Orienteering 1:21:15 [4] 11.8 km (6:53 / km)
shoes: Jalas
Barossa - Black
Really enjoyed this. Started OK, stuffed up 7 a little bit trying to beat Hanne, didn't read the contours properly for the big hill. Had problems with compass, particuarly through 8 to 16, needs to be ironed out, had to keep realinging off features. Some small misses.Glad I decided not to take on the high fence on way to #18 - looked a bit viscous. Got slightly sidetracked on 19, by a guy that headed through the tress infront of me. Having seen how thick the tree's were there's no way i contemplated that, lucky as 19 was very high. small miss at 20 on unmapped pit. Had issues on 21, having gone a bit right of the line. Stopped in ciricle and relocated, to find it only 10 m's away. I think the mapper and me have irreconcilable differences in this area - at least I didn't get as intimate with it as last time (40s). Started to feel quite strong at this point, so pushed a bit more. Slight issues on working out waht was going on in circle at 23 and which way was up at on 24 -> 25. Scrappy on 26 and leaving 27, and pushed on through last ones. Punched 30 behind some junior and thought I'd easily nail 31, quickly ended up in a trench without a control flag, before deducing it was the one beyond the control. doh (30s).
Overall quite pleased with that, not often I feel strong in the back half of a course - must've been the haggis last night. A few little things to iron out on technique (2mins) and some speed work.
Soo much better then the last Barossa event - which made me quite apprenhensive about today. 355 m of climb in britain is quite a lot nicer than the NZ equilvant.
Good to see Neil running well - hopefully he'll be able to take a further 5s out of his 11.8k time soon.
Winner - 78.05 - Ben Stevens