Race Evaluation
US Short and Long Championships: Red Y 2
ParkSchool
| 1. | Ran through start triangle, although heading S immediately looks better. | ||||||
| 2. | +03:30 | Took direct path, but somehow miscounted big reentrants and arrived sooner than expected, and compounded my error by refusing to acknowledge that the trail I crossed on either side of large spur was the mapped trail. Crossed steep reentrant beyond flag and started steep climb before I came to my senses. Then had to run both directions on trail before hitting flag. | |||||
| 3. | Trail run then up reentrant past trash heap. | ||||||
| 4. | +07:00 | Worst leg of entire calendar year. Started left of line along southernmost trails aiming for power line cut. Quickly realized that there was a lot of needless up and down, but felt I was too far committed to change. Rationalized that approach would be easier ultimately, but then cut off trail too early and wound up too high on slope in marshy reentrant I still can't identify on the map. Had to bail out W to stream before attacking again. | |||||
| 5. | +00:45 | Tried to run leg a compass, but again failed, drifting to R. | |||||
| 6. | Diagonally down slope to depression-strewn bottom of hillside. Checked out control from other course before hitting water-stop. | ||||||
| 7. | Again on compass. No good plan of attack, but saw flag from a long way off. | ||||||
| 8. | +02:30 | Cut diagonally to power line arriving at top of steep descent. Trail run cutting obvious corner below curved cliffs. Attacked from building, but drifted too far R (again) and missed stone wall. Found water stop on cliff to NE, then contoured roughly to control. Still never saw the stone wall. | |||||
| 9. | Back past water stop (enjoying a second unscheduled drink) and then on compass picking up southern cliff and stone wall intersection before correcting N to correct cliff | ||||||
| 10. | Finally a decent leg. Downhill picking up small stream to bend in road, then followed mercifully flatter trails before heading up hill through multiple pits and paired cliffs. Nailed control. | ||||||
| 11. | Contoured slightly around top of hill. | ||||||
| 12. | Ran northern trail as I had yesterday, and again nailed control after fighting through some young pines on the W side of broader knoll N of control. | ||||||
| 13. | +02:00 | Oops. Made 90 degree error leaving control and hit NS trail rather than EW trail. Had planned to cut through marsh, but descent appeared too steep, so started running trail to L (past aid station from different course). Suddenly noticed road visible below me and check compass. Retreated sheepishly past aid station again, then crossed bridge and ran E of marsh before picking up trails again. At least I recognized correct cliff after crossing tiny stream. | |||||
| 14. | Along trail, then cut up through broader reentrant to pick up SW trail to road. Not sure if there is a real advantage one way or the other, but road run gave me a chance to plan rest of routes. | ||||||
| 15. | Retraced steps confidently. Stopped for much needed water. | ||||||
| 16. | Road, then cut through open area on very convenient beaten path. Around spur, between marshes, then up diagonally to follow stream. Not much energy left here. | ||||||
| 17. | A little higher than intended, hitting small pond dead center before going around to N. Joined pack of runners heading down trail. | ||||||
| F. | Have just enough to keep Tim Good from catching me at end. |
Total Time Lost - 00:15:45