Training Log Archive: davelevine

Mason Neck
8 controls, 4.6 km, 30 m

Actual Distance Traveled: 6.4 km
Actual Climb: 15 m

I was a bit uncertain going into this event as to whether I should go or not. I decided to give it a try. In the six days prior I was taking it easy as I recovered from the 25K Hyner View Trail Challenge on 04/22/17. I even gave up my usual weekday walks to and from the Takoma Metro and took the bus instead. That's how sore I felt at the beginning of the week. I was feeling much better by the end of the week but I still didn't feel up to doing a long course so I opted for the brown course.

I walked the whole way. I didn't the take easy route until I got to the last couple controls. In some cases there was no easy route. I knew from past experiences that orienteering at Mason Neck can be a real chore, especially in the southern portion of the map where the contours are few and far between and there isn't much in the way of terrain features to help guide you.

The first two controls were fairly easy to find in part because of where they were located and also because there were lots of other people looking for them at the same time as me.

The next three controls were all south of the road. The first of them (3/124) was the longest leg of the course. I knew I had to be patient and play it safe, which is what I did. I used my compass quite a bit and took some educated guesses which turned out to be correct. I found it on the first attempt. I didn't move fast but I didn't have too much trouble finding the other two controls that were south of the road.

At one point I came across a control (129) which was not part of the brown course. I took a guess as to where it was and used that to help me reorient myself when I was about halfway between 2 and 3. I used that control again when I was searching for 5/132. I had to veer a bit off course in order to do so but finding it again gave me a level of confidence that I think made it worth it.

The last three controls were relatively easy to find. I stuck to the trail between 6/116 and 7/133 a little more than necessary but I was tired and felt like I had earned a break.

It was hot today, unseasonably warm for April. i walked through quite a few spider webs. I also collected a fair amount of pollen on my clothes by the time I emerged from the woods.

My time wasn't spectacularly good so I was surprised to see how high I finished in the results: 4th out of 14 people that finished the brown course. I wasn't surprised that there were a large number of DNFs and MPs. I was surprised that I did as well as I did among those that finished the course successfully. Without checking I'm sure that it is my highest finish ever on an advanced course, especially one with that large a number of people attempting it.

Brown - Splits

BP: 93 / 58

BP: 98 / 64

BP: 101 / 71

BP: 114 / 71