orienteering 1:09:30 [4] 14.0 km (4:58 / km) +150m 4:43 / km
24c shoes: Salomon Sense 6 SG #2
Open event on the Pirto map. Shortened long.
Big difference between training and racing in this terrain. Fine nav was useless as soon as the pace increased, so a lot of mistakes early on while I was adjusting.
Bad bearing out of the start, went though the wrong green, stuffed around a bit before realising what I'd done. 90secs gone already..
Then a not so great line out of 1, but more so issues near the control going a bit too far along the ridge and coming down too late. Lost another 90sec..
Then a small mistake in the circle at #3, but nothing too terrible. Fine into #4
Tried to go around on the path to #6 but got off on an animal track somewhere thinking it was still the path and took my time realising what I'd done.. 2:30 lost.
Okay 6, 7, 8, 9, just very hesitant in the circle (especially 8+9 being in low visibility green)
Going perfectly to #10, then second guessed myself when the one section of green didn't make sense and ended up too low down.. 1min. Caught here by who I thought was a French guy (French o top), but must have been Will Gardner.
That gave me a bit of motivation to keep up the pace and try get away. Fine into the short #11 and then a pretty decent route 90% of the way to #12 before hitting the open stuff and promptly forgetting how to read contours again.. Will came back past and led me into that+#13 (30ish secs lost), then got ahead again on the way to #14 and didn't stuff it up, so had a small gap. Kept increasing the gap over 15, 16, 17 which were all pretty decent. Then aimed off a bit far right trying to make sure I hit the water point on the longer leg to #18 and by the time I realised where I was it wasn't worth going past anyway.. Did at least mean I got to come into the control along a nice set of linear clearing, so don't think I lost much more than 30secs.
19 and 20 were decent, but then followed the wrong clearing to #21 and ended up too far right, adding 90secs or so.. Then okay for 22-24.
So a mix of some useless legs and some pretty decent ones.. Running was at least fairly decent throughout.. now just need my nav to catch up.
Was 7min down after 5controls and only 6min down in the finish, so at least there are some positive signs :p