Race Evaluation
2001 Billygoat Run:
peggyd
| 1. | I wrote this the other night, was almost done, when I got very rudely logged off. Try again! Took a long time to find #1 and was behind a whole passel of folks heading up the hill. Passed Charlie D. on the very first hill; we ran the end of last year's Highlander together and also the WCOC A meet in the fall, so I thought we might be close again. Not today, though. Followed everyone on the trail, right behind ailing Peter G. When he cut off into the woods right before the trail bend/marsh, I followed. When we hit the trail north of the uncrossable marsh, I saw several people who had been ahead; better route, thanks, Peter! Shortly after that Peter stopped with hamstring pain. Punched in just behind Abi Weeds. She took off to #2 and I never saw her again -- don't know where she DNF'd. | ||||||
| 2. | Following. Doglegged down the hill into 2; saw JJ, Nadim, Mark D., others leaving. | ||||||
| 3. | Jeff Saeger contoured more and beat us -- I went right over the top. | ||||||
| 4. | Nice downhill then up over the knoll. Jeff just ahead. | ||||||
| 5. | Ted Good asks at #4 who wants to skip 5. I was trying to decide between 5 and 14; Ted convinces me to go for 5 and get a nice trail run to 6. Skip. | ||||||
| 6. | Ted heads towards the stream and I tell him we have to go down to the trail. Stop to ty my shoe (for the first of several times...) just past the bridge; Peter, Mark, Ted et al pass me and continue on the trail. Get into the area with Steve Worthington and we chat while watching Peter look for the control. I see it at the same time Peter does and arrive just behind him. | ||||||
| 7. | Uphill walk. Nadim catches me and I ask if he skipped 5. He explains his error leaving 4. Peter is walking too. We hit the trail right at the stone wall junction. Ross Smith and perhaps John F. pass us here; they obviously haven't skipped yet and their young fast legs take them past and I never see them again. A real chimney, how cool. | ||||||
| 8. | Down to the big trail, right behind Bernie. The others in front of me, including Peter, go further down the trail while I climb early and arrive just behind them. Seems too early for food and Gatorade so I just have water. | ||||||
| 9. | Follow the guys (Peter, Ted, Bernie, Steve, etc) on the trail to the north across the dam. I see Nadim on the trail ahead of me, the last time I see him before he finishes. I read my way up the hill, also using Peter, Bernie, and Steve as helpers as they're ahead. | ||||||
| 10. | Last in the train; I think we're drifting too far to the north but we spike the control. | ||||||
| 11. | Straight through the green stuff and we hit the marsh next to the control just north of the pond. We look at it and decide not to cross so we all follow Peter north around the marsh, until we are due west of the control and then we cross the marsh anyway. | ||||||
| 12. | Trail run! Steve is just ahead talking to Peter; Peter trips on a rock and goes down hard. He's up quickly and seems okay. Steve takes the blame for distracting him. I tuck in behind Peter as we angle down the hill but the guys behind are faster and pass me on the trail. Tim Parson joins the group. Nice dogleg into the control from the trail to the north. As the last one in the train, I have to wait to punch and Peter gains 100 meters on me. | ||||||
| 13. | We're a bit cautious on this one; Tim sights it first and we all race in behind him. | ||||||
| 14. | I am concentrating on consuming a packet of GU and just follow to the control. As I take a drink I see Tim Good arrive, punch, and leave. I'm now definitely at the back of a fast-moving train. | ||||||
| 15. | Starting to lose contact; we all take the eastern trail and attack from the pond. | ||||||
| 16. | Back to the eastern trail, though I am tempted by the western trail/ridge option. Don't have to wait to punch and I realize I'm about to lose contact with the group for good. | ||||||
| 17. | On my own now, and I inevitably slow down. I decide to take the trail system to the north, though looking at it now, I might have prefered the bigger trails to the south. I'm a bit confused when I cross three big trails in quick sucession, but figure it out pretty quickly and when I see the pine tree I easily find the control. | ||||||
| 18. | Went too slowly here, trying to read the cliffs on the hillside; the boulder is huge and hard to miss. | ||||||
| 19. | Alan Young is about to pass me as I leave 18. I am ultimately surprised how far up he finished. My first thought is to take the powerline and I head that way, but cut off the trail at the boulder halfway between the trails on either side of 19. Try to navigate through the woods but drift right and hit the powerline. I think I know where I am, despite no real obvious clues, and I head east and see the control to my left. Just as I punch, I see Joe Mokszyki, Rick DeWitt, and someone else (Doug G?). Though annoyed to have been caught, I know they will help me pick up my pace again. | ||||||
| 20. | Trail run, feeling good. Rick is just ahead and despite my desire to head due east to hit the trail, we go SE and head up the hill before finally angling down to the trail. I pass Rick on the trail and lead him and Joe into the control. | ||||||
| 21. | I see JJ as we're leaving the control and I'm surprised because he usually beats me lately. I figure he had a big mistake. Not happy about having to do this leg but it helps to have Rick,Joe, and Jeff S. nearby. Check off features and the control is easy. | ||||||
| 22. | Joe and Jeff are ahead going north. When we hit the trail they continue in the woods. I look at my map for a few seconds and decide I'd rather cross over the river and run on the big flat trail and then cross back. So I do that, and when I reach the dam I see Rick just arriving; I have made up time. A fisherman on the dam tells me I'm the first woman but what does he know? Other women may have gone through the woods. I'm right behind Joe, I think, when he punches. | ||||||
| 23. | I see Joe inexplicably go off the trail, west into the woods. Jeff stays on the trail and I do, too. See Nancy K. coming the other way as she's heading to 17. I feel great relief that I'm almost done and don't have several k still ahead of me.I see the cliff and control and sprint up the hill to reach it before Jeff. | ||||||
| F. | Killed myself on that uphill sprint and Jeff easily reaches the trail ahead of me, quickly putting lots of distance between us. Passing many people on the trail going to 17; George Hawes tells me I'm the first woman. Again, I figure he has limited knowledge, just who he's seen and Abi and/or Pavlina are probably already in. Ahead, not far from the finish, I see Jeff stop and bend over, with likely muscle cramps. I tell him to walk it off but of course leave him there as I sprint past. I am surprised to find I've finished not only ahead of Jeff but also Joe, Rick, and JJ -- and Pavlina. Though I finished less than 2 minutes ahead of her, I never saw her. I had a pretty good run, just a minute or 2 lost at 19. Fast course and really enjoyable. The cake was very tasty, too! |
Total Time Lost - 00:00:00