orienteering race (sprint) 27:09 [5] 3.2 km (8:29 / km)
spiked:9/10c
Forest Park Sprint 1 -- Navigationally more simple than subsequent sprint, but actually with some excellent route choice options, most of which I feel I got wrong in retrospect. Effort was as good as I could muster, with the motivation of an opportunity to finally beat PG when he wasn't severely handicapped at the start. However, he had just finished as I was preparing to register, and he didn't look particularly displeased, so I knew my prospects weren't so good.
Started off well with just a little hesitation on the way to #1, then had first decision point after #2. I contemplated going straight through moderate green trying to take advantage of my relative advantages in thick vegetation, but option seemed quite uninviting when I got there, and by then I had given up on the probably superior route around lake to the N. Then went S to road rather than backtracking N to trail network on way to #4, again probably costing a few seconds. Made my one navigation error on way to #5 when I tried to cut crosscountry back to trail, but picked up instead an unmapped intermittent trail heading downhill one spur too far E. I did ultimately recoup a fraction of the loss wading the stream at the bottom. Rest of run was well executed, if you discount the wimpy but unavoidable walk up the hill to #7. Still outcome was not nearly good enough to challenge PG.
orienteering race (sprint) 30:39 [5] *** 3.2 km (9:35 / km)
spiked:10/13c
Sprint 2 -- Somewhat more technical sprint. This one felt like a cleaner effort, with only minimal bobbles on #3 and #5, both of which felt like they were due at least in part to undermapping of the gullies. Again the hills were daunting, necessitating a trudge at best. Most interesting leg was 10-11, which seemed to be best approached by running immediately to the road and then swinging in from the clearing. I started R of line before reaching this conclusion, but probably only wasted about few seconds. Finished 2 min behind PG again, but not embarrassed by my efforts.