Orienteering (Foot) 37:49 [4] **** 3.9 km (9:42 / km) +110m 8:30 / km
spiked:10/17c slept:8.0
DVOA Delaware Watergap Gap Recreation Area, PA. North American Orienteering Championships: Middle Distance. I ran my age group M50+ and did okay. Running at the model the previous day helped as did taking some ibuprofen for my aching shoulder (that pain had bothered me all yesterday evening).
I started of playing it safe and using the trail to #1. I went a little left to #2 and followed the ridge in. For #3, I came off the ridge wrong and got to the left too far; I stopped going further left to a control that I saw, befor relocating and cutting back. I was clean to #4, dead on to #5, and slightly to the right on #6. Getting to #6, I heard breathing behind me. Going left to avoid the green and play it safe to #7, I nearly got passed. I went slower to number 8 and did get passed. I regained contact with him when we were both too far right but saw other orienteers and the control in the reentrant. I headed a bit right of where the other guy was going toward #9, a 30 second leg; I had to correct. #11 was similar except I passed the other guy. I expected the control to be ahead in what looked like a reentrant in front of me but I was a contour off and had to turn left again where the other guy was punching. I took my time planning #12 while the other guy went ahead. I saw him soon as we both set off to contour around. My shoe got untied but I went on. After the knoll and the rootstock in the big reentrant, I cut back. After the first spur I hesitated to line up the reentrants. I was near the junction of two but couldn't see where they were more distinctly separated higher up. The other guy had gone up one and when I looked he had just changed directions; the control had been just under my horizon. When I got to #12, I stopped to tie my shoe--about a 40 second loss. I moved steady toward #13, picking up a small reentrant, the cutting right to go around the spur. I pulled up short at a reentrant before going on. Going across the open area to #14 I passed some people then cut into the woods at the corner of the open area; the control was just to my left after that. However, my glasses had fogged enough by then and my wet control descriptions were hard to read; I left being unsure I was at the right number though the location seemed right. Going slower and more carefully straight, I pulled up short at a control in my path to #15. Reading the description was again hard so I lost time; I realized however that this was the wrong number. I left my line to the left there and it took time to make out the spur I was looking for--found to the right because my initial line was good. My glasses were too fogged to use in the detailed area. I set a bearing and went toward #16 but was slightly high before seeing it. Charging up the hill to #17, Eddie Bergeron was cheering for me. I felt I was moving not fast enough. This continued on the run-in where I fumbled with my glasses. I finished 6th fastest on the course and 4th (?) fastest North American in my age group ( M50+).