Orienteering race 2:32:17 [3] 11.9 mi (12:48 / mi)
slept:7.0
WRE Long hosted by WCOC
Not as bad as yesterday, navigation-wise; however, it is clear that my leg (groin) problems, which have destroyed the little flexibility that I have, severely impact my ability to run through the woods. The smallest down logs require stopping and stepping over, small boulders that I should be able to jump onto are barriers that I have to go around. Many times I had to put my knee on the ground when I was climbing, because I couldn't lift my foot to the next spot it needed to go.
The slower running led to better navigation, but far too often I found myself running "straight" for 200-300m, then making sure the map matched where I was, instead of running off the features. Several times I found myself on a trail that I had not seen on the map - sometimes, I never found the trail until I was done with the race and in the sunshine.
Despite those reasons for frustration, the biggest problem is clearly not enough training for running thru the woods. So, I need to work on that before the trip out west for US and NA Champs. I also need to figure out a cure for the groin problem (I can barely put on my left sock).