Note
Here are the maps from today's marathon at Valley Forge:
1.
Mt. Joy (controls 1-4, 24-26, and 47-49, plus the S/F).
2.
Mount Misery (controls 5, 19-24, and 26-27).
3.
Chesterbrook (controls 6-18)
4.
Mill Grove (controls 28 and 35-41)
5.
Fatlands (controls 29-34 and 42-46)
orienteering 4:47:24 [3] 42.2 km (6:49 / km) +1969ft 6:22 / km
shoes: Asics trail
The Valley Forge Orienteering Marathon, a brilliant event conceived by Wyatt and Angelica, mapped by Wyatt, and produced by a few DVOA stalwarts. It was definitely an event not to be missed.
I had a great race. Absolutely. Except for the run-in from the last control, when about 600 meters from the finish something happened in the region of my upper inside left calf and lower inside left hamstrings, the tendons not the muscles, which had twinged a couple times earlier, and all of a sudden they just hurt something awful. Jogged/limped in, very glad the race wasn't any longer, but not at all happy with how the leg felt. May be a while getting better.
But until then, I felt great. No blisters, no foot problems, no cramping, no chafing, no stomach problems. And my energy was excellent almost to the end -- only on the last couple of legs did I walk a couple of times where it wasn't significantly uphill. I kept being surprised -- 2 hours and the legs felt strong, 3 hours and the legs felt strong, 4 hours and the legs felt strong. Must be all the golf?
I had company almost all the time, which was nice. First from Phil and Mike Lyons, then Randy, then they fell back a little but I caught Hillary. Stayed with her until crossing the bridge on the way to 47, when she took off to try and catch Iliana.
Mentally, my orienteering was fine, my concentration was fine, but I made two mistakes that would have been fatal but for the kindness of others. First, my control card and clues dropped out of their holder somewhere near the first control. A hundred meters later I hear someone yelling at me, it's Corinne, also I think Cristina, they have my card. Thank you C and C!
And then, worse, on the way from 33 to 34 I dropped my little map, the one that had controls 35 to 41 on it. I sure didn't want to go back to look for it, so I asked Hillary if I could hang with her through 41. She was gracious enough to humor me, I think she liked having some company too. Thank you Hilly!
But it was still just a great race physically. The same feeling as some of my ultras, that you can just keep going for a long time. One of those days when the legs feel good. And at age 63, very fine.
If my leg just wasn't killing me now....
Note
Remarkably easy drive home, at most moderate traffic on the NJ Turnpike, Garden State, Merritt, and 91. Just took 4:40, plus an hour's stop for dinner at a chain I can actually recommend, Ruby Tuesday, has a really fine salad bar, really, really fine. Don't need to get much else. Though I did get a little ice cream when we got home, first in quite a while, just to celebrate.
Nice to be home, but what's all this white stuff. And cold!