Orienteering race 1:35:30 [3] 5.0 mi (19:06 / mi) +205m 16:56 / mi
West Point Green Y
Felt yesterday a good bit and felt tired even before starting. Headed well to #1, but halfway there I got distracted by a guy on my course who asked if I was on Green. I grunted, and he complained that the flag I had just passed had the wrong number (it was off by one). I simply said that it wasn't mine (being in a shallow reentrant rather than at the base of a 4 m cliff!) and went on. He followed me quite obviously to the control. I tried to lose him going to #2 and did. He ultimately punched about 20 seconds ahead of me. On the way to #3, I found him behind me again, but we were both part of a loose train. Train decoupled going to #4, but he stayed on my tail. I was distracted, tired, and slow. I chose to go "around" to number five to rest and to force him to go on, but he followed me. I stopped to tie a shoe on the way to #6, but he waited behind me. I also took off about 20 degrees off after the tying and blew #6, but he blew it with me. I deliberately tried a different route to #7, but he more or less followed anyway. Once again, I screwed myself, but relocated and we both hit the water stop at the same time as Sam. [Lost 4 minutes each time.] The guy asked Sam what course he was on, but Sam recognized the situation and took off into the laurel. When he went for water, I bailed after Sam. We were "apart and together" to #8, but diverged to #9. I considered the trail around, but ultimately went right over the top. Was alone the rest of the course except after the road. Very slow; not a good run, but what can you do