Race Evaluation
QOC: South Fork, PWF: Blue
Nadim
| 1. | It was much nicer than last week and conditions (near 70F) were clearer than in the Fall when the leaves were still on the trees and orange. Dave Onkst had left 20 min before me according to the start sheet, Valerie Meyer was already in and Francis was ahead of Dave. Few others were running Blue since most had vet this in the summer and run it in the fall. Peggy was ahead on Red. This first leg was the same as the Red course of the US Champs which I ran Nov. 6. I didn't feels as strong as back then but ran a staighter line to the road, not climbing higher on the left. I checked my bearing though wasn't positive of my location on the road. Briefly I though to follow it but a look at the hills convinced me to go the right way. I practically walked the last bit of the climb up the ridge indicating I'm not in as good a shape or that I was less intense. | ||||||
| 2. | Down the right side of the reentrant the road, L and R back into the woods to cut off the corner. I somewhat contoured to the road again running to the last bend. Taking the curving ride to the stream, I was still surprised at how long it was, not used to the 1:15,000 scale. | ||||||
| 3. | Taking a fairly straight line, I crossed the road at the fork near the out-of-bounds maintenance area. Staying left of the line to reduce climb, I crossed the reentrants. After crossing the last stream, I was tentative but happy to spike it where I expected. I felt out-of-shape though. | ||||||
| 4. |
Underrated difficulty Bad compass work Confused parallel features +04:00 | Climbing from #3, I dropped into the reentrant and moved to the right side of it, right of the line. Going for the gap, I was still on the right side which lead me to picking the wrong reentrant (on the right). Going down, I was concerned with running fast over the fallen logs so I didn't check my compass. It would have saved me. Fortunately, the creek was at the bottom. Thinking I had passed the control and flatter area somehow, I realized my error and location (250M E of the control) when I didn't see the paved road. Turning L and W, I climbed and dropped over the ridge and reentrants to the correct stream. I took a bearing from a junction there but with the thickish brush I missed to the left. I went up to the open area, dropped down and almost missed again before finding it. | |||||
| 5. |
Did not like map +00:45 | Going on bearing, I crossed the road and climbed over the ridge. I don't know if it was the purported error with the magnetic N on the map or not, but I found the reentrant on my right. Dropping into it, it was greenish and a long way down. I got to the fork where it should have been and didn't see it. Then I remembered that Valerie (who had finished before I went out) said it was higher than it should have been. Even without being told, I think my instinct would have been to turn around and look up again as I did. I found it in deep brush in the reentrant above the fork. | |||||
| 6. |
Tired Lacked confidence +01:00 | I thought about the low route around along the South Fork creek but didn't like the look of the steep sides. As Dave told me afterward, it was filled with thick rhododendrons so I was glad I had gone up and over. I went for the high ground well left of the line. Picking-up a ride on the way down to cross a reentrant, I knew exactly where I was. I crossed the deep reentrant on a log and climbed on a bearing to go over the last knoll. Rather than trust my bearing at the top, I thought to check left (south) first, rather than be sorry later. I turned around at a smaller reentrant and went right to it from there. | |||||
| 7. | I paused for a while to find a better way around but thought going back over the knoll the way I came was best. I crossed the first reentrant on the same log I'd used earlier and used the ride most of the way to the Liming Lane Rd. Staying on the left side of the hill to spread out the climb, I crossed the first major reentrant and hit the gap. Crossing to the right side of the hill and the straight line too, I enjoyed the fast run down. I left the stream as it bent left. Once over the ridge, I saw it. Just before I got there I saw Dave coming up from the direction of the South Fork so I thought he ran around. | ||||||
| 8. |
Ran too fast Lacked concentration Followed others +02:15 | Though not at first, this leg was very similar to a leg on the Red course that I ran in the fall. I left quickly to get away from Dave. Hitting the creek it looked too deep to bother crossing. I would rather had gone right in the direction of the control to look for a crossing but I saw a viable one left. I went left 70-80M and crossed quickly, then came back on the trail. I stayed on the trail rather than cut across the U-shaped bend along the creek but I wasn't thinking right since I thought Dave would be right on me. As the trail climbed over the bluff, I stayed low with the stream. Some of it was washed out but with careful placement, I could hop the washed out parts and run fast. Back on the main trail, and crossing the bridge, I climbed and kept a run to the ride. In the fall, I executed my route much better. I wanted to try using the road and come up the stream but after crossing the ride, I ate a Gu and concentrated on that process instead of the map. Hitting the paved road, I mistakenly thought myself further south and turned N (L). At the intersection, I cut the corner and turned right but it didn't right. I realized my error and stopped dead. Turning due E, I dropped into the reentrant similar to what I'd done in the fall. My memory of the run, kept me running and kept the error small. | |||||
| 9. |
Ran too fast +01:00 | I'd done this leg last fall and wanted to improve the route. A person was ahead at the stream and I pursued. He took a more straight route and I headed left a bit. I was weak and tired climbing but felt good upon hitting the road and turning L. I had to go farther than I wanted to find an opening on the R for my route toward the stream. Once there, it was fast. I knew to be careful about passing the control but did so anyway. I should have clued into the bend in the stream but having passed it, I started to discern the end of the ridge on my right. Turning around, I hit it okay. | |||||
| 10. | Getting over the ridge S of the control, contoured the reentrant to the next. Staying on the right side of the ridge, I dropped down surprised to haved covered the distance this fast. I tired slowing myself down at the end. | ||||||
| 11. |
Did not read control code +00:20 | Going straight on bearing up the hill, I crossed both roads and headed toward the stream. I had it in my mind that the control was in reentrant like it was on the Red course in this area in the Fall. I saw a control at a stream junction and some recreational orienteers past it. To be safe, I checked it then ran on. At the second stream junction, I kept going a little then finally looked at the map more carefully. I only had to come back a short distance and up to the clearing. | |||||
| 12. | I was expecting an obstacle of green like on the Red course in the Fall. I remembered that people said it wasn't that bad too. However, I was in the wrong place for it to be an issue. I just ran a straight route to the large reentrant and kept it on my left to the bottom. At the bottom, I rembered my run here 2.5 years ago as a thunderstorm was coming-up and both Dave Onkst and myself wandering around 200M off. This time that memory made me confident of my location all the way to the South Fork creek. I was fortunate to be able to cross a shallow area. The time 2.5 years ago it was swollen and uncrossable. Climbing the other side, I ran a bearing with less confidence. However, upon reaching the trail and striking it perpendicularly, I convinced myself to trust my bearing and keep running. I hit the knoll and clearing just as I did last Fall. I had lost time on this control last time due to my own error and the wierd mapping so I knew to use the clearing fully. While I checked my bearing, Francis appeared on my left. I ran straight and hit it perfectly though it was farther than I thought. | ||||||
| 13. |
Tired Not thinking clearly Hesitated +01:00 | Last Fall, I was energized trying hard to catch and then stay ahead of Marek Filico who had hit the control just ahead of me. I went too far L in the process, lossing time for distance and climb. Without him there, I took more time to set a bearing. I was more tired this time however and drifted right to hit the cemetary. The green turned me more right. I crossed the first trail, then hit another at a junction. Confused, I ran L on it for a way, cutting right finally at a concrete trail marker. I was falling apart very unsure of where I was but was saved by seeing the water tower on the hill to my left. It surprised my that I'd come that far L of the straight line. Correcting, I was at the right contour. After crossing the trail, I thought the control I saw ahead was not it since #13 was supposed to be in the reentrant. Checking it anyway, I was glad I did. | |||||
| 14. | I was tired climbing. As I closed on the control, I was worried a walking orienteer would slow me as he was taking his time fumbling with the map to determine what box to punch. I said something and punched ahead of him while he still fumbled. | ||||||
| F. | The sprint in was a little left and farther than in the Fall. Others cheered me in and pointed me to the table. |
Total Time Lost - 00:10:20