Training Log Archive: bcsocalIn the 1 days ending Oct 12, 2014:
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| « | » |
| » now | ||||
| |||||||
| Su |
Sunday Oct 12, 2014 #
10 AM
Orienteering race 2:34:31 [3] 5.2 km (29:43 / km)
*This* was the worst race of the weekend, and of the trip. I lost contact with the map twice, both times in the trail network in the SE portion. So much for that being the easiest part of the map...
I have no idea how I got to #5. Some guardian angel must have lifted me up and plunked me down on the trail right next to the knoll with the flag. I missed a turn someplace in the trail network, and soon could not recognize any of the trails. Even after realizing that I was alongside the knoll, I turned the wrong direction on it and lost a couple more minutes.
6->7 is another one for the hall of shame. I first went NW thinking that I could find the small trail and the narrow part of the marsh. Mistake, I was soon stuck in the thicket. I backed out, turned generally to the SW, and fought through more thicket to the large trail. More than 5 minutes so far. I ran along the main trail looking for the "Y" junction before the flag, and never found it. The main trail seemed to turn east right into a marsh; something I could not see on the map. I proceeded NW, never again recognizing either of the trails, and somehow again ended up on the knoll. After another wrong turn I followed someone else into the flag.
Then there was 7->8. How do you lose contact with the map 10 meters after leaving the flag? That trail network got me again. I followed what I thought was the proper eastbound trail, only to find myself at the 4-way junction about 200 meters N of the flag. Fortunately I turned around and went south, and recognized where the trail turned past the spur containing the flag. How I got to that junction I'll never know - another guardian angel.
At least I didn't travel all that distance to Arnprior only to DNF.
I have no idea how I got to #5. Some guardian angel must have lifted me up and plunked me down on the trail right next to the knoll with the flag. I missed a turn someplace in the trail network, and soon could not recognize any of the trails. Even after realizing that I was alongside the knoll, I turned the wrong direction on it and lost a couple more minutes.
6->7 is another one for the hall of shame. I first went NW thinking that I could find the small trail and the narrow part of the marsh. Mistake, I was soon stuck in the thicket. I backed out, turned generally to the SW, and fought through more thicket to the large trail. More than 5 minutes so far. I ran along the main trail looking for the "Y" junction before the flag, and never found it. The main trail seemed to turn east right into a marsh; something I could not see on the map. I proceeded NW, never again recognizing either of the trails, and somehow again ended up on the knoll. After another wrong turn I followed someone else into the flag.
Then there was 7->8. How do you lose contact with the map 10 meters after leaving the flag? That trail network got me again. I followed what I thought was the proper eastbound trail, only to find myself at the 4-way junction about 200 meters N of the flag. Fortunately I turned around and went south, and recognized where the trail turned past the spur containing the flag. How I got to that junction I'll never know - another guardian angel.
At least I didn't travel all that distance to Arnprior only to DNF.
6 PM
Note
I drowned my sorrows with a couple of beers and some good conversation at the banquet, which was generally excellent. I stayed for the award ceremony, but didn't stay to listen to the jazz quartet.