Event (Aus Long Shamps) 48:36 [4]
Settled well going out of Start as there were 2 fence crossings and mine wasn't the obvious one straight in front. Then downhill for lots - fortunately running downhill rather than orienteering going downhill. # 2 picked up well then bearing to #3. But this wasn't crisp enough and I drifted to WSW rather than SW as required, losing about 4 minutes here in all. Flat with fallen timber but still not clear visibility. Lots of people made it very interesting. Pulled the pin and was on way back to #2 to relocate from very prominent rock feature. Saw another flag and checked it out. Stern words to self then wiped mistake from mind and pulled up #4 and then started to drag through another person who I discovered later had started 2 mins after me. Pulled in front across flat land to #5 and #6 and through fence to farmland and pulled away even further, but I wasn't looking back. #7-#8 I felt I was losing ground to Jules, leading her in but that's the way it goes. "Floored" it on long leg to #9 which involved a steep climb near the end and then into rock. Still concentrating hard for contouring leg in rock to a feature I was sure I'd see but didn't take optimal route and ploughed through stuff for ages, and especially as I knew I was on the feature but not the end of 6m high cliff. Got it and then bolted downhill across farmland for last 2 rock features and long strides through the finish shute - yep rockman got a pic with 2 feet off the ground (downhill). l was happy with most legs but on Results very happy with 1st place by 1 minute. I had lost about 4 mins at #3 but pulled back 5 in the rest of the course, however from splits it seems I was only ahead on the run in after the big rockface. I needed to pull back the stupid loss and just by sticking at it I got through.Feet survived and surprisingly feeling quite good.