Race Evaluation
DVOA: Valley Forge: Red
peggyd
| 1. | Took upper trail, cut into woods about 100 meters along. Down and over to the spur and down the spur to the control. | ||||||
| 2. | Took trail all the way past the quarry, coming through the woods from the northeast. | ||||||
| 3. | Nice elephant track through the woods to the semi-open. Saw the fence to my left and saw part of a trail but it didn't look like it did on the map...so, a bit confused and going too slowly. Finally figured out exactly where I was. Was trying to decide whether to go to the north or south of the marsh, deciding eventually to go south (hence Nadim seeing me turn to the left). I see Nadim approaching as I punch. He's made up two minutes on me already... | ||||||
| 4. | Out in the field, Nadim passes me. I almost mention that my foot hurts but figure that would just be whining and excuse-making. I watch as Nadim stays to the right at the trail junction, while I go left of the copses, into the woods, through the yellow, and spike the control. I am enjoying a cool one when Nadim comes in from the road. | ||||||
| 5. | Out through the nettles with Nadim just behind; he passes me again as we leave the parking lot. I say to him, remember the control is actually at the top of the cliff; just after that I see the reentrant and turn into the woods and see the control. Nadim has gone past it. | ||||||
| 6. | Back out the way I came in, since the straight-line has the uncrossable junk in the way. Trail to the road, then down the steep hill. Control visible when I get down. | ||||||
| 7. | +01:00 | I don't want to climb up so I turn north but I run into orange fencing. Detouring around that, by the time I get out, I'm across from the hunk of woods NNW of #6. When I hit the woods, I see Nadim a couple contours and 100 meters ahead of me. I certainly won't catch him on this running leg! I see Tim standing in the parking lot up ahead, just spectating; he tells me Nadim is just ahead and asks where Dave O. is. I thought Dave was going to start before us but evidently he didn't. Never saw him (at least he didn't catch me!). I see Nadim for the last time as I hit the woods and see him leaving the control. | |||||
| 8. | Slow to a walk going up the hill. Trail to the road, then about 150 meters before the control I go into the woods, figuring I can stay between the two trails and will likely see the control. I do. | ||||||
| 9. | Down to the big trail and along. Ran on this for the Relay Champs Yellow course in '99. Probably ran faster then. The rocky trail is tough with a sore foot. Down into the reentrant, control visible again from a good distance. | ||||||
| 10. | Up up up. Then down a bit through the yellow and step into the woods and see the control. It's very clear to me now that I'll not catch Nadim; the orienteering is just too easy and I am having trouble running hard because of my foot. And he's much faster anyway. | ||||||
| 11. | Well isn't this a gimme control. I can see the patch of woods from the minute I leave the woods at 10, it's just a matter of getting there. | ||||||
| 12. | I am so tired I actually stop and walk for a few seconds in the semi-open. Course would have been much tougher if a control had been in one of these shallow reentrants in the semi-open! The area near the control is cool. | ||||||
| 13. | Straight, pretty much. Uphill, tired. | ||||||
| 14. | A quick glance at the map helps me decide I want to stay high, so back up from the cliff and along the hill. As always, the control is visible from way off. | ||||||
| 15. | To the road, to just past the bend. One step into the woods, I see the control. | ||||||
| 16. | Very nice elephant track leading away from the control to the field. No tracks in the semi-open, though. Between the huts and aiming for the middle of the woods. Once again, as soon as I get into the woods (well, a couple steps in), I see the control. Stream is dry but the code is right. | ||||||
| 17. | One last unpleasant, slow slog across the semi-open to the control. I can't see the little building on the map and don't go as fast as I should. | ||||||
| F. | As I approach the finish, I see several finishers standing around, including Nadim: he's beaten me for the first time when there wasn't a misplaced control involved! Good for him, and I won't say it's just because my foot hurt. Though that did slow me, it didn't slow me enough to make that difference. It's fun to have such a fast, easy course once in a while, but I wish I had been able to enjoy it more! I probably have a strained ligament in my foot, so I'll have to take it easy for a few days at least. |
Total Time Lost - 00:01:00