As I had planned to go to the Blue Hills today, after I finished setting, I changed and went through an abbreviated pre-race routine before setting out on my course. I warmed up for a few minutes, but my muscles felt good after the course setting, downed tree removal, and hauling water to the water control. I taped my laces, procured and checked all my equipment, and loaded my description holder. Unfortunately, I left my contacts on my dresser at home, so I was forced to run in glasses.
Magnus set a tough course, on which serious consideration had to be spent on route before trying to execute. I chose poorly on 1 and 4, and messed up 5 and 9 on my own. I wasn't overly happy with my race, though the result was acceptable.
1) I began the race with a "hero" (i.e. bad) route choice, charging straight up the hill. I considered the road briefly, but I realized my error about thirty seconds into the leg, at which point the best alternative was to keep going. On my rerun, I was about 25s faster, and it probably could have been 35s had I not messed up again.
2) I took an ok route, though I didn't see Dancho's flatter route to the right. I lost a little time fighting through the vegetation, but spiked the control cleanly.
3) Straight. Some of my best compass work, as evidenced in the track. I was a little low, but the wide reentrant caught me.
4) Bad route choice: I executed my plan to stay low and bust up the hill at the end, but the running in the low-lying area was bad. I think high to the right, primarily on the trail, is best; on my rerun, I saved 30s despite fatigue.
5) Possibly exacerbated by instantaneous fatigue from charging up the hill just before 4, I really screwed up on this control by drifting too low. I lost at least 2:30 from confusion. Even on my rerun, Ali crushed me by 20s.
6) After considering straight and the road to the right, I decided to run left along the shelf below the green. I popped out by the trail, and ran in cleanly.
7) Down the hill and into the control. Won the split! Ironically, on the rerun, I lost 45s.
8) Decided to run left and attack the hill from the SW. Apparently this was slower than using the little trail to go straight.
9) I drifted low coming out of eight, but I attacked too low on the hill, and lost time in my confusion. The track suggests I lost about thirty seconds, so I was still crushed decisively by Ali. Not sure how.
10) Driven by my folly, I charged into ten, but was still tentative. I killed it on the rerun by 15s.
11) Meh. Tied Ali on the finish split.
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