Orienteering race 1:00:38 [4] *** 6.35 km (9:33 / km) +250m 7:58 / km
spiked:10/14c shoes: VJ Falcons 5
Green X, Day 2 at West Point. Black and White Cap Mountain map. Map has much more detail than most WP maps (this area was remapped in 2013). I found the map difficult to read, primarily because of the green, which made it hard to see contour detail. It also made the course printing harder for me to see. The (widely spaced) vertical green, especially in small patches, only added clutter without being particularly useful. Course design was good, but could have used more long route choice legs and fewer middle-type legs. Control 8 was superfluous, on a direct line from 7 to 9.
Run was decent from a time perspective, fair from an orienteering perspective, and a bit unsatisfying due to how the race played out. I gave up about 2.5 min on 1 and 2 and got caught by Stefan Slutsky who had started 2 minutes after me. We took different routes to 3 but having someone else going into the control with you reduces the challenge somewhat. We were together to 4, then I was on my own for 5,6 and 7. On 5, I somehow started following the line to 2 as I was taking the road route to the left. Realized the error shortly after I passed the road junction and doubled back but then cut over to the trail and followed the green along the ridge top. Lost 1 min +. Caught up to Tom Nolan coming out of 7 and then we picked up Stefan on the way to 8. From there on in to the end we were more or less together. It wasn't until 13 that I was able to take the lead, so 8 through 12 were all "competitor-aided". Good to race head-to-head but it does detract from the orienteering some.
Weather was mostly good, except for abot 5 minutes of rain shower. Temperatures upper 50's - low 60's. SL distance 4.9 km with 135 m climb. 7th on Green X, 1st in M60, so 1st in M60 for two day combined - won a beer glass.