1. | I was one of the first fast drinkers (Beer) and out quick. I think Ted, Dave, Jon and Valerie were faster. I didn't fall for Ted's ploy to run in the wrong direction. Heading off after Dave and then Jon, we ran the side of the hill. I found the footing awkward with hidden branches under the grassy undergrowth. | ||||||
2. | +00:15 | I didn't read ahead on the first leg so upon seeing the next I thought #2 was to the left and #3 was to the right. My printing of the fork had the right fork of #2 lined-up with an index contour making it seem a bit like #3. I hesitated and thought to go over the saddle to the left #2. In the meantime, Jon ran off down the trail, then Eddie, then Dan Quinn. Finally I decided to do the same. Rounding the bend and attacking from the trail/reentrant junction, I thought the control to be just a little higher than it should have been. | |||||
3. | Leaving #2, I chased Eddie and Dan and was surprised to see Jon T. running back toward #2. Hitting the trail and attacking from the bend I saw it a far way off. | ||||||
4. | Over the saddle, I was surprised to see Dan and Eddie hopping left out of the first reentrant and into the next. Closer examination of the map does indeed show two reentrants but I thought the left one should have been more prominent. | ||||||
5. | +00:10 | I had my map folded so that I could see both #5's of the fork but I couldn't see #6 or further. I was feeling presure being behind already so I stayed on the trail and didn't cross the creek. After rounding the bend I could see Eddie and Dan rejoining the trail. I ran to where they did so but was past the control a little bit. | |||||
6. | +00:05 | Down to the trail, I looked for the island in the creek as a clue. I started misreading the map thinking I had to go to the second island but I could clearly see the control on my right before I got that far. | |||||
7. | +00:05 | Straight down the trail, I could hear Ted splashing across the creek coming off the fork. I ran a step or two past the control and had to come back. | |||||
8. | I ran to the trail and at the junction took the upper fork. I had to cautiously run past some equestrians and then started sidehill running. This started to take a lot of energy and in the heat I started feeling sapped. Ted had taken the low route using the trail more than I to get ahead as he angled in. I think I saw it first but he was in ahead of me. | ||||||
9. | +00:15 | This leg Ted took the high route and I took the lower more direct one. Both of us were too high. Seeing the field ahead we both turned back down with Ted getting there first. | |||||
10. | As we climbed straight toward the map exchange and beer control, Dan Quinn came barreling down the reentrant beginning his second loop. | ||||||
11. | ... a few breaths before a chug. | ||||||
12. | Ted was out fast and took the road. It seemed to make sense given the brush and sidehill running that I had already found slow and strength sapping. Leaving the road from the parking lot, we hit trails to the creek and ran along at a good pace. It seemed a long way to the clearing. I made up ground on Ted as he paused to check the map. The control was visible fairly far off. | ||||||
13. | I contoured around a bit, and reamained the same distance from Ted. | ||||||
14. | Trying to go straight I was a bit left. | ||||||
15. | Ted shouted out something to denote this being a forked control. We both chose the right fork as it was shorter and with less climb getting to #5. We left the first trail from a bend then ran up the reentrant. As the reentrant broadened, I got a little right of Ted. I didn't notice crossing the second trail. I started to head too far right but Ted's presence on my left brought me back. I spotted the control before Ted and surged ahead a bit to get there first. | ||||||
16. | +00:35 | Going straight I hit the left trail and came down to the junction. Turning left, I made a parallel error by suddenly thinking I was at the bend more on line. At the next bend, I attacked crossing the reentrant only to see the building. Perplexed, I turned back down the reentrant on the trail and was very tentative before rounding the bend to the control. Ted was still behind me. | |||||
17. | +00:35 | Going straight I crossed the road and went right into the woods. I had thought to go to the field corner for a solid attack point but thought I'd be able to hit it. I hugged the hillside too much not wanting to drop soon enough. Finally going down, I got to the point where the stream started in a gully before turning around and climbing. I could see Ted well ahead going on to the beer control/map exchange before I punched. | |||||
18. | I was slow climbing but went fairly straight trying to gain on Ted. | ||||||
19. | A better chug than the first, I was surprised to see both Eddie and Jon already finished. | ||||||
20. | Straight I felt hot and the drinking started to take effect. | ||||||
21. | +00:03 | I was reading ahead to the fork and started to focus on the right #3 of this 3rd loop. I cut left just in time remembering that I needed to go to #2 first. | |||||
22. | I went to the right-most fork reasoning that it leemed like less climb and put me on a trail. | ||||||
23. | Straight along the trail. | ||||||
24. | I plodded along the trail and across the field. I could see Ted far ahead climbing toward the finish. | ||||||
25. | Straight through the tall grass. | ||||||
26. | A better chug after a breath. | ||||||
F. | Just little dash. |
Total Time Lost - 00:02:03