Orienteering race (LOK Hampstead Heath CSC) 1:27:17 [5] *** 12.05 km (7:15 / km) +241m 6:35 / km
ahr:145 max:158 spiked:19/25c
Nominal 9.5km/200m 25c. CompassSport Cup heat
Thought I'd better get some O practice in before next weekend's nationals (although who knows if that'll go ahead now?), so offered my services to TVOC and got entered in a team team gap on Brown, although I knew I wasn't really fit enough for that length of course.
Good start, although #1 was the far side of a running stream/bog :-( ,. Then ran into a parallel open area on the way to #3 and completely confused myself, +3min. The next bit was fairly straightforward notwithstanding the massively boggy stretches left by the Southern XC Champs a couple of weeks ago. I could've simplified my approach to #12 from the open area rather than following the ditch, +60s, and then blew +30s faffing about on my way to the road crossing at #13 (including forgetting to punch the first crossing control and having to double-back for it).
On the far side of the road I dithered near the circle for #15, +20s, and ran to the wrong control (twice) for #17 before realising I'd already passed it in the way to #15, d'oh +2min. Came off the path too early for #19 and bramblified, +30s
Back in the main heath feeling rather knackered and lacking fitness for the last long legs back to the finish, so I was reduced to a rather pathetic jog although I binned a few seconds to admire the view from the top of Primrose Hil :-) Not my finest day's orienteering