Orienteering 1:18:17 [4] *** 9.4 km (8:20 / km) +300m 7:11 / km
spiked:16/21c slept:8.25
DVOA's Fox Chase at Fair Hill State Park, MD. On Day 2, we got there a bit late. Peggy started before me so I took some extra time to get Max into daycare. I left without my control descriptions and later had to keep opening the folded map thus losing my place on it. The long bus ride pushed me to the edge of time. I ran off the bus with Chris Gross up the hill to the start line and I got there just as my official start was to leave the starting line. They gave me a new starrt 3 minutes later but I was already a bit tired. Running the sprint yesterday didn't help either.
I started off the race fine and tried not to rush things. Leaving #2, I went too high and got caught up in some thorns. I hesitated a twice going high to #4 but my first instinct of going low was actually better. I went low to #5 but going high was better. I walked most of the way to #6, really feeling the runs yesterday. Going to #7 it was less hilly. I had a good route and felt like I was getting back on target. Going to #8, I changed my route mid-way twice. The second time I didn't re-check the map so I lost 1-2 minutes going extra distance and climb. Going to #9, I made my worst error. I put my head down climbing straight toward the control. When I saw one I stopped to punch. Fortunatley, I checked the code but then I was unsure exactly where I was. I went on, going too high and got caught up in some green. Had I been 20m to my left, I would have seen the control before passing it. I was glad when Chris Beecroft came through even though she had started near when I did. I made another silly error going to #10 because I thought I'd have to get to the gap in the fence. I ran better to #12 but twisted my ankle slightly and fell on the way. Somewhere in all this, I ate a Gu and started running/feeling/thinking better--the damage was already done. #14 was a little slow due to unwisely trying to climb the mud slide after crossing the creek and later hesitating at a control in the ditch that was not mine.
The best part was near the end. For some reason I looked back across a field that I'd climbed approaching #18 and saw a CSU shirt. I almost never look back in a race. I was tired but gave it a decent effort to stay ahead. I hit the next control fine. I started cramping going at a faster pace to the next and hit it fine. No longer checking codes, I heard someone coming and wasn't sure if it was more fast but wayward juniors or the CSU shirt. At the Go control, I took the far punch and saw Ken Walker Jr. right next to me. We took off well. I think he tried to make me look better by not dusting me too much--a second and a fraction or so.