Race Evaluation
Susquehanna Stumble: Long Stumble
Nadim
| 1. | Start to #1. Started off down the trail. Could see Dave Onkst moving-out fast on the trail and I started-off that way too before turning down the reentrant like the pack did. Past Tim Good on the way down. Didn't feel that strong. Punched then hit the split button on my watch too lightly. | ||||||
| 2. | #1 to #D - Down to the stream, paused to decide then went up over the ridge toward #D; just trying to settle-in on a pace. Mostly following. | ||||||
| 3. | #D to #E - Can see John Torrance ahead. | ||||||
| 4. | #E to #C - Can see John Torrance and Randy ahead but lose sight of them just before the control. | ||||||
| 5. | #C to #B - Out to the trail. I started to follow straight up the wall but wanted to make sure I didn't overshoot so I swung right then left to the follow the spur up. It was better footing but I lost a little ground. | ||||||
| 6. | #B to #A - somewhat contoured following. | ||||||
| 7. | #A to #7 - Staying with the pack, not reading well. I started reading after crossing the second stream valley but still followed others. Randy was in the distance ahead. Cresting the hill, I looked left and saw it while the others had overshot it. They were turning around just before I got there and punched. | ||||||
| 8. | #7 to #8 - Passing others as they come back, one other guy was with me. He was going left toward the trail junction. I went straight and dropped/climbed the contour at the road. The other guy stayed left and I dropped-in to the control alone. | ||||||
| 9. | +00:30 | #8 to #9 - Down to the road, I wasn't sure why the guide line between #8 and #9 was bent. It saved a hill so I did it. Crossing the creek, I slowed looking to confirm where I was. I took my time climbing. I think I found or saw another control before getting to #9. | |||||
| 10. | #9 to #I - I thought taking the high route to #H first would leave a good trail run to return with. Others like Ted Good caught-up while hesitated on the climb. I ended-up being drawn left where Ted was headed and so punched at #9 first. | ||||||
| 11. | +01:30 | #I to #H - taking the high road near the park's east border, I was confounded twice by running toward, then around jutting fences which I hadn't noticed earlier. Cresting the hill, I past the control on the west side while looking at Tim Good and John Torrance climbing up from the other direction. John found it first, and yelled out since he thought it incorrectly located in a pit. He then took off toward #I where I had come from. Eddie later informed me that it was correctly hung; that there was a rock in the pit. Tim get's there just ahead of me. | |||||
| 12. | #H to #F - Tim and another are leading. I climb a little wide left and get there behind the others. | ||||||
| 13. | #F to #G - Down to the trail, we fall into a trot. At the stream, some start to cut across then come back. I stay on the trail well past the others (Tim, Dan Quinn and another, then see it before they do. Not wanting to be last in line, I rush down and head them off to get there first. I have trouble finding it on my control card, then punch. | ||||||
| 14. | #G to #14 - Hitting the trail almost perpendicular, I take-off with a lead down the trail. Cutting left after the stream and pile of concrete, I pass #9 before getting to the hill overlooking #14. Vladimir and another guy in red are there. I cut left to get down the earth bank, cross and punch while Vladimir is drinking. I drink too. | ||||||
| 15. | #14 to #J - Vladimir leads off down the creek and I fall in step. At the road, I almost decide to go up one ridge earlier but follow Vladamir instead, cutting a corner in the process. | ||||||
| 16. | #J to #K - Vladimir goes a little left and I make-up ground. He gets there ahead of me. | ||||||
| 17. | #K to #L - Vladimir meanders a bit but again leads me to the control. | ||||||
| 18. | +00:20 | #L to #18 - Down the path, I hesitate before following Vladamir to just before the bottom. I want to both be higher but keep contact w/Vladimir who drops down to the flat. To keep in contact I follow but in the process Dann Quinn and the other guy in red catch-up by staying high. I'm last to punch in the group of 4. | |||||
| 19. | +00:30 | #18 to #19 - Feeling a little tired, I move-up. Dan shouts something from behind about which control or where we're at--I yell "#19 stream" but I don't realize he doesn't have his map. It was lost at #3. Dann yells back "spring is over there". As Vladimir and the guy in red move up, Dan and then I think it's more to the left and get drawn-off just before the green area near the trail (which I didn't see). Dan follows but we realize we're wrong and scuttle back. I can see just enough to catch-up to Vladimir as he's leaving the control. | |||||
| 20. | #19 to Exchange - I didn't see any others pass us so I'm unsure if others are ahead of our pack of 4. We go straight though Vladimir and the other guy in red stay to the right side more. Being on the left, I'm higher and see the crowd at the exchange before they can so I take-off at a better but comfortable pace. I get there first and try to grab the next map before turning-in my old one. They don't seem to expect all of us at one time. | ||||||
| 21. | Exchange to #20 - I didn't time the break. I drank Gatorade and had a Gu. It seemed like 2 minutes to me but I left seconds behind Vladimir and the guy in red. | ||||||
| 22. | Up the trail toward the road, we break-off. The guy in red eventually takes the road but Vladimir and I stay in the woods going straight. I recall crossing one trail but don't recall seeing the second. Because of this I felt tentative and continued following Vladimir. At the big reentrant, I'm confused because I didn't read the features along the way. Vladimir got a bit more ahead before I followed to the punch. | ||||||
| 23. | #20 to #M - Going down, I can let it go and catch-up to Vladimir. I think we're lower and are going toward #N. However, Vladimir leads me to #M. | ||||||
| 24. | #M to #N - straight behind Vladimir. | ||||||
| 25. | #N to #O - straight behind Vladimir. I'm not feeling good about all this following. | ||||||
| 26. | +00:15 | #O to #24 - out to the road, Vladimir leads up the paved ramp. I know this to be wrong but he's already up and I don't have a chance to advise going down. Vladimir finds the stairs back down and I follow, catching him just past the Tavern. Slowing to read, Vladimir turns-up the indistinct trail. I thought it was early but it wasn't. Meanwhile the guy in red catches us both. Here's where I should have eaten another Gu. I couldn't think clear nor read the map well as I continued to tire on the climb. The trail seems to disappear and this makes it worse. I followed to the punch anyway but felt more out of control partially due to all the following. | |||||
| 27. | #24 to #P - As we climb I yell PQSR but Vladimir is headed toward #Q. I watched him go off in my indecision. Since the guy in red goes toward #P, I decide to go w/him. Still reading badly and only using the 1:15000 scale, I see control #7 on the rock but think it could be what we're looking for. I tell the other guy but he looks back at me funny and keeps going-on past it. I follow him across one ant hill and then up to the control. | ||||||
| 28. | +06:30 | #P to #Q - The guy in red moves along faster going downhill toward #Q. I started to follow then got drawn right, perhaps still thinking of #7 on the rock. Not following and going out along the wrong spur, I looped and twiddled my thumbs. Then I decide to checkout the control on the rock, learning it to be #7. Other recreational orienteers come through. I still wasn't thinking clearly and still couldn't locate the rock on the map even though I had been there early in the race. Eventually, Ross comes-up the hill headed toward #P. I later followed him after he came back from #P and got there with a little more trouble. Unknown to me since I didn't see them at the time, Tim and Ted Good past me on this leg. I had picked a bad time to go off on my own in a difficult part of the map. | |||||
| 29. | +01:30 | #Q to #S - I wanted to play it safe after the last debaucle so I cross the reentrant chasing after Ross. He went wide left around the knoll but I climbed it to know where I was at. I should have pace counted from there because on bearing, I turned right at the first saddle I saw which was too early. Coming back up, I saw the control just before Ross and pointed it out. He was closer and got there first. | |||||
| 30. | #S to #R - Finally, here was one I could do... up and over. I think I passed Ross getting to it. I felt back in contol again with a clearer head. | ||||||
| 31. | #R to #29 - I ran to the trail and turned right to go just past the junction and be sure of my location. Ross went more directly straight. However, I passed him on the run down the reentrant and up over the next big spur. At the next large reentrant, I checked features then turned left and right and left to the control. I felt Ross nearby but behind. He must not have seen me duck behind the rock to punch. Thinking he is a quick runner from the finishes I've seen him do in other races, I hoped I could stay ahead. | ||||||
| 32. | #29 to #T - I took the trail to the intersection and turn right on it. Counting 2 big reentrants and a trail bend I turned down, staying on the left side and spiked-it. | ||||||
| 33. | #T to # V - I contoured around and spiked it. I drank but was tiring fast. I was surprised to see only 2 or 3 cups already used. | ||||||
| 34. | #V to #W - I followed reentrants and could see it far off from the bottom. | ||||||
| 35. | #W to #U - Feeling really slow, I contoured over. Seeing the full carcass skeleton scared me a little. I realized it was a deer but it almost looked human in size and the way it lay. I had a strange afinity to feeling the same way it looked. I saw Ross heading toward #W | ||||||
| 36. | +00:20 | #U to #34 - Happy to be out of the windows, I slogged-up but got a little left. I started cramping. The large reentrant didn't seem to line-up. Perhaps I wasn't letting my compass settle enough but I saw it anyway. | |||||
| 37. | #34 to #35 - I went back up to the trail because I figured it'd be safer. Randy told me later he didn't want to take the 2 contours and went around to the left because that was safe too. On the trail, I ate a Gu in a feeble and too late attempt to stop the cramping. It did stop anyway probably because it had gotten less steep. I left the trail just past the junction, going down the reentrant, then up the next spur, hugging the hillside to the control. | ||||||
| F. | #35 to Finish - I wasn't reading well still. Just running in the general direction, I turned left to avoid the green and took the trail to the finish. I was surprised to see Tim and Ted ahead of me since I hadn't seen them since the first loop. It was just my turn to make an inopportune mistake back at #Q and #S as Tim had done the previous week. I'm still pleased about my 11th place--a vast improvement from last year where I missed the first control. |
Total Time Lost - 00:11:25