Orienteering 15:21 [5] 4.0 km (3:50 / km) +85m 3:28 / km
shoes: Inov8 X-Talon 190 no.3
WOC Sprint
Tartu
14th
Mixed emotions. I don't think I could have done much more today, the last 3 minutes were pure pain. So in some ways it was satisfying and not bad for a WOC individual debut.
But I'd been hoping for a slighter better performance and result. Made some mistakes and possibly could of pushed a bit harder on the first half but overall the race was in line with how my races/training have been this year so I can't have expected more.
Felt good warming up and calm going through the start boxes to the arena. Made a slight mistake at 1 overshooting in circle. Then fairly good flow through the next controls, just slightly poor direction leaving 4.
Was still feeling fairly good setting off to 10. Wiggled a bit as I slightly missed the alley soon after 9. As I came off the steep hill on this leg started to feel tired and didn't take a great line to the way down. Struggled up next hill to the control, wobbly into 11 then ran round the wrong building though didn't realise during race what I'd done but lost 10-15s. Made it back up to the pleateau with 12 on ok but then felt like I staggered in and out of the control at what felt like jogging speed as I swam in lactate. From then on I just had to dig deep to keep some sort of speed to the finish. Noise on the run in was awesome and I found another gear but not quite enough to hold off Peter though ~0.7s. 3rd time this year he's beaten me on the run in!
Finished 5th so with so many still to come thought I'd end up somewhere in the late 20s. So to hold onto a top 15 position was a surprise.