Race Evaluation
US Team Trials: Day 2: Blue/Green
Tundra/Desert
| 1. | The route indeed is here. I managed not to look at the map with any course on it during the printing that I did, and tried not to look much at the woods so as not to subconsciously identify the snippets of the map I may have accidentally remembered. I was well aware of William starting 2 minutes behind me; I gave him the start time he requested, and then it just happened that I randomly drew myself into the slot just before him. I knew that this would be my chance for a good run, given a complex course in moderately complex terrain with low visibility that would favor a slow all-around navigator I happen to be. I started out in the general direction without reading the map. As I crossed the first major reentrant, I noticed the trail route. I decided against it, since I was already quite a bit off the trail, and thought that forcing myself to read the map while running through the greenish woods, early in the game, would be the best preparation for the rest of the course. | ||||||
| 2. | I stopped dead a bit short of the control, and figured out I had quite a bit more to go. Just short of the control, I saw who appeared to be Nikolay, but he wasn't. | ||||||
| 3. | I ran as fast as I could on the simple route at the bottom of the hill, then marched up the power line and attacked from the building/trail. I started going down the wrong spur in the thick green, but sort of suspected that and as soon as I could see that there was no control, backed out to the elephant crash path and approached down the next spur. The bag was there. It looks like my route was not particularly fast despite the fact that I ran very hard up to the road/power line junction. I don't quite understand. | ||||||
| 4. | I exited out the same elephant path. From there on, my favorite leg!! I want more of those. | ||||||
| 5. | I exited towards the radiotelescope, and hit the trail. I was a bit unsure, so continued E on the trail towards the power line. By then I was too far E of straight line, and had to correct. | ||||||
| 6. | As I ran up the spur out of #5, I saw William. I got ready for some fast running, and put the pedal down. | ||||||
| 7. | Taking the trail (southern) route, I looked back a few times: no William. I surmised he must have gone straighter, which may have been the faster option; but I was pretty darn sure I wanted a safe route at this stage in the game, having made no mistakes in what seemed like the trickiest, greenest early part. If William were to pass me on this choice, so be it. | ||||||
| 8. | The early portion of this leg was my favorite non-green part of the course: coarse reading of moderately obvious reentrant/knoll chains. | ||||||
| 9. | I exited down the reentrant, and fed a bit too far E before turning N. As I crossed the major trail, I used the major depression to correct. | ||||||
| 10. | Exiting Control 9, I saw William again. I was surprised he had not passed me, and again managed to put on some speed. Fortunately Control 10 did not demand more than my reckless navigation. | ||||||
| 11. |
Bad map reading +01:40 | I ran west along the trail, then S down the large reentrant, then started the approach up the side of the hill. I was looking for the little knoll on the side of the shallow long reentrant with that indistinct trail running down it, but couldn't see it as I crossed the reentrant. Then I saw the major depression to my left, with an earth bridge (saddle) right behind it, and misidentified it as a part of the the major depression chain 140 m to the E. I stood confused, then bailed to the trail. I identified the N–S trail right away, but was further confused as I misread the reentrants crossing the trail. I was expecting to see dips as the trail crossed the reentrants, but there were none, and should not have been as the trail cut at such an angle that it just kept descending across the reentrants. After further stoppage and confusion, I spotted the long knoll to the E, then William leaving the control. I ran to the control. | |||||
| 12. | As I was approaching, I saw William hitting all cylinders on the way to #13. I noticed he was going somewhat wide left. The control was just where I had expected it, but I didn't see the bag until I walked into it. | ||||||
| 13. | The control was just where had expected it, but I didn't see the bag until I jogged into it. | ||||||
| 14. |
Read map too late Bad map reading Disturbed by others +00:25 | As I was leaving, William rushed into #13; he had missed it. I blasted down the spur. I knew I had to find the beginning of a green reentrant, then cut one reentrant to the right. I did that. There was no bag. I ran all the way to the bottom of the reentrant. William in the meanwhile had caught up and checked out the next reentrant to the right. I looked to the right and saw him depart quickly. The control was there. I had misread the reentrants. | |||||
| 15. | I followed William. | ||||||
| 16. | I followed William, but lost sight. It was a simple leg. | ||||||
| F. |
Total Time Lost - 00:02:05