Orienteering race (Billygoat) 4:28:17 [3] **** 18.41 km (14:34 / km) +455m 12:58 / km
spiked:31/35c shoes: Jala Jukola Spider 6 #3
Per the control descriptions -- 14 km, 520m climb
As we drove down the Taconic Parkway to the Billygoat near Bethel CT it alternated rain and pouring rain, but by the time we got to the parking area it was just showering lightly. Throughout the race I didn't notice much beyond drizzle, with just a brief shower at one point, so it wasn't miserable, just wet. Temperature started at 58 and probably got into the low to mid 60s by the end.
On the trail run to 1 I heard folks discussing possible skips -- 14 and 33 were mentioned, and I decided 33 (on the far side of a lake) was a good one, near the end. In retrospect, the climb and technicality of the map between 15 and 16 would have made 16 a good skip, but I headed off toward 16 and eventually messed up, spending twice as much time as I should have. Other costly errors at 6 (wandered on an adjacent hilltop too long) and 30; plus a bit of head-scratching around 27 (standing with my back to the flag looking at all the adjacent rocks), and a route choice misstep to 31 (got on the wrong trail and had to backtrack).
Despite taking almost 4 and a half hours, I still had fun. It was a nice day for running, not too hot or cold, just a bit damp, which made navigation a bit trickier for me because I couldn't use my glasses well (I did whip them out before 29 to make sure I saw where the trail jct was!), and relied mostly on my magnifier (not good for the overview).
Thanks to WCOC and all the volunteers, and to the course setter, Joe B. for a challenging course.