1. | We were short of time so we got early starts. I didn't warm-up. I've been cycling mostly so that my back/hip will heal. I asked Peggy to give me a head start of 5 minutes. I got 2. I followed the trail up and turned right to cut across the reentrant. I got a little wet. Following the trail around I attacked from a bend. I hadn't noticed on the map that the fence was to be in the way. Fortunately for me, I never saw it either. The new undergrowth leaves made it awkward to run but I followed the reentrant up to the control. | ||||||
2. | I hit the paved trail, taking it down almost to the intersection. Following the unpaved wide road, I attacked from the trail intersection south of the control. | ||||||
3. |
Bad distance judgement +00:20 | Dog-legging back, I followed trails just past the control to where I could see the tracks. The scale threw me off but I turned around and found it pronto. | |||||
4. | Back down to the wide unpaved road, I turned left up the trail and attacked from above the control. | ||||||
5. |
Bad map reading Confused parallel features +03:00 | Following trails back to the main unpaved road/bike trail, I went counter-clockwise around the uncrossable fence because it seemed shorter. Upon measuring it, clockwise was shorter but the hills and footing made it less appealing. I also must have drawn my control circle too low because I ducked under the control, too near the fence. Making a parallel error, I went on and found HR. at 2:30 into this leg and punched it in a free square in-case there was a code error. Eventually circling back, I realized my error and got there. | |||||
6. |
No attack point Did not follow plan Took a chance Confused parallel features +02:00 | Wary of my straight navigation across what had so far had seemed like light green undergrowth, I chose trails. Given the 7500 scale, straight probably would have been okay. I went all the way to the tracks, following the trail along them. I knew where I was at the high point at the trail intersections. I planned to go until I could see the building but then worried that it might not actually be there since it was small and probably old. Not reading carefully enough, I took a chance and cut in too soon, going down the wrong reentrant. I recovered okay by going down and following the hill around instead of going back to the tracks to relocate. Still I had made a bad route choice and executed it poorly. | |||||
7. | Straight across but slow to be sure I was on-target, I spiked it. | ||||||
8. | Almost straight again but a little faster than on #7, I think I spiked it again. | ||||||
9. | Down to the tip of the marsh, I mostly avoided getting wet. Up the spur, I was a little too left but saw another runner who was just punching. | ||||||
10. | At first on the trail and following the other runner, I cut right leaving both. A right and left at the bike path and I spiked it. I think it was visible far off. | ||||||
11. |
Confused parallel features Bad distance judgement +01:30 | Back to the bike trail/road, I turned right at the next intersection. At the next intersection, I knew the first root stock was too soon. It looked very new to me so I wasn't sure it should even be on the map. I attacked and ran past it. As I could see the lake but not another root stock, I turned around contouring back. Eventually, I went under the new fallen tree I had seen earlier and tried again. As I did, I heard someone coming-up behind me but I didn't look back. The second try was on-target. I hadn't seen it earlier because it was on the opposite side of the second much smaller root stock. | |||||
12. | +00:25 | Out to the trail/road, I started to go all the way around. At the rocks on my left, I got the idea to cut across but after going down and reading again, I changed my mind cutting back to the bike trail/road. I got mixed-up on which trail off to the right was which. Cutting left, I realized where I was at at the intersection. I ran across the open wood to the next trail turning left. Fortunately I had thought to read the description this time so I knew to look for a pit and spotted it before seeing the control. | |||||
13. | I thought to go straight but took the trail the whole way. It hardly seemed out of the way though I paused at some intersections. | ||||||
14. | Over the knoll then straight down to the trail. I saw the volunteers at the map exchange. I wasn't sure that I needed to punch since I didn't see the control behind the sewer. They pointed to it as I gave them my name. | ||||||
15. |
No attack point Took a chance +00:45 | Up to the bike trail/road, then left. Taking a chance, I turned right up the hill, then went along the reentrant somewhat. I got too far left as the reentrant turned and hit the trail. Not knowing exactly where I was, I turned left until I saw the bike trail/road. Turning around and counting the reentrants, I found it. | |||||
16. |
Bad map reading Hesitated +00:10 | NE to the bike trail/road, then right, I crossed the marsh. Turning right at the open area, I got confused a little, not running the straightest path but I found it. | |||||
17. | My first inclination was to go back to the road/bike trail. However, I paused to read and went right, taking trails to along the RR tracks, then left toward the control. Just before the control, I tripped in deep leaves at the bottom of the reentrant. | ||||||
18. | Up to the trail, then following it down to the bike trail/road, I turned right. After the stream, I attacked, crossing the ditch. Downfall pushed me left but I corrected right afterward. When I spiked the control, I hadn't at first realized it, thinking it too soon due to the large scale. | ||||||
19. | Back to the bike trail/road, I passed some joggers who having seen the people clamoring through the woods with paper in hand had asked me if this was a game. I had only time enough to get out the words "It's Orienteering." Turning right after the marsh, I stayed right taking the low trail and popped-up the spur. At the top, I saw other orienteers and the control from far off. | ||||||
20. |
Bad compass work +00:20 | Not thinking to use the trail, I stayed high and came to the paved trail near the railroad. There I took a left and right, then attacked from the tail bend. I got a little too far right, stopping at the fence gap and looking on the other side. I came back through, and looked higher up the hill. At the deadfall, I took care not to step on the Box Turtle who was in prime stepping zone. | |||||
F. | I wanted to meet Peggy at #20 to give her her ring which I ran with the whole time. I was prepared to wait but took a chance thinking I could come back. Down the hill along the fence, I then sprinted fairly well down the steep paved hill at the dam. Turning-in the card, I ran back up to await Peggy. I moved the turtle out of the way and Peggy was soon there! I ran okay. My back/hip was better since I have been cycling. The longer bike workouts made me feel stronger and faster but lots of little mistakes added-up for a lot of time lost. I was lucky that there were so many trails to relocate with and prevent larger errors. |
Total Time Lost - 00:08:30