Race Evaluation
QOC: Great Falls, MD: Blue
Nadim
| 1. |
Bad distance judgement Lacked confidence +00:15 | 0-1 A beautiful day - Low-humidity; temp. in the mid-70's around noontime Francis leads off, followed by Peggy, then me, then Marrick--each 2 min. apart. Francis goes down the trail. Peggy goes into the wood on bearing. I choose to go on the trail. At first the scale throws me and I think I've missed the junction. There were some course-setter notes about some indistinct trails on the map not being there or not being indistinct. I couldn't remember. I stop once before the intersection, then keep going. Before taking the turn, I see Francis going east. Next after turning down the trail is Peggy. I leave the trail and see the control easily, surprised that I've found it so quick. | |||||
| 2. | 1-2 Back to the trail and up to the intersection. Going along the north side to not lose much altitude, I cross the first set of reentrants, go over the spur, and down into the big stream valley. Following it up, I hit the control without trouble. | ||||||
| 3. |
Bad compass work +00:15 | 2-3 Leaving 2, I cross some green and hit the trail. I'm a little unsure where I'm at and hesitate to go left. Later I decide to go right. I see the next intersection and follow the trail to the left. Jumping off at the big bend, I drop into the reentrant, cross some green and hit the control just as I hear Marrick coming-in behind. | |||||
| 4. |
Bad compass work +00:45 | 3-4 Worried about Marrick aproaching, I set off without setting compass well. Over the ridge I know I should be more to the left but something keeps drawing me right. After dropping down to the trail and stream I start up again and search the green. Seeing a reentrant vertical to the larger valley, I realize that I was too far right early. I head south in-time to hear the commotion of Marrick getting to the control. | |||||
| 5. | 4-5 I feel better doing the chasing. Climbing the hill and headed to the trail, I can see Marrick so I zero in. Hitting the trail, I've made-up a lot of distance. Before I can pass him, Marrick drops off to the right along the big reentrant. Francis is ahead going farther than I want. Rough compassing, I drop down and hit the cliffs just west of the control. Being in this area during the Summer Short Series, I remember the terrain, head east and punch before Marrick or Francis. | ||||||
| 6. |
Bad route choice Bad map reading +03:00 | 5-6 I leave 5 without people seeing me for at least 20 seconds. I plot to go high, and use the trails to get to the big reentrant. In retrospect, I should have gone east and came up the first reentrant. Later, Peggy even reminds me that there's a trail not on the map that would have gotten me there--it was shown on the map at registration. In execution to the stream, I follow the plan pretty well, climbing, hitting the trail and cutting off the corner before the intersection to go left. I want to read ahead while on the run so I stay on the trail instead of crossing the shorter route into the big reentrant on compass. In the reentrant, I'm thinking the control is on the left side so I stay to the left. The left side is more green than the right but it's not bad. As the valley narrows, I climb the hill to the left and can't see the control. Realizing the error, I drop down, cross the stream and climb the steep hill to the rocks. Getting there just a second before Marrick, I hesitate, checking the number and punch. Marrick is waiting as I hand him the punch. | |||||
| 7. | 6-7 Back down the same stream valley, I stay to the right, on the same side I came-up on. Marrick stays left and we both move along. I go slow at first to read. Marrick gets ahead a little. When I realize the control is on the far side of the trail that crosses the valley, I move into high gear, pass him and cross the trail with him in pursuit. I attack on bearing from the stream/trail junction. It seems the control should be on the hillside but its not visible. Continuing up, I see the rootstock straight ahead and punch before Marrick, who is looking lower and to my right. | ||||||
| 8. | 7-8 I'm sure Marrick had seen me so I set off hurried. Following the reentrant to the road, I know I'm more left than I should be so I turn right. As I'm running the road, Marrick emerges from the woods, just ahead of me. I've seen the subtle bend in the road that Marrick had less opportunity to notice; since he just emerged. Knowing that I want to avoid the green and also follow the canal shore northward to find the control, I leave the road, going left. I don't think Marrick notices since he was in front of me. Bee-lining to the canal, I land right on the control! | ||||||
| 9. | 8-9 Remembering this leg to be similar to a problem in my third meet last year at Brandywine, I decide to stay low, not using the road--this is unlike my choice at Brandywine where I got into trouble. Fortunate to have the pond features to navigate by, I nail the control! Marrick is not to be seen. | ||||||
| 10. |
No attack point Bad route choice Bad map reading +04:30 | 9-10 Encouraged by the lead I've opened, I follow the matted grassy trail to the road and turn left. Turning right at the trail intersection, I plan to go around the steep spur on the left, and up the easier to climb reentrant. I run most of this steep uphill at a modest pace. The reentrants are confusing to follow. Reaching a sort of saddle, I'm still not sure exactly where I'm at. I try to follow the basic direction that the reentrant climbed with but it's a mistak and I end-up too far left. Had I checked compass I'd have seen this. I waste time looking on the ridge, above the cliffs that drop to the visible road. I think I was drawn there by control #29 which isn't on my course. Having had problems w/control codes last week, I take an extra long look at my code sheet and then the map. Realizing the real control is much further in-land, I locate myself on a diagonal and linear reentrant. I pass some ant hills, then see the control up and to my right. | |||||
| 11. |
Bad map reading Did not read control code Did not read control description +05:00 | 10-11 I rough compass the green area to the trolley line, landing very near the loop intersection for an attack. The control is in an area that I had a lot of trouble with when Peggy and I went on a training course earlier in the summer. I decide to take it slow and follow a bearing. Some fallen trees make me divert a straight path but after getting around them, I top-out, see some ditches below, and search them. I've mistaken the control description and should be looking for pits, not ditches. After going up and down 3-4 of these, I head back, pass the big pit and a smaller one--I'm surprised to see these because I don't remember them from the summer. The map is hard for me to read or else I'd have known where I was. After passing the pits and nearing the top of the hill, I see Peggy coming along. From her straight line, I see she hasn't found it yet and I know I've got to turn back. Seeing her direction, I tell myself aloud that I didn't go far enough. Half of this is my excuse to Peggy who's been coaching me somewhat over the last year. I follow and read the map better this time. She punches before I do, then drinks. | |||||
| 12. |
Bad map reading Not thinking clearly Followed others +00:30 | 11-12 - I skip the drink, wish Peggy luck and head off. Either my bearing is off, or I'm not reading the route well. I end-up to the left, going by some recreational orienteers, the realize it's well up the hill and set off. As I'm getting there, I hear Peggy approaching. | |||||
| 13. |
Bad map reading Bad compass work +04:15 | 12-13 - My plan is to climb, hit the trail and attack from the intersection. I'm not reading the terrain well and am not confident that I'll hit the trail where I want. I adjust left a bit and come-out near the trail intersection. Knowing Peggy is pursuing, I take a bearing and enter the green. I end-up too far left and get within sight of the distinct bend in the trail to my left. This is a better attack point so I feel okay so far. There are many detours in the green and I end-up too far left again. A fast Asian orienteer appears and I follow hoping he's going toward the control. At the trail he hesitates. That's my signal that I've got to turn back. The Asian orienteer had been leaving 13. Vitenis goes by soon, then Peggy. I follow her trail back and after some more wandering, I finally hit the control. | |||||
| 14. |
Bad map reading Bad compass work Confused parallel features Frustrated +04:45 | 13-14 - Getting out of the green, I can't follow a bearing. When I hit the trail and unmarked stone wall-like rocks, I'm unsure where on the trail I am. I guess I'm on-course and continue a bearing. Crossing green stuff, the terrain doesn't look right and I feel I'm too far left. As I approach the stream I can see green ahead. I feel good because I know the trail is on the other side. It later turns-out that the green has spread since the map was printed because I was too far to the left (east). I head for what looks like a saddle with an appropriate climb but at the top it's not there. I go right, over the next knob. The next valley looks too deep to be right so I turn back. It's actually the correct saddle valley but I don't know it yet. Eventually, I hit the trail and go left toward the intersection. Cutting off the corner, I turn left on the next trail. Pace counting occurs to me but I don't know where to start from. Looking for saddles I see the same places I've been so I go on into the deeper reentrant that I avoided earlier. At the top, there's more unmarked green, but I find the control in it. | |||||
| 15. | 14-15 - It doesn't look like I'll catch Peggy and I'm sure Marrick is far off by now. I run the ridges near where I looked for #14 before and hit the trail at the bend. It bends 2 more times and from my reading on the run, I know I need only go straight at the second bend to hit the control. Crossing the stream, I see it dead ahead and punch. | ||||||
| F. | 15-Finish - A long run-in is good for me. I still must navigate however. I glance before going then read on the run more while following the stream valley. Bearing left up a wide reentrant, I rough compass to the trail, then run tired but smooth and with some speed. I still have enough energy to hop the big log on the trail and get some cheers from Peggy and others at the finish. Peggy and Marrick are there and both have beat me soundly. |
Total Time Lost - 00:23:15