Race Evaluation
28th Annual Billygoat Run:
tonyf
| 1. | Skip. This year I decided to stand at the start and study the map for two minutes, deciding on skip and split while others charged off at top speed. I left the start at 2:30 having decided to skip the first control and take 4 left. My choice to skip #1 saved the hard climb right out of the start, which I thought might trash me for the rest of the race. So I headed up left to the trail. | ||||||
| 2. | Caught George Hawes, Francis Hogle and others along the trail, they stayed righter than I did from the trail junction - were they heading for 2 or 1? Went right by 22 then angled downslope through some barberry to stream way before the control, and followed back along the stream off runners coming out of 2. Great spectating anyway. Probably would have been a good skip except for the 2 minutes standing at the start. | ||||||
| 3. | Reverse course and follow stream, crossing it before the walls, then followed walls to control, with some hesitation where they were all over the place. | ||||||
| 4. | Left. Up and then slightly down to trail near bend with Susan DeWitt ahead and I think Tim Good behind. Across stream and along walls to control picking up Rick DeWitt and Peggy Dickison someplace. | ||||||
| 5. | Started left of hilltop but changed mind. With pack. | ||||||
| 6. | With pack as fast as we could climb over those lovely walls. | ||||||
| 7. | Still with Rick, Susan, Peggy, Tim, and Bernie Breton with various lead changes through the next bunch of controls. Through the field of stone piles then contouring. The pack went high and I compromised between what I thought was right and what they were doing - a mistake - should trust myself. Confusing wet areas; I didn't notice the dashed stream in the green until just now. Recovered and headed left to control as Scott Turner came into it; I think Tim, behind us, spiked it. | ||||||
| 8. | Various slight variations, but the same crowd. I think we had a bit of trouble here too, because I said to the gang at the punch "We better not have trouble with the next one!" | ||||||
| 9. | They had trouble - in the field as Rick, Bernie, and Peggy stayed close to the woods I headed higher and beat them in. | ||||||
| 10. | Bernie ahead of me going to 10. Rick and Tim behind. Peggy skipped this one and we never saw her again (she later moved up a lot of places). Beat Bernie through the swamp. | ||||||
| 11. | Lead the group this leg until I hesitated too soon, not realizing there were two streams. | ||||||
| 12. | Beat the group into this one as they (and me) went too far right after leaving trail. | ||||||
| 13. | What is that thin solid black line anyway? | ||||||
| 14. | Rick reminded me to punch. Thanks, but Peter didn't want to see punch cards anyway. As we were drinking "champagne" I said "Bernie's leaving." He was already half way down the driveway. | ||||||
| 15. | Over the hilltop behind Bernie. | ||||||
| 16. | Edge of marsh was ratty and some climbed up through cliffs. I stayed below them. It didn't matter much. | ||||||
| 17. | Can't remember the order of the choo-choo through here. | ||||||
| 18. | I think this was the first real route choice error made by the gang. Angled up to the trail, with me lagging and higher, then along trail a bit, then ran into the cliff line. Most turned right to get down, but I went left and found a way down to the marsh tip. There is a much better route right of the stone piles and north of the cliff line, almost a contour the whole way. | ||||||
| 19. | I was leading on this leg and caught Tracey Olafsen in the "trail" through the slash. She was with me the rest of the race. Crossed the stream at same place as before and attacked from the dug reentrant. | ||||||
| 20. | I offered the gang the opportunity to pass me running up the hill, but they declined! Rick and Bernie got ahead by the top. I stayed more left closer to the drop trying to avoid a little climb, but then swung over to where they were as Bernie led down the spur into the control. | ||||||
| 21. | Cautious about speed and about staying on line. | ||||||
| 22. | Squish, squish along the stream and over to the trail I'd run before. Took the same route to 22 as I had before though the others went differently (higher?). | ||||||
| 23. | Contoured around still following Bernie and Rick. | ||||||
| 24. | They got farther ahead staying on the contour and disappeared. Tracey and I followed the platform until it petered out and we had some nasty sidehilling and then up to the trail. Met Tim Good on the trail to the knoll. When drawing route on map realized the BEST route would have been down three contours from 23, then contour on relatively flat all the way to the knoll, ignoring the trail. We should have known by now that the green didn't mean anything. | ||||||
| 25. | Tim skipped 25. Tracey and I straight to it. | ||||||
| 26. | Stayed on east side of stream. Nice herd path. | ||||||
| F. | Ditto. First Goat I've ever done where I was with a pack practically the whole way. It was fun. Glad I am in excellent shape and could maintain a steady pace the whole race. |
Total Time Lost - 00:00:00