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Race Evaluation

Hudson Highlander 7:

Nadim

1. +01:000-1 It was Busy week without much sleep until the night before the race. I didn’t also get in many long runs before this week. Before the race, my plan was to just stay with the pack, not going too fast so that I can still read the map. At the start however, I’m excited. The cold has me jumping. I expect the King of the Mountain at the start given where we’re at and Peggy’s anticipation. As we take off, I follow Ross’s (?) lead off to the right a bit. Others such as Daniel Schaublin are ahead of me and pulling away. I’m surprised by how winded I am climbing. Occasionally walking fast up the steep grade, the group realizes it’s too far right. Our line shifts left in a scatter. Guided by others already there, we converge at the control. Peggy has just punched as I’m there. It’s almost a minute before I get my turn at the punch.
2. +10:001-2 Finally off, I glance at the map but am in following mode. I want to catch some people and do, often by cutting a corner as they shift direction. Eventually we round a bend and are at a control. As I check, I find it’s #3, not #2. Damn! An embarrassing u-turn takes me back and breaks contact with other running my pace. I find #2 from #3 in 5 minutes and see that 2 others did the exact same thing. This is an awful repeat of my goof at the Susquehanna Stumble Time
3. +02:002-3 Coming back to #3, I rely on memory too much and drift left.
4. +01:003-4 There’s still a few others around. Valerie, from QOC is one of them. I catch her group and follow others toward #4, being more careful about reading the map. Passing the others, I get the edge of the marsh and realize that I’m too far left. Coming back, I’m punching with Valerie and others.
5. +02:304-5 At first, I just head off in the direction of the control. No one is visible in front of me so I think about going across. Beginning by going around the marsh, the way is slow. I change my mind and intend to bail-out to the road. I never see the trail on the map and am too far away to take much advantage of it—Peggy tells me about it later. I cross the ridge, then follow a widening but boulder strewn reentrant down. As I get to the road, others are a little surprised to see me popping-out of the woods here. Going down the road toward the lake, I get in good stride, passing all that are visible. At the beginning of Lake Kanawauke, I leave the road and hit the trail, still finding others to pass. Leaving the trail at the bend at its northernmost point, I climb to the trail, use it then leave it to head to the marsh. Others are coming down as I go up and find #5 without further trouble.
6. 5-6 Down the edge of the marsh, left on the trail. Just past the saddle, I rough compass the middle of the land. I soon see the dam and cross over it. Taking a careful bearing from there, I spike it.
7. +02:3024- Exchange - The West Point runner and I set a quick pace back to the map exchange. He’s been running 3 years(?) but is their lead runner. I tell him I’ve only been doing it for a year. I get in a little ahead of him. (4:54) Exchange - 7 - I take less time than the first exchange but shove down cookies, part of a Cliff bar and more Gatorade. Having done Pole Bridge, I set out for Rockhouse Mountain, chasing the West Point orienteer. Peggy is coming in from Rockhouse as I go out. I catch the West Point runner just after the circle where he’s confused at first by the streamers heading into the woods for the return route. We run together some more, then I leave him before breaking into the woods before Lake Askoti. The trail is bad at first but okay. I pass a young woman who is walking a hilly stretch. After the marsh, I leave the trail up the reentrant, starting to walk also. At the top, I run but hug the hillside too much, ending up in a large stony reentrant area south of the control. Realizing it, I race across northward. The young woman is visible heading straight for the control. I give it a burst of speed and get there just before her. (22:57)
8. +05:008 - 9 I go straight, intending to use the stone walls as catching features. My aim is true and I pop-out of the Rhododendron at the wall intersection, also catching the young woman who went around on the trail. I go along the low ridge and find the control without more trouble.
9. 8-9 I go straight, intending to use the stone walls as catching features. My aim is true and I pop-out of the Rhododendron at the wall intersection, also catching the young woman who went around on the trail. I go along the low ridge and find the control without more trouble.
10. 9-10 Since my navigation is not too hot today, I decide to take the safe and quick route on the trail. It’s either much hillier than it shows on the map or I’m more tired than I think I am. After crossing a stony valley, I leave the trail, slowly crossing another. I find it without much trouble but am wondering about the route choice being slow. Peggy later tells me she didn’t use the trail and was only 20 seconds slower.
11. +19:0010 - 11 I head back the way I came to get to the trail. It’s slow. Leaving the trail, I head for the top of the hill. Instead of going around the knoll, I decide to go through the gap. Going on bearing from the gap, I miss to the left. Turning around and wandering a bit, I return to the gap and try again, again missing to the left. Coming back up, I see the young woman go by. An older man also come through and I stay near, hoping he’ll lead me in. We’re wandering, far to the east but he’s sure he know which boulders are which. I’m never sure of this so I continue following. We head toward the saddle again when I see the West Point runner go by. I leave the older man an head in the direction that the West Point runner came from, soon finding it hidden in the Rhododendron.
12. 11-12 All by my self again, I run the ridge staying to the left. The view in the open area is great. I read the control description, noting the top of the knoll and land right on the control.
13. +01:3012-13 On the way down to the road, I see the West Point runner who had gone too far down the cliff. I tell him it’s just up there but he already knows this. On the road, the spikes don’t feel good but going down does. I turn up on the dirt road just before where the power lines come out on the road. After a walk up the hill and crossing the power lines, things don’t appear correct on the map. Isn’t the field north of the power lines in the wrong place? I set a bearing and can see the road before I know this is wrong. Climbing back, I find the marsh and punch.
14. 13-14 Running down and across, I think the control must be higher, but the streamers clue me in. Is this a smile I have? I’ll have to wait to see the picture of the punching.
15. 6-Exchange - Someone points out the streamers to me and I take-off downhill, on the trail and on the road. As I’m coming in, I see Valerie who appears to have made an error and is on the wrong side of the lake. (4:56) Exchange-15 After Surebridge Mountain, Pole Brooke was my next map. At the exchange, I guess I’ve stopped for +3 minutes for cookies, water, Gatorade and a Cliff bar. Going down the road and up the hill, I pass a few other people. Going on bearing right from the road intersection, I eventually look ahead and see a rock. It should be right behind it and it is! (10:11)
16. +04:3015 - 16 Going up the valley at first, I decide to climb out for a more direct route. Running to the edge of an obvious rocky valley, see two reentrants but am not sure which is right. The 1:10000 scale is confusing me a little so I go for the farther one. It turns out to be wrong. Before I know it I’m buried in Rhododendron, clawing my way up a knoll west of the correct area. Looping around, I skirt the marsh on rocks, climb some more and finally am back in the right rocky reentrant. Two older competitors get to the control 30 seconds before I do.
17. 16-17 Not seeing a great way through, I bear right a bit, eventually hitting the stony valley. Turning left up it, I pass the other two whom I saw earlier and find the control.
18. +00:3017-18 Starting out, I think to go straight. The other two go left headed for the trail. I change my mind and follow. On the trail, it’s hard to pass. At the first stony open area, I break across the valley while they continue going straight. Turning up, I find the control before they do.
19. 18-19 I cross the stone walls and trail, then the knoll. The control is visible a long way off. I use a GU somewhere around here.
20. 19-20 Up the hill, then along the edge of the ridge. When I get a feeling that I’ve go far enough, I drop down and spike the control.
21. +01:3020-21 The other two are in hot pursuit but I’m putting some distance between us now. I go between the knolls and try to just go on bearing. Crashing through the Rhododendron, I soon see a stone wall ahead. Coming back up, and then going west, the other two have just punched before I do. A West Point runner punches ahead also.
22. 21-22 I begin following the West Point runner, passing the other two older orienteers. I think he’s going too far right but we spike the control.
23. 22-23 Still following the West Point orienteer, we go right around the marsh. We drop down to its edge, then climb the ridge to the control.
24. 23-24 Just going on bearing, we crash down the hillside, never going to the road. The control is visible a 100 yards ahead.
25. 14-Exchange - I’m still running okay but not very fast. (3:31) Exchange – 25 – I drink quickly and eat some. I take a piece of Cliff bar w/me. I don’t want to stop long for fear of tightening-up. Another West Point’er, is leaving. We head for the shoreline but the fence blocks us so we take the road. I’m not feeling tired but start having leg cramps and have to walk up the hill. I loosen to jog a little, pass the West Pointer, round the bends and drop to the control w/o trouble. If I could run, I think I could have save a few minutes. (7:41)
26. 25-26 – The West Point runner and I both move slowly on the shoreline trail. Still having cramps, I walk occasionally. At the bend in shoreline, we get to the control. The other West Pointer whom I had seen on Rockhouse Mountain catches us, probably by coming down the road. We all punch near each other.
27. +10:0026-27 – I’ve loosened up more and use the road. At the end, I turn right on the intersecting road, then turn left into the power lines. The West Point runner who caught me earlier is now behind again. He’s going higher and the look on his face should have queued me in that I’m going too far down the power lines. Climbing to the gap, I’m reading cliffs that tell me I’m in the right gap, so I drop down, cross some stony ground and Rhododendron. I hit the road just west of the marsh and realize my error. Going back on the road, I see two other runners going the other way, but I find the control w/o much trouble.
28. 27-28 – Down to the road, bear left at the vehicle trail, and continuing up along the stone wall, I hit the control okay.
29. 28-29 – Another runner had gone through just earlier but I didn’t see which way. I opt to get the road ASAP and make the mistake of going down the thorny Cotoneaster filled reentrant. It’s rocky and very slow. I’m surprised I don’t cramp more. Running the road, I catch the other runner and take a low trail along the shore. Turning up at a reentrant, I first hit the cliff just below the control. Realizing it immediately, I climb and find it. The other runner, one of the West Point runners is looking below.
30. 29-30 – I just go on bearing and reading what features I can. It’s further than I think, but I get there w/o trouble.
31. 30-31 – To the road, I leave to the left just before the power lines. It’s rougher going down to the creek than it should be. Hitting the road, I leave it almost immediately at a bend. Going on bearing, mostly walking uphill, I pass a confirming knoll on my right and spike the control.
32. +15:0031-32 – Heading for the trail, I get there quickly. I want to confirm my position before crossing, so I head up on the trail to the bald rocky area and trail intersections. I start down what I think is a trail that gets closest to the small lake but it disappears and after fighting vegetation, I hit the trail I first was on. I’m not sure of it however, so I go down, thinking I will see the lake. Eventually, I reverse direction and jump into the correct valley making a guess from the contours I’ve crossed. Others are also here and I find it finally.
33. +04:0032-33 – Scary. I run along the ridge line, then drop into the marshy valley. I leave behind some of the others I saw, and turn right, after what I believe to be the uncrossable marsh. In the campground, I use the trails, though I’m not sure which is which. I come out where I hoped, crossing the road at the forking intersection. Passing the buildings, I drop again to cross the valley, and go under the power lines. I have to crawl at some point in the rough green, and pass an stone aqueduct-like feature. Going up the stony reentrant, I think I’m reading knolls okay but end-up in sight of the hunter’s stand. I go to it then set a bearing. I miss right this time, rounding the hillside. Eventually, I spiral in and hit it.
34. +01:0033-34 – Adrenaline pumping, I run off, without a good bearing. I drift right, passing the hunter stand and some cabins before hitting the road. I run fast on the road, go past the fence, then hear the shouts that it’s uphill. A sort of sprint up and I’m there.
F. +00:0333-Finish – I head to the crowd that is eating but they tell me to follow the streamers. Correcting, I finally through.

Total Time Lost - 01:21:03


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