5th overall, and won the girl-goat! A bit over Marie, we were in the same pack for most of the second half, she was tough! Sam ran away from me to 17, but unfortunately missed it, and so didn't get helped as much by the speedy pack running.
My goal from the start was to just not panic. To 1 was a nice smooth trail run most of the way, good time to scout the skip. Then lines of people from 1 til 7, was surprised to see Hannah, Alex and Becky ahead in the distance at 3, how'd they get ahead? Did they skip? Yup, turns out they had oped to do a trail route 1->3, also skipping some climb.
To 8, the pack went for a trail route, my mental plan had been to go straight, but... peer pressure. Then to 10, a choice! Half pack went again to a trail, I liked straighter, almost messed up going too far west of line, but made it, through gap with ponds, and around marsh and in. Trail route may have been faster though, maybe gained 20 m on me by control?
We all bailed out again to the trail to 13, although doesn't look like the best option in retrospect. I did look ahead while on that trail section though, and firmly decided to skip 14. Turns out, everyone else did too =) Was running with Sam along the trail while skipping, had a little chat, then into 15 and 16. Seemed like she had a little more go in her legs, and she pulled ahead heading to 17.
Then into the butterfly! Although I totally messed up the way there, tempted by the trail flanked by yellow. It went the right direction there, but only going up and down *huge* hills, eep! So was behind the pack by the time we actually got to the butterfly centre.
Butterfly was wicked fun. Flying around the lovely open woods in a pack: Vadim, Sergeiy, Carl, Boris, Giacomo, me and Marie. Lovely set of controls. Then leaving the butterfly, everyone went right. My plan was to go left. Had a quick map check, nope, don't see what the heck they are doing, I'm going my way. Crossed paths with Balter who cheered, saying something like, "Keep it up... I mean it!" What did that mean? And then put full weight on a fully turned-over ankle. Ouchie, ouchie, ouchie!! Hobble, hobble, can I run? Maybe, ok, yeah, let's go again!
Was happy to find 28 + 29 smoothly on my own, unsure if pack was in front or behind, then saw them heading to 30. Hit 31 more dead-on with Vadim and Sergeiy than the others, then with them to 31 and along the trail run into 33. But then to 34, really spiked it dead-on, pulling ahead of both of them. 35, almost went down the wrong stream, corrected, up hill, and then just a sprint in! Ending in 5th, pretty cool!!
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