Race Evaluation
Hudson Highlander IX: Highlander
PBricker
| 1. | All road. Already regretting decision to wear o-shoes with studs. My feet were killing me over the last two hours. | ||||||
| 2. | Near beginning, had a decision that came up many, many times on first two maps; rocky ground or laurel? Usually, rocky ground is faster, but the laurel wasn't all that thick, so it ended often in a tie. JJ and Sam were in front of me for the first half of the leg, but I couldn't keep up. Tim Good and Mark(?) were with me at the control, and the three of us were together for next 4 controls. | ||||||
| 3. | Saw Peggy going back to 1. | ||||||
| 4. | +01:00 | Drifted too low and had to climb back up. Eddie going by us here: he obviously missed 1. | |||||
| 5. | I took a good line and got there first. | ||||||
| 6. | Following Tim and Mark through the green. Some hesitation near the control. | ||||||
| 7. | On my own for the rest of this map. Went along the top of Jackie Jones Mtn. to tower, attacking from the road. For some reason, Tim and Mark headed straight: never saw them again: they finished well after me. | ||||||
| 8. | I can't run downhill. | ||||||
| 9. | +01:00 | Attacked from the trail after the green. A lot of hesitation, and I weaved around a bit, ending up a bit left. | |||||
| 10. | I went around the south end of the pond, and then along the beach. Looks like it might be faster to go right of line, north of the marsh: but flat, marshy areas are not usually fast for me. | ||||||
| 11. | |||||||
| 12. | +00:30 | Includes about 2 minutes at the aid station, where I tried to choke down some power bar. Jeff Saeger came in as I was leaving. I stayed on the road past the marsh and cut the corner to the trail, but got caught up in some vines. Better would be to countour over, leaving road before the marsh. Indeed I got caught on the trail (someone I don't know). | |||||
| 13. | I was behind the guy on the trail, but I cut in sooner and got to the control first. Nasty green. | ||||||
| 14. | Over the saddle and right to it. other guy went right but met up at the control. | ||||||
| 15. | +02:00 | I let other guy pull me too far right. I stopped (he kept going), and I corrected OK, but not before losing some time. Met up with Jeff at the control. Other guy came in as we were leaving. | |||||
| 16. | Straight. | ||||||
| 17. | Jeff and other guy stayed high through the laurel, I went around low, but it wasn't any faster. Peggy caught up with us here. | ||||||
| 18. | Left side of marsh. | ||||||
| 19. | +01:00 | Peggy and I missed this. Jeff and other guy pulled away. | |||||
| 20. | +01:00 | Another miss. Peggy now pulling away, and feeling tired, I decided to let her go. Never saw anyone again until end of Sebago map. | |||||
| 21. | +00:30 | Veered too far right and got caught in some laurel. | |||||
| 22. | Along the left side of the marsh. Slow going, mix of wet and green. Maybe road would have been faster, but not by much. | ||||||
| 23. | Very slow on the rocks. Feet huring, and feeling unstable. | ||||||
| 24. | +01:30 | Spent a lot of time just trying to find a way through the thick brambles. Ended up on a knoll past it and left, but fortunately I could see the flag. | |||||
| 25. | +00:30 | Went to field and then back in, but brambles everywhere and I weaved around looking for a way through. | |||||
| 26. | |||||||
| 27. | Only about a minute at the aid station. Big mistake. I didn't eat anything or drink nearly enough. Dehydration and low sugar did me in on final map. Will finished before I left: a Highlander record. | ||||||
| 28. | Longest leg I've ever done! Spent at least 30 seconds making sure I had the best route, which took trails left of the line for all but 250 meters (plus cutting a corner). Unfortunately, I could barely jog . This leg would have been about 8 minutes faster earlier in the race. When I left the trail, I went below the big cliff and up the reentrant right to it. | ||||||
| 29. | Walking. When I hit the cliffs in the circle, I wasn't sure if it was left or right, but fortunately a gust of wind blew the flag slightly out from behind a rock just to my right. | ||||||
| 30. | Walking, using open area in circle to go right to it. | ||||||
| 31. | +02:00 | Along cliffs to the trail. Wasted time worrying that the trail wasn't as mapped, but then just headed for the marsh. Ended on left side, and backtracked a bit to cross to the right. Went a bit too far (what looked more cliffs were mapped as giant boulders) and circled around the circle and back throught the wet marsh. Punched with both feet submerged in the water. | |||||
| 32. | Another potentially fast leg, but I walked a lot on the trail: my feet were hurting on every step. I got to the trail by going down the reentrant heading right for the swamp. Coming to the control I saw Jim Eagleton, and quickly left him behind as we headed out. I was surprised (and encouraged) to see someone moving slower than me! | ||||||
| 33. | Due east to the trail, then attacked from bend through some green and up to the road. Got caught here by Karl(?), who obviously had more energy than me climbing the steep hill from the open area. | ||||||
| 34. | Actually running! | ||||||
| F. | If this was 130 m., I'm a world-class sprinter! |
Total Time Lost - 00:11:00