Race Evaluation
QOC: Prince William Forest: Blue
Nadim
| 1. | I ran the Red course the night before which had 9 common legs. The start was in a different place so partly because it was more challenging and partly because it was closer to equal, I went through the woods instead of using the road. There were many saplings in the way and one poked me in the eye. I was feeling okay but a little tired from the last two days. | ||||||
| 2. | Unlike the night-O, I went straightish. I climbed to the road and over the next ridge at the gap. I crossed the streams at the convergence and attacked from there to spike it. The control had been in the wrong reentrant during the night-o and I never found it then. | ||||||
| 3. | Out to the road intersection and in from the next. Like the night-o, I kept getting pushed left and higher by fallen trees. When I got to the right ridge, I recognized the flatish area I'd been to the night before and came down the ridge to the gap with the control. | ||||||
| 4. | I was already feeling tired. I climbed a bit to the right at first to get around fallen vegetation, crossed the stream before the confluence, then crossed the next going high to spike the control. It was just like the night before but almost a minute faster. | ||||||
| 5. | This leg wasn't on the night-o course. I basically followed the reentrant partly low to the gap, then down the next reentrant to the control. Already feeling much more tired than I should. | ||||||
| 6. | Left to contour the hillside to the road, then right over the top of the next hill, walking much of the steep climb. Going down I looked for the shape of the hilltop and descended at first along a reentrant south of the control. I came over to the correct reentrant, descended more, then stopped. A few more steps and I saw it. | ||||||
| 7. | +00:20 | Straight down the steep green reentrant to the South Fork Quantico Creek. With the hillsides so steep and green I wasted almost no time looking for a crossing. I figured I'd get wet but hopped rocks and stayed dry. Straight up the steep hill on the other side with a reentrant on my left (walking the climb). On the flatter top, I crossed the tip of one reentrant then passed the correct reentrant because I expected to see one more in between--it was just out of sight. I looked at the correct reentrant as I passed it then fortunately, I looked back and had a better angle with the trees. | |||||
| 8. | Left along the flat going around the big reentrant, I got to the road and because of the angle I wasn't 100% sure of where I was. I crossed going down a spur and followed the reentrant down further going tentatively. I wanted to cut right before the creek but didn't before seeing it ahead. I followed the shore to the control. | ||||||
| 9. | +02:30 | Going straight down the reentrant at #8, I cut right and crossed almost immediately. I then cut left after passing one reentrant but I was too early. Feeling my energy drain I conciously knew that I didn't have energy to waste looking for controls. I also wanted to get to #10 before one hour and thought I could make it. I hopped a ridge to the southeast dropping into the correct reentrant and finding the control much closer to the creek. | |||||
| 10. | +00:15 | Fairly straight. I had drawn the circle from the master thinking that the feature was the broad spur so I ran across the first reentrant onto the spur and down. I realized I'd passed it when looking left in the next reentrant. I got to #10 before an hour. | |||||
| 11. | +02:45 | Without much energy, I checked the clue descriptions to see where the next water stop was. I wanted to wait until it to eat the one Gu I'd brought along, even though I needed it a while ago. I followed the reentrant to the Taylor Farm Trail and crossed it left of the line. Hitting the next trail I cut right taking it to the stream. I attacked from there but misunderstood where the trail hit the stream or else it was mapped funny. I landed in the reentrant south of the one with the control. As before I realized I didn't have energy to waste hunting. I read the map more, ascertained what likely happened and went north to the reentrant with the control. | |||||
| 12. | I crossed the first reentrant and hit Old Blacktop Rd. north of the trail intersection. I cut right on the road, the left from a trail head on the left. Using the hut, I stayed on a straight line jogging down the hill, across the marsh and straight in to the control. | ||||||
| 13. | Going straight out, I crossed the reentrant and climbed the next ridge. As I approached the next reentrant, I paused and eventually could see the control on the other side. I ate my one Gu along the way knowing there was water ahead. | ||||||
| 14. | +01:00 | I drank 3-4 cups of water before leaving. Following the reentrant down to the marsh, I crossed the marsh and went into another reentrant. I climbed a broad spur and was a bit surprised to have drifted left so far as to hit the road at the Turkey Run Ridge Rd./Scenic Loop intersection. I took the Scenic Loop Rd. to the ride then climbed the ridge walking the uphill. It was still a lot further north than I anticipated but in the correct place. | |||||
| 15. | I wasn't thinking very well but the Gu I had was kicking in. I ran down the ridge and went off the left side of it before hitting the Scenic Loop Rd. I crossed there and angled up to the ride. Along the way I passed an unmapped grave headstone but did see a pit and depression there that was mapped. I followed the ride to where it dropped and knew just where to find the control in the reentrant since I'd been there the night before. | ||||||
| 16. | I ran straight over to the trail climbing more than necessary. I had some energy to run up a portion of the trail. By the time I got to the road I was walking again. I then went over the hill and straight to the reentrant like I did at night earlier and was not concerned about the control being further down the reentrant than I anticipated from the map. | ||||||
| 17. | I walked over the ridge rather than go around reasoning that if I must go slow (walking) it should be the straightest path. I crossed the stream and stayed a little left of what I'd done the previous night since the relationship of the field to the reentrant SW of it seemed a bit off. I spiked the control and struggled walking up the last hill. | ||||||
| 18. | NE to the N. Orenda Rd. then down to the bend. I angled over to hit the stream just a bit above the confluence and crossed. As I was about to cross the next I got snagged on a single but bad thorn and screamed out. Freed, I kept going straight and spiked the control, albeit slowly. | ||||||
| 19. | I followed the east side of the reentrant down and over the tip of the spur to the next reentrant. Attacking from there, I spiked it and was able to jog most of the way. I knew the next leg was going to be physically tough so I mentally saved some. | ||||||
| 20. | I went straight over the first ridge to the North Valley Trail. Cutting right on it, I descended to the creek and crossed on rocks (staying dry again!). I climbed almost straight from there and noted my position as I crossed the top of the ditch nearly parallel to the trail. I continued attacking from there and using the rocks to guide me down. Unlike at night yesterday, I could see the control from high up. | ||||||
| 21. | Somewhere on this leg I realized my watch had stopped probably from brushing against a branch. I remembered the climb last night going up to the Birch Bluff Trail being rough. I didn't think I had the energy to do it this time. I'd bonked completely by this point. I went along the bottom for a way and climbed along a ditch over a ridge on a more direct route. Though the ditch/ridge was very steep. I was so tired that I had to rest halfway up just trying to walk. After I descended to cross the next reentrant, I really felt myself going. I saw the park border signs. I started staggering but kept a straight compass bearing from there to the field. Attacking off the field, I just got there as two volunteers were untying the control. They held the e-punch for me. Oddly, even though I walked and staggered, I think my split was faster than the night before when I went around then lost a bit of time hunting. | ||||||
| 22. | The previous night I'd drifted right to get around vegetation and not lose too much elevation. I trudged fairly straight this time, hitting the spur on the ridge with the saddle and going in from there. I really had to focus to keep moving, continueing to stagger. | ||||||
| F. | I walked almost all of this and was more accurate on the trails than I had been at night going to a slightly different finish area. I was really glad that after all the effort that they left a finish e-punch box out for me. Mike Brooks saw me coming and asked what happened. I was hurting and tried to tell him I bonked. Not a pleasant experience but one that'll keep me from taking 12k for granted any time soon. I think if I'd eaten more carbs the previous night after the night-o or eaten a lunch while Peggy was running and I was watching Max that I'd have been okay. |
Total Time Lost - 00:06:50