Orienteering race (blue middle) 1:09:30 [4] 6.0 km (11:35 / km) +55m 11:05 / km
shoes: VJ Falcons 2019
Walked/jogged to the start. I had stretched some before heading to the start so decided to just go. Go,
#1: turned over the map took a bearing and off I went. I would swear my compass didn't point north. I didn't know what to expect but was was running along a stream which I couldn't see in the green on the map and in the darker woods. I decided to just keep going and keep pace counting. Then Clint was there taking pictures (get out of the way Clint). Then I saw the private land through the trees and figured out where I was. I corrected and went tot he control. Not a good route but one I could live with.
#2: Thought about taking the road but said straight would be better at the speed I run. I checked off the rock features but couldn't see most of the subtle contour/form lines.
#3: took another bearing and off I went. Should be an easy control. I hit my boulder right where I was supposed, then the stream. Followed stream to control. Looking at GPS route, I was again running off in the wrong direction, hit the wrong boulder and wrong stream. It looks like I got lucky.
#4: Theme of this control, I need new eyeballs. I didn't see the indistinct trail along the south side of the stream. My eyes can't see it in the green on the map. I decided to run on the north side of the stream because it is more open. It was more open until I saw people running on the trail on the other side. I crossed the stream and hopped onto the trail. cut up through the green which was tough to get through. Took a bearing and ran on. once again I was off according to my GPS route. Crossed the stream, hit a rock by stony ground. I thought I was just north of the control so cut south and then saw the control.
Apparently what I thought was a boulder was the stone pile. and was much farther off than I thought. Again it appeared I got lucky.
#5: bearing and straight to the control. Apparently I got this one correct.
#6: Ok, apparently my watch is freaking out and saying I went place Ididn't go. Ignore my watch routes as it apparently was lying which may be why my earlier legs I was surprised to always be so far off. I went straight counting rocks and hill, streams as I went. I was right on the money for this control. I hesitated when I hit the boulder cluster west of #6 but then kept going right to the control.
#7: Leaving 6 I started gettering worried that I was at #9. #9 and #6 are close together and I started wondering if I had accidentally gone to the wrong one. Decided I was correct and off I went. Straight but slight west of line. Right to the control.
#8: Straight but drifted right. Crossed the stream but not real sure where. Saw my control off to the left.
#9: Straight, by boulder cluster and to the "boulder" 0.4 m high (i.e. 1 foot).
#10: (Disclaimer, the line went to #3 so that is where I went.) I cut out to the road, road to small stream crossing and down the small stream to the larger stream. I decided it was quicker to cross early then dogleg back from the bridge. Crossed the main stream, than ran along it and cut up to the control. Right to #3. DDDOOOOHHHHHH!. Then I fell apart. Ran back to the road then confused road and stream. I wanted to be right of the road which I intepreted as right of the stream so crossed the road and ran along the stream. Much greener in that area as soon as you leave the stream. I found the pit, and tought it must have been the wet pit so wandered some more in the green. Eventually realized the bonehead mistake I made. went back to road and to the control Took a hard fall after leaving the road.
#11: Straight but I have no idea where exactly I was. I thought I was on the money but the final approach there was no control. I corrected from where I thought it was but still no control or rocks. I ran around trying to figure things out but the rocks I was at didn't match up with anything. I finally bailed out the stream east of the control. It all looked the same. I thought I figured out where I was but it took be right back to the same rock I had been at before. Finally guessed I need to go somewhere else so picked a totally different direction and hit was I think was the ride, Things made little more sense. ran by stony ground and then saw the control through the green. A lot of time lost. Nadim approached the control as I was leaving.
#12: Took a bearing and again was off. Hit the hill and started angling up the hill. I expected the control to be 1/2 up the hill but it turned out to be at the bottom. Nadim went straight and beat me there.
#13: Cut down the stream, along the stream to about the intermittent stream junction, Cut up through the green the best way I could. I figured I would see the settle area as I got close. Right before #13 I got my foot caught and as result ran/fell into a tree I was planning to avoid. Hurt my right hand. Saw the control.
#Finish: Ran to trail and out to finish.
Except for #11 I wasn't too unhappy with my run. Not thrilled with the #9 to #3 line, or the #6/#9 being close to each other, North lines should also have been black instead of blue. I kept getting confused on the streams/north lines.