Orienteering race (Middle) 42:06 [4] *** 2.99 km (14:04 / km) +43m 13:07 / km
spiked:7/10c slept:6.5 shoes: Inov8 ORoc280-A 2013-08
NAOC Middle Champs, Brown Y. 2.4 km. 60m climb nominal
Trail to 1. A bit tentative to 2 as I got "into" the woods and mapping (I didn't go into the woods on the warmup). Hard to see the skinny form line above the "pond," even with magnifier and reading glasses but it indicated where the depression was. Then straight along hills and ponds to rocky hill with a barely visible dot knoll on top.
To 4 I popped out to the trail missing the barbed wire fence (seen on the way into 2) and skirted the vertical green and marsh. Saw two rootstocks in the reentrant but turned the correct way and found the bag on the rootstock to my left after crossing the trail.
To 5, hmmmm...need to be careful. Out to large trail junction and had the choice of climbing right away or heading west down the larger trail for a short bit and then find the trail heading up the hill, which I did. I never noticed the first angled junction but did see the 2nd. Just needed to locate the third which I did (Kean passed me along the trail here and turned at the right time). Didn't see the side trail near his bend, but did see a bunch of people going in to the control (136). Short easy leg to 6, again with people. I would have been a bit slower without them but I was headed the right way.
To 7, I cut out northwest to the big trail but think a better approach would have been to head south, run to the end of the blue area (marsh?), and head down the reentrant. Coming from the larger trail it was pretty junky and I had trouble seeing the cliff and the flag because there was a downed tree whose top branches overhung it somewhat.
Followed the right trails to 8 but looped around it from the north/right when the other side of the little spur would have been better/faster. Great to 9 but then misread symbols in the yellow looking for 10 and checked out 166 (thicket) first. Running down the trail to finish was a lot of fun. :-) As I approached the finish there was a lot of cheering but from a Canadian contingent so I figured there was a very fast male Canadian behind me and I was soon passed. I did hear my name being cheered on, and maprunner later told me it was her, so thanks, Mary. ;-)
Finished 3rd NA (all US), well behind Natalia D. and four minutes behind Sandy. A clean run would have put me a bit closer to Sandy but still behind, I'm sure.
I'd been looking forward to Glen's course here all year and wasn't disappointed (in the course)...best Middle course to use this terrain. :-)
I'm taking tomorrow off but plan to run the campus sprint, just because I like campus sprints. Congrats to Natalia and Sandy!