Orienteering (Foot) 1:22:21 [4] *** 8.4 km (9:48 / km) +275m 8:25 / km
spiked:16/17c slept:7.0 weight:192lbs
QOC: Lake Needwood Regional Park - I had mapped this park and it's not so difficult to begin with, so I had no real troubles with the Blue course. AttackPoint shows me with a rare no-error day. That's also got to be partly due to running slower than I otherwise would if I were in better physical shape. The courses seemed a bit steeper than the given climb. I found myself either going straight or back to the bottom of the stream valley. I usually angled my way along the hillsides rather than run fast on flatter ground and then climb more steeply. I did this on #1. For #2, I went over the hill left of the course line, to keep from having to climb more than necessary. I cut over near the green fenced area and paused once at the control area just because my eyes didn't see it. For #3-4, I ran to the right at the edge of the out of bounds area, before crossing the stream and staying dry. For #4-5, I climbed along the power line ride and read the edge of the hillside without going to it, before spiking the rocky ground. For #6, I stayed low until 400m before the control. At that point, I climbed and went over the spur--it might have been faster to stay low. I contoured going to # 7 and #8. At #8, I paused and started to look elsewhere before seeing it on the far side of the cliff. For #9, I crossed on the bridge and climbed; to finish I followed the edge of the steep part. I went right back down the way I went up, when going for #10. I'd caught a guy at the bridge when going to #11; I angled up and the other guy stayed low before climbing. I got ahead but the control seemed farther away than both of use thought it'd be--I'm not sure if the rootstock it was hung on was the one I'd mapped but at the time I thought it was hung on the wrong one. I went straight toward #12 and spiked it. I lost a little time getting to the bridge on the way to #13--I was on track then saw railings through the trees. I turned toward it but this was just a guard rail. I corrected the proceeded to spike the rest of the leg. I dropped to the trail and crossed the creek 200m from #14. I pretty much spiked it but came in low and almost had to backtrack while climbing to correct. I did a similar thing going to #15 along the outside edge of the marsh, but the error was more pronounced--perhaps 20 seconds. I went low and via the trail to #16. I went around the hill and used the trail again getting to #17. I stayed low going to the finish. It was pretty fun to run here again and I'll have to get back to add the many new rootstocks--some were in nice places for a control.