Training Log Archive: ccsteve

I guess if I do the billgoat I better end my I'm-not-sure-why attackpoint exile...

First ever time and very pleased with the result, enjoyed the tour-of-Letchworth.

Pack for 1 as I got organized. Figured if I had Mike in sight I was doing fine. (But I scampered down the hill, the steepness slowed others a bit)

Then almost made a fatal mistake as I thought I punched the second. "If this is #2, then the path to #3 is to the road, why are all those people going around the hill more?" Literally for a half a minute I stood nearby and wondered and puzzled and finally the visual crept in "oh - that said 101, that's not the code of #2", and I finally went on properly...

Realized on #4 that I was not necc with the best navigators as we overshot above on the parking lot. And I had looked ahead and knew the descent would be before the end of it, but I had followed along... [but a small error]

But lesson learned - recognize when to not follow.

Which I promptly messed up on 6. I meant to go along the ridge and climb just to the right shelf, but I climbed to the lower shelf and went off. Corrected with what I think was a reasonably optimal path to 7 on my own.

And yes - I saw the prospect of not doing what looked un-fun to me to go to 9, and went from 8 to 10A. I didn't see a reason to go back to the road, and thought I'd run along the lower level of the ridge, but the trail was up top, so I climbed that and followed to the road, cutting a little off.

I saw most people head across the field direct to 11, and stayed in the woods along the cliff and went around. I thought I would just skip the climb and go upstream, but one of the few people going around in front of me kept on the road and I was like - sure, that works for me too, and three of us did that in a little pack.

I had taken the power line to 11 and after 12 said "follow that power line to water", so that was also easy navigation. And I also thought the stuff N of the pond was less fun so took the easy paths to the S of the pond and around. I had a 43 split (my place 47)., and so I'm confident that decision lost me nothing and kept my head clear.

Was with one group 14/15/16, but then let them go as they didn't look like they were going to 17. The Mayland's caught up at 17 and seemed to look like they knew what they were doing so I made sure I did not lose them after that. We all had trouble at 19, and I picked up on the excitement of having located it. I believe I assisted in navigating as well, so I wasn't just a hanger on;-) [Though they seemed to be missing 23 - I was behind and saw it down and to our right and called out. it sure seemed like one of them looked and pointed directly at it, and so I went to it. Apparently I was mistaken and they saw it only after I closed in on it.]

24/25 were a struggle, I was very empty at that point. Of course they skipped the last, but it was easy enough downhill and then in - and got my first shirt on my first billygoat!

The skip was perfect for me - I think the analysis suggested that I passed 8 people in my skip which then allowed me to be with good navigators - and then I could keep up with them because they were more worn out at that point.

Billygoat - Splits

Event: ROC - Overlook NRE
 

Perhaps having an awful outing the day before gave me a jolt to do the billygoat better. Ugh.

Red - Splits