Running 10:00 [1] 2.0 km (5:00 / km)
shoes: 201110 Inov-8 Oroc 280
Warmup before the long, much of which I spent in line for the bathroom.
Orienteering 1:46:15 [5] 14.4 km (7:23 / km) +120m 7:05 / km
shoes: 201110 Inov-8 Oroc 280
US Team Trials Long: it could have been a fantastic race, but my body and I failed. I was running very well until just before 10, when I felt a pop in my right arch along the medial edge of the heel. Continuing was difficult; pressing on the toe or the heel was agony. Concentrating a challenge because my foot hurt, and I was worried I would injure it worse.
I ran to the right to 1 and caught up to Gerald Yip on the big trail left of the line. I passed him pushing through the woods to the trail junction to 2. The route I chose to 3 was via the trail along the river, then up the trail on the spur. I held the lead except for a stretch on the trail up the spur, and passed him again charging down into the reentrant to 3. I tried to break away running to the field at 4, but he stayed with me; we ran into Jon and fumbled around in the woods a bit. I led the way into 4 and tried to run away to 5, but Gerald and Jon were not far behind heading to 6. Gerald and I ran straight while Jon went to the right; Gerald hit the control first. Figuring Gerald was faster on trails, I ran straight through the pine plantation to 7, but he pulled ahead on the trail. We attacked differently, and I retook the lead through the woods. Jon somehow appeared, but I was higher than the others and hit the control first. I had decided to run to 8 via 3, but Jon and Gerald were faster than me on the trail. The three of us attacked from the building near 3 separated by maybe 50m and ran up the reentrant on the line from 2-3. We passed over the clearing-trail junction-hill and ran down into the reentrant; Jon and Gerald were too low, and I found it first. I ate my Gu, pounded a cup of water, and hauled off towards nine. I stayed ahead the whole way and punched maybe 15s ahead.
I planned to attack 10 from the trail SW of 1, so I took off down the trail. I did not want to get caught; I cut a trail bend through the woods hoping to gain a little time. Jon left south of 2 (on the apparently better route), but Gerald caught up to me on the cut through the woods by 1. I pulled away on the way into the woods at 10, and my right arch popped about 100m into the woods. I ground to a halt with some expletives, and Gerald passed me. I hobbled to ten, exhorting myself to not be a pansy. I started running again (sort of), and hobbled my way around the rest of the course, but I was not moving fast. I messed up the control after the spectator loop (1:30) because I didn't have an attackpoint, and I messed up 17 by drifting too high.
I thought my race was shot after popping my foot, but my result wasn't terrible. Whether I can run tomorrow remains to be seen. I was in third after nine controls; it was an excellent race to me. How much that was improved by encountering Gerald and Jon isn't clear; I pushed harder to three because Gerald was near me. Jon led the way into 8. It was hard to completely blow a control because the people near me would have caught me. Even with these potential caveats, I'm satisfied with the first half of the race.