Orienteering race (Ophir EPIC Rogaine) 11:55:00 [3]
shoes: Inov-8 Flyroc 310
12-hour rogaine with Michael.
Michael had planned the route with the idea of getting as many controls on the flattish section first before heading out to the far end of the map so we didn't have to go looking for them in the dark which seemed like a good idea since we could clock up heaps of points quite quickly. But it was a bit disconcerting doing all these little loops and ending up only about 2.5km from the hash house after 4 hours!
After the first control (where everyone seemed to be running off all over the place like headless chickens) we barely saw any other teams out there which was really quite weird.
At about 5 hours I was not feeling too good which lasted a good 45 minutes. We got to the water stop not long after at about the halfway point I think and I felt mildly panicked when I looked at the route we had planned to get back (okay, I'd been feeling mildy panicked about it the whole time but feeling quite determined). Once at #5 we were going to be at the furthest point with only one real route back and we still had at least 5km to cover to get to that point and then the whole of the range to go along to get back. At least it wasn't too steep up to the summit from that side though.
My feet and my left knee were in pain not long after it got dark so the last 2 hours were a world of pain! I had resorted to the jog/shuffle to keep up with Michael's ridiculously large steps but since so much of that last section was down hill it was not too much fun. Thankfully we decided to cut out a few controls on the way down the ridge 'cause we'd botched the navigation to #36 (I stupidly pointed at the wrong hill and Michael stupidly agreed I was right) so darkness had arrived and we still had a little way to go. I gave up any sense of navigating about then and just tried to hang on!
I don't think I hydrated so well in the first couple of hours which I think was part of the reason for feeling so crap at the 5 hour mark but after that I think I got my food and drink sussed. Just don't try and eat going up a hill 'cause you just run out of breath way too quickly.
It was awesome scenery, the weather was great and I was surprised at how much energy I had (but I'm still freaked out about this whole 24 hour business). Just wish my feet and knee hadn't hurt so much.
Oh, and we won the mixed grade. Yay!