Orienteering race 15:13 [5] 3.1 km (4:55 / km) +30m 4:41 / km
shoes: Inov8 Mudroc 2012
JK Sprint, Livingston. M45, 2nd place.
A good but not amazing race, well pleased with the result against a very strong field though!
Knew it would be quick decision making early on in the housing estate and did that fairly well right from the start. Spotted the traps and avoided them although I did have to stand still for 5-10secs at #4 to pick a route. Did what I didn't do at the British Sprints and didn't take any bad routes.
Against a big field every hesitation or wobble shows up on the splits and there are a few 5 sec losses in the first 14 controls, then a 10sec loss when I missed my turn heading for the underpass and ran round an extra block. Good route to #16 spying #17 on the way, but then on the last 'proper' control at #19 I wanted to run above the skatepark with the black wall to my left, came over a knoll and saw a wall covered in grafitti ahead so swung right to keep it on my left. Ended up at a dead end above a crag at the right hand corner of the skatepark, swore a LOT and had to backtrack. 20secs lost and finished 18secs down (although to be fair Martin missed more than me on this leg). Still a bit puzzled as the skatepark on the map is surrounded by a fence!
Finished a bit gutted and more gutted when I saw 16:13 on my watch as I knew sub 15:30 was needed to contend and thought I would have been closer even with the error at the end. Much happier when I downloaded and remembered I had started my watch a minute before the start!
Dave P ran 14:39 but declared himself non-comp, Martin W ran late on and came in with 14:55. Fun race (thanks Graeme) and nice to start the weekend well!
Running warm up/down 45:00 [3] 6.0 km (7:30 / km) +100m 6:55 / km
shoes: Inov8 Mudroc 2012
Good prep - headed off to the start in good time for warm-up and drills and found that it was handily next to a large field! Met RobB who gave me a copy of the sprint training map so ran round the field getting brain switched on to map reading and quick decision making. Felt good and ready and focused by the start.
Warm down back to start and round the field with the FVO elite boys. Then another lap with Tessa. Felt like I had tried!