Orienteering race (SA - Lac Beauchamp) 1:04:40 [0] 7.73 km (8:22 / km)
shoes: Inov-8 Trail Talon 250
Last week I started the course with my compass in my pocket instead of on my thumb; this week I started the course with the compass on my thumb, but ended the course with no compass at all...
Had one of my best races today (assisted greatly no doubt by the leaf-less trees), up to 16 (excluding 15 where I made the mistake of looking for a boulder instead of a knoll). The leg to 17 should have been easy peasy... until I turned west onto what I thought might be the trail, but wasn't. Ended up off course and went through a big burr patch. Stopped for a moment to try to de-burr my gloves, tucking my compass under my arm. De-burring wasn't going well so just tossed the burry mitts into my pocket and continued -- only to find that I had failed to retrieve my compass from under my arm, and it was gone. Looked around a little, but couldn't find it. So, there it remains... The leg to 17 continued to go wrong; if only I had relocated properly and turned left onto the trail to 17! Argh! Instead I went on a grand tour, ending up way back at 16.
Fortunately this was a great place to not have a compass... I would have been in deep doo doo had this been the middle of Gatineau Park or the Barrens!
So, the elusive blunder-free course continues to evade me. Maybe next year!
Clothing note to remember next year: For today's dry/sunny -2 degrees, thin gloves were good, kept hands warm. Long-sleeved shirt was fine on its own without a jacket or sweater -- chilly waiting to start, but then warmed up quickly.