Training Log Archive: Charlie

A mixed bag. Moving well. No trouble with 1, except that I went more or less straight through the green and it took forever. Then 2 was also ok, more or less straight, guided by the stone wall coming in from my left. Bailed out right to the trail. I was surprised to see Mary Jo pop out ahead of me on the trail. How did she get there (started 24 seconds behind me)? Gradually reeled her in and caught up in the last 40 m to reach 3 more or less together. Then a quick look at the map and started to run toward 4 as if I was coming from 5, so W instead of N. Looked again, oops! So got headed back N, and now a little E to compensate, but apparently losing some focus because suddenly I was on the trail E of the line. No problem finding the control from there, but quite a circuitous route. Across the trail and aiming for the ridge line before 5, but it was long and I misread how far S I was. I checked one hill, saw Bob Dangel heading S toward 7, then checked the next one N and finally got it on the third one. A little R of the line to 6 to run down the ridge line. More or less straight to 7, coming down the spur between the stream branches. As I was approaching, I saw Bob D again, stopped to look at his map maybe 20 M past the control. Saw him off and on going toward 8 along the hillside, but it was thick and I lost him as I came right into it, climbing a line or so at the end. Crossed the stream, pushed through some thick laurel, and got up on the hill. Pretty good going along there, but I ended up one hill over to the R and confused, down to the stream beyond, studying the map and here came PG and. Bob streaming down the correct hill. Probably dropped 1:30 here. Now my energy was flagging a bit. Thought I would go S of the marsh, but somehow kept heading W, and it didn't look so bad, so straight across, picking my way between the wet spots. Trail to 10, fine, where I saw Rhonda. Then it gets a bit blurry. Headed toward 11, but losing focus. Snapped out of it saw I needed to be in the reentrant on the far side of a saddle. Found one and no bag, but that was enough info, as there was another one just S. Then just one more short leg, more or less straight S, but I just couldn't seem to hold a line. Came to the stonewall junction, meaning I was too far R, but I couldn't figure out where I was, since I was reading the N-S part of the wall as a trail (sure just looks like a wall now). Lined up my compass to go S several times, but somehow just kept going SW, wondering why I couldn't get to a trail, wondering if somehow I had crossed it. Eventually came to some action, and where the heck was I. Oh, the start! So I lost almost 5 minutes on that 100 M leg. Hustled in, saw Mary Jo up ahead on the run-in, much too far ahead to catch.

Map and route Sobering to see how badly I was wandering toward the end. Seems like I ran out of energy around #9, and when I went by it, I never did anything much right after that.

Brown - Splits