Nadim's comments - by leg
| 1. | Time Lost: 12:30 | Start-1 Beginnings seem to be getting harder for me. Peggy warned me that this is the most difficult terrain that I've been on so far. I'm starting dead last at 1:06pm-it's warm but not yet bad in the woods. I felt a little sluggish to start, having done a good 7.25 miles on Friday. At first, things weren't bad. Up and over the knoll, I seemed to know where I was but while crossing the flat area, I drifted left, probably passing and missing the correct ridge by 40 yards. I then made a parrallel error, by going up and down the next small ridge looking for the control. Not finding it, I dropped down to the stream, at first, not recognizing it to be the one west of the control because it was dry. Not knowing exactly where I was, I made a guess and explored the ridges to the east of the stream. Missing but finding other controls and surprisingly other orienteers (recreational?), I again returned to the stream, again made a guess as to where I was and finally attacked successfully. |
| 2. | Time Lost: 00:30 | 1-2 Confidence already weak this early in the race, I opt to follow the stream to the road. Making good time on the road, I actually pass the stone wall by a short way, come back to it and follow it up northwest. At the reentant, I leave the wall, attack and hit the control without much trouble. Others are in the area and this makes me feel better. |
| 3. | Time Lost: 01:00 | 2-3 Going on bearing, I drift left again but hit the gap between the marsh and Linear Pond. Alarming a family of hikers, one of whom is carrying a kid, I wait my turn to pass them in brush and stones at the base of the hill at the stream crossing. At the top, I come across another orienteer who is glad that someone else is still out here. He says he made a +30 minute run from 1-2. We cross the stone wall near the trail, I purposely go left a bit so I can attack from the stream bend. I don't hit the bend I'm looking for and instead see the dry creek behind the control. Thinking I'm still further east and south, I go northwest along the stream. When I can see the marsh opening ahead, I turn around and hit the control, still ahead of the other orienteer who I saw earlier. |
| 4. | 3-4 I head for the rough open marsh and pick my way across, sometimes following tracks of others. I intend to go up the stream but mistakenly pass it, instead I go into the second reentrant. Fortunately, I recognize it as soon as I'm in the reentrant. Passing the rocks and then the cliff, I hit the control without much ado. Yeah! Confidence is improving. | |
| 5. | 4-5 I run a bit hard toward the trail but not enough to fall. Reaching the trail, I go right at first thinking that going around is better than climbing to the top of the big hill. Leaving the trail at the bend, I countour until it gets to be too steep, just before the big cliff. Straight down, then angling up, I cross the wall before the trail. At the trail, I decide it's not much distance down the trail to the 90 degree bend, and much better footing. At the 90 degree bend I set a bearing to attack. A blue course Army runner gets there about the same time. Roughly together we cross the dry pond and correct our heading by bearing more right and to the control. Dave Onkst, who is moving up to Blue this year for the first time in an A-meet is just leaving as I get to the control. He started 6-8 minutes before I did but is on a longer course. My route choice on this is probably not very good. The woods in the big reentrant between the trails were slow running for me. | |
| 6. | Time Lost: 05:00 | 5-6 Going to into the area where #6 is at is what I've heard it's all about. At first, I read things okay and go slow. About halfway across however, I lose track of exactly where I am and just go forward on bearing. I speculate I miss the control by going left too much, but not far off. I hit the greeen before I expect it and rather than fight to go to the pond to see exactly where I am, I go to the right, banking on my usual leftward drift. However, I didn't come back east enough first and end-up going behind the control like I did on #3. Going in this same direction, I soon see a clearing down and to my right. Going there, I find I'm near the marshy point of Mymeeba Pond, southeast of the control. Correcting, my bearing is true this time. I'm glad to escape without a larger error like on #1. |
| 7. | Time Lost: 04:30 | 6-7 I go south around the green and ponds, but after rounding the corner, I stick too close. The deadfall is slow going and I find myself going downhill too much. I end-up almost to the western point at Upper Hold pond. I next follow the ridge, the cut across the slope. Had I noticed the huge bolder on the map, I'd have looked for it but by now, I'm mostly ignoring the black on the map. I pass left of the control, then into the saddle, which at the angle I'm coming at, still seems a steady climb. I see the smaller pond or marsh south of the control so I head back east on the knolls. Still striking out, I drop down contours until I see the huge boulder below. This time it can't be ignored. I 180 and hit the control along with another QOC orienteer. |
| 8. | 7-8 Wanting to put some distance between us, I stay left enough to go up and over the ridge with the cliffs, and see the water. The marshy reentrant has enough footing low to not get wet, but it's not as quick running as I hoped. Tired, I get sloppy and bang my knee on a boulder. It should hurt but I guess I hit it just right--it only puts a hole in by pants and breaks some skin. At the rocky end of the marsh, I still try to distance the other QOC orienteer, go over the knoll and to the control. He's not far back though. | |
| 9. | 8-9 I cross and ignore the trail, heading for the inlet of the large body of water to the southeast of #8. My left drift requires me to back track somewhat to get around the point. Some others have been this way, now having carved an animal track into the angled hillside. Just before the road, the marsh is squishy but I don't sink too much. Feeling the heat on the road, I slowly pick-up speed and stay on the road after the marsh. Reading the depression, I attack successfully, seeing the control far off. | |
| 10. | 9-10 Bearing back to the road, around the greenish knoll, I hit the trail well. The control is a little further than I think but I'm on target. A recreational(?) orienteer is walking away as I punch. | |
| 11. | Time Lost: 03:15 | 10-11 The walking orienteer is moving steadily. I want to go around but find by going to the left of him that I'm in bad rocky footing, cutting back, the walker starts jogging and I can't understand why when I'm running, I can't pass this guy. Finally I do. I want to put distance between us after crossing the road. Over the hill, I drift too far left. I cross the first trail and then pickup the trail toward Pawtuckaway Beach, thinking it to be the one due east of the parking area. I realize the direction looks bad, but I keep hearing more noise and expect that the trail is just curling around to the bridge. Finally I give-up near the beach, cut across the wood and find the long pond at the bridge near the beach. Running on the trail back northward and I finally punch. The recreational orienteer is probably finished by now. |
| 12. | 11-Finish - Not a stellar finish, I cruise in tired, seeing Peggy and others cheering - Yeah! I'm done. |
Total Time Lost - 00:26:45
| Suggested Exercises |
|---|