Orienteering race 1:08:56 [5] *** 4.27 km (16:09 / km) +75m 14:50 / km
ahr:146 max:168 spiked:8/11c
Day 1 US Champs Laramie Brown Course.
Disaster struck as I made a 90 degree error out of control 3 and spent the next 25 minutes wandering around the rocks for about an 18 minute error. Then I ran off the map going to 6, overshot 7, and a poor route choice to 9. Ended up 20 minutes behind Rich Parker who had a great run. Going to o, decided to run around the aspens rather than take the v shaped meadow and push through about 50 meters of aspens. However, looking at Google Earth, it looks like the push through is a lot thinner than the surrounding area, so probably would have been better to go through the green rather than the long way around it. Also got confused going to 6, and saw a track going up through a saddle. The track was not mapped, and I did not think I was all the way down to that saddle, so when I hit the road, ran along it trying to figure out where I was. Finally turned north, and then saw this big open semi depression, which was not on the map. Looked back west, and thought I saw the tongue of open heading up into the reentrant I wanted.
I would like to blame my poor performance on my illness. I feel better, about 80% normal, but do not think that caused my big errors. I definitely did run out of gas about half way through the course, and that I am sure is due to being sick for the previous 5 days.
Oh well, it was still fun, and there will be no pressure tomorrow.