Orienteering race 1:26:05*** 5.21 km (16:31 / km) +233m13:30 / km ahr:143 max:166 spiked:11/13c shoes: Inov8 ORoc280-B 2013-10
Brown X at Rochester Falls Classic, Letchworth East map, nominally 4.2 km and 170m climb...hah! Dnt know how they counted contours but I counted 200-210 on my route, and I didn't climb the 6 contours to the road for the optional left route choice from 2-3. Slight deviations to 1 and 7 so not quite spikes. Long description follows.
Slightly unsure of my location on the way to #1 having climbed the hill near the seasonal stream (a 10-contour climb right off the bat), but thought I identified the distinct tree (big conifer); it seemed farther N of the conifer than I expected but I found it. Quick and easy short leg to 2; contoured to 3.
Above the earth bank to 4 and then down the reentrant where I caught up to Lex B. who stayed right on my tail until most of the way to 7 where I hesitated a few seconds and let her get a bit ahead, then I took a higher line and was lucky to see the flag off to my left.
Slogged up the hill to the rail trail and used the water drop as my attackpoint for 8...a bit confused as to why the land appeared to my eyes like there should have been a rise to my left per the map but it sloped downhill instead...but I just stayed steady on the bearing and then things made sense. 8-9 seemed to take longer than it should have but it may have just been thicker vegetation. 10 was "cross two gullies and climb a hill."
10-11 was basically almost all downhill (some of it through green) and included potential for a trail run. Although almost twice as long as the 8-9 leg it only took me two minutes more. I distinctly remembered the slope on the downhill side of the rail trail from the a Middle Champs here a few years ago, having really botched a control on a reentrant here. So I ran the rail trail until I reached the particular spur that the reentrant hid on (attacking across from the rough open W of the r.t.), ran down a very nice deer path to the flat then across the flat to the slight rise where I kept to the east edge. 11-12 was just "head off in the right direction."
12-13 I was pretty much just on the line even across the bland white nothingness; hit the clearinged-marshy flat area at its S edge and angled up the hill to the r.t. once more...my legs could barely move because they were worn out from climbing. Once I crested the r.t. I needed to go down across a wet ditch but caught a toe and landed *in* it instead, getting my whole right side wet and muddy and bruising my left knee as well. (Saw another competitor later who was even muddier who said that's where she fell as well.) I was glad to see the actual finish much closer than mapped (it was at the building within the circle for the Go control).
11th overall on the course (~38 competitors). Still have to get through tomorrow. Fastest on the course was Walter Siegenthaler at 66 min.