Orienteering race 3:03:50 [4] 18.6 km (9:53 / km) +695m 8:20 / km
shoes: Kainuu Integrators
Long Course at Saylor Park. (Mass Start)
This was a really rewarding day for me. Going in I wasn't sure if I would be able to finish a course this long, especially considering my training. Halfway through the course at control 13 my ankle got a little sore, and I came close to quitting. However, I decided to do one more control, and things felt better, so I pushed through and finished strong.
This was a pretty epic race and lots of good stories to tell. They don't sound as good in writing though. There was mass start confusion, serious swamp bashing, several 2-3 minute errors, multiple position changes, and some serious tests of fortitude. Midrace I was really pleased to be even with Sergey, even though I couldn't quite hold on. The finish was a really tough showdown against Ed White, in which we were both struggling to keep running.