Race Evaluation
Billygoat 2000:
voit
| 1. | Tried to get up hill fast. Reached control #1 with Mike W., Marc L., Nick D., & Benoit L.. Decided to spend the next several controls getting a free orienteering lesson. | ||||||
| 2. | Marc & Nick go over top of hill. Mike W. runs the contour. Indecisively, I split the difference and eventually hit the reentrant just right of the control with Mike, hang a left & hit control simultaneously with the others. Nick D. proudly tells all within earshot that this is his honorary control. | ||||||
| 3. | For some reason, everybody bashes straight through the green, rather than taking the trail to the control. | ||||||
| 4. | On the road run, the pace is more relaxed than I had imagined. Running up front with Nick D. while the others coast about 20 meters behind, I look for some unmistakable sign that the streamered section has ended. Shouldn't it be where the trail cuts into the woods? But no, there's a streamer beyond the trailhead. While reflecting on this dilemma, I see Marc & Mike turn behind me onto the trail, ending the doubts. | ||||||
| 5. | After punching at #4, Mike W. warily looks around suspecting there might be a #5 skipper among us. There isn't. We spread out on the rocky hillside then converge on the control. | ||||||
| 6. | Mike & I go right around first swamp, others go left, which was probably the better choice. When we hit trail just south of the word Molly, others are crossing the trail ahead of us on a beeline to the control. A group of early skippers including Joe B. and Ernst L. reach #6 just ahead of us. | ||||||
| 7. | Rounding the hill to the left, the pack really kicks into high gear. In order to keep up, I can't afford many looks at the map. These other guys better know what they're doing. And, of course, they do. | ||||||
| 8. | Marc L. heads out of #7 in an odd direction, probably skipping #8. Nick, Ernst, & I head down to big trail, turn right, fork left, then curl left off the trail into the control. | ||||||
| 9. | On the way to #9 Mike W. is back in sight, and I catch a glimpse of Marc L. farther ahead. Maybe it's just a mirage. | ||||||
| 10. | Manage to remain with Mike & Nick up the hill and into control. | ||||||
| 11. | On the way to #11, trip and bash my knee open. It's bleeding and starts stiffening on me. I can't keep up the pace. | ||||||
| 12. | +01:00 | All alone now, and having trouble running. A little rest and Gatorade is very welcome. | |||||
| 13. | Choose the left fork so I can work my knee out on the road, then follow the curved stone wall into the control. Eddie must be proud to have not one, but TWO controls named after him! | ||||||
| 14. | Decide on the way to #14 that going straight to #16 will be much simpler than finding #15 and #16 in succession. | ||||||
| 15. | Skip. | ||||||
| 16. | The webmaster of this site is out for a stroll on the dirt road. He's got a camera, so I try to look competent. Mike W. and Nick D. blow through #16 just as I'm entering from road. | ||||||
| 17. |
Bad distance judgement +00:30 | When I get back to the road, Nick D. is vanishing into woods, never to be seen again, and Mike W. is gone for good. The next control has my name on it. Bad news: I'm a depression. Good news: I'm a depression with drinks! But I overrun my own control and lose 30 seconds. | |||||
| 18. |
Bad route choice +01:00 | Road run is welcome. No one within sight. Turn in too early and waste time and effort hacking through woods | |||||
| 19. |
Bad compass work Confused parallel features | Come out of #18 too far right. Hit stone wall junction with trail. Don't recognize parallel error until wall abruptly ends. Too far right, I head for stone wall corner, which I intend to use as an attack point. Just before I get there, here comes Joe B. Decide to use Joe as attack point instead, and he leads me to control. | |||||
| 20. | Joe says there's no one behind us for a while, so we chat and run conservatively through 20 ... | ||||||
| 21. | ... and 21 ... | ||||||
| 22. | ... but end up a little low coming into 22. | ||||||
| 23. | We're off a little right on the way into 23. Joe encourages me to go ahead and sprint ahead of him to the finish. | ||||||
| F. |
Ran too fast Read map too late | Sounds fine to me, so I bound straight ahead through the green to the trail and turn left, anticipating an easy run to the finish. Turns out I was farther off to the left than I thought and should have gone right. Joe's coming up the trail to the left yelling "where's the white woods?" his map had been scratched, making look like there was a clear path through the green straight to the finish. He reaches the left-hand field first, but I pass him on the field. All I have to do is climb over the stone wall and sprint in. But somehow Joe's gets onto the field first and beats me to the finish! How'd he do that??? Having run on the map last year Joe knew there was a gap in the fence just ahead of where I chose to stop and climb the wall. Well ... there's always next year ... Kudos to UNO for a great event!! |
Total Time Lost - 00:02:30