pride long ago, there's nothing to lose. Leaving the trail where the parallel path merges, I see I'm already a little too far west. The rock wall runs out before I expect it to. I take a heading and keep the ridge to my east in sight. I see another runner to the NW of me and catch him. Going on, I finally see a rocky ridge that could have been a wall remnant. Looking north and behind it, nothing is there. Oops. Maybe its down the hill to the west? It doesn't look right but I check it out and hit the out-of-bounds fence. Finally realizing that I'm almost twice as far north from the trail as I should have been, I wish I had gone out and determined my pace count before the race. I stay at the same elevation heading back and hit the control easily but after much delay. Did Peter jinx me into thinking about beating Peggy--nah, but I should have followed Peter to this one. At this point however, I've lost contact. At least it's not like the +30 minute errors I've made in other events.
10.		Running easily up the hill, I see other runners who left just as I got to 9. Instead of following, I aim for the rocks but again am too far west. I realize this and go straight to the ridge, seeing the others as I do. Guessing where I'm leaving from, I angle down. The other runners at 9 are there and we all stop. I decide to go down more and see 10 first. I felt a little redeemed.
11.		I feel a little presure w/people following me and want to lose them. I get ahead on the downhill. After crossing the stream, I go wide around the marsh and to the ridge. The two behind me take a more direct path and beat me to 11.
12.		Catching-up on the trail, I decide the route is fast. I plan to slant cut from the first main trail to the second. I find myself back on the first and just go w/it. Crossing the marsh and creek on the trail, I see people leaving 12 and use them to find it. I think I forget to take a split and some of the next.
13.		I take a steady track up the hill, still running fairly good. Seeing another person ahead, we both us the ridge and get to the control about the same time without trouble.
14.		Catching up to the other orienteer, I surprised that we drop so much but we follow the ridge and hit 14 easily. I drink again and see Meagan.
15.		Happy about the trail run ahead, I decide to use the stream to hit the trail. Not a good choice in hind sight but it works. I pass Meagan and a few others. On the trail, I find I can read while running which I'd found earlier to be hard for me. At the split, I go east, deciding to use the pond as an attack point. It works and I spike the control.
16.	Did not read control code Lacked confidence	Coming off the ridge to the east, I use the hill on the trail as an attack point. I climb the ridge and expect to see the control but don't. Ahead but down the ridge is another. It doesn't seem right, but I check it out. It's wrong. Back up the ridge I find it. I should have just kept going straight before. Meagan has about caught me.
17.	Read map too late Did not read control code	Seeing that I have the creek and lake as a barrier, I use the trail. I cutoff through the woods for a more direct line and hit the lake. Moving along it, I see a trail heading toward what looks to be a crossing. Going out on the rocks, I find it is no good and back track. Using the bridge I cross and go along the marsh. I'm not sure at the trail junction. It looks too indistinct. After a few steps I realize I must go back. Not wanting to go all the way, I cut up. I hit the trail and go through the jumbled intersections. Using the knoll near the trail to attack from, I head east and reach the hilltop. It should be here, but where is a 10 meter cliff? Oops, right below me. Getting to the bottom on the south side I realize again that I've made an error. Crossing the slippery rockfall at the base, I punch and see Meagan again, heading off. Should have looked at the descriptions and placement more carefully.
18.	No attack point Bad route choice Did not plan ahead Took a chance Bad compass work	This one looks tough to me but I thinking about catching people again. Without a good plan, risk it and blindly try to just track a straight line. The ridge and bowl of the valley takes me SW too much. I hit the road. I realize where I'm at roughly and seeing a pair. My resolve is not there now and I run slower, pass the two who turn out to be recreational participants and punch.
19.		Leaving 18, I use the trail a little to the NW, then cut across the light green. It's slower than I anticipate. I'm a little tired going up and motivation is waining. I hit the trail at a junction and know where I'm at. Heading down the trail, I don't see the rock walls. I cross the stream and even go around the knoll. This turns out to be good because I see the CNYO club member (who announcements at the US Champs--sorry I can't remember all the names yet) and Meagan heading out. I use their trajectory to spike 19. I'm a little happier that there's someone out here to make contact with again, and for the opportunity to redeem myself.
20.		Leaving 19, I head down and steer more south to make sure I hit the trail. Still it's longer than I expect to the trail. On the trail, I move well, passing Meagan, then the CNYO club member. At the junction, I pause, drop down and spike the control.
21.		At 20, someone else I catch(?) groans about the next leg. I'm just happy that it looks easy to find. Moving smoothly I several times drift east to stay away from marsh and bad footing, then back west and down again to keep the lake in view. Not real efficient but I'm passing people. At the ridge, I don't check the map carefully enough. Going on memory I go west toward the lake then turn east up the ridge. Someone looks sick just standing there. We say hi and he seems okay.
22.	Bad route choice Not thinking clearly Lacked concentration	My brain dies here. I should have eaten more of the Power Bar. The sick/tired person I saw earlier is walking so I run intending to hit the trail--I do. Perhaps confusing the purple lines for 9 with those of 22, I think I need to go around the lake the the NE. I don't hit the next trail that I expecte to and instead hit the lake. It's bad running so I back away from it, come back and hit the trail to the NE. Heading west, I pass the lake and cut at the slanting rock wall. Now realizing my error, I go NE and hit the trail near the race start. Dropping down a rocky hill with my brain now in formaldehyde (not realizing it), I see runner moving along the shore to the north and follow. I pass some, cross the stream and see marsh to my west. Hey, isn't there supposed to be a lake near 22. Ooops again. Red faced if I could have been, I make a 180 and rush back. There's Meagan, the CNYO runner, and others. At least I must be entertaining the others... I decide that's a good thing. By making them laugh, I could tire them out more. Perhaps that could be the point of a different kind of event. I could be better at that. At least I'm near the end....
23.	Did not follow plan Did not check features en route Ran too fast Bad map reading Could not relocate Tired Not thinking clearly Lacked concentration Lacked confidence Frustrated	Rushing to passing a few others, the trail is rocky and demands attention. I don't read the map much. I pass some, get to a junction and think of going straight across the green to the control. I nix that and decide to use the trail. Another orienteer distracts me and my instinct is to pass him. I do and go racing off to pass others while ignoring trail intersections. Making good time, I go around the lake and start hearing voices. Yup, my brain is still dead, I'm very near the finish but haven't found 23. Too embarassing to go around the corner, I 180 and say "Oops" again to the people I just passed. Frustrated I can't concentrate and can't even tell where I'm at. Passing the bridge, still unsure, tired and slower, I near the junction and see another person coming down. I run right through going north not knowing why or where I'm at. Dumb luck saved me as I looked up. Not expecting it, I see a control and find it to be 23. Thanks goodness... Is this why confession is good?
F.		Finally, I can make a mad dash back, but I'm too tired and dejected to give it a good effort. I always thought being humble is good but do I have to be humbled so many times? The nice cheers and encouragement (Tim Good and others) at the finish for such a poor performance are well received and make it more worth it. These are nice people. It'll be "more funner" one day. At least I ran through most of it. The distance training is starting to pay off and I can feel my younger strength coming back.

Total Time Lost - 00:00:00

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