Orienteering 11:59 [5] *** 3.0 km (4:00 / km)
spiked:20/22c shoes: Inov8 X-Talon (Dec' 13)
IOC Sprint - 1st place
NUI Maynooth mapped by Jonny, and planned by Jonny and Laurence.
Very nice map, easy to read, and pretty. Not the most technical area, but the course did a very good job of the area, lots of short fast controls, and tricky routes as well made the short winning times into an intense sprint.
I really enjoyed the course, particularly as I wasn't expecting much.
I lost very little time, as did most of the others, so maybe it was a bit easy.
I tried to push hard from pretty early on, as I knew the short course would mean everyone would be fast. Some brief indecision on the earlier routechoices, but generally in control. 2-3s lost on 19 when I had to stop and check the description of the hedge when leaving 18, but got it alright then. Also a bad routechoice on 20 probably cost another 3-4s I reckon, but otherwise clean. I came out of 19 to the North-west, then went south of the first building, and north of the last one, you can see in my routechoice. I think this route could work if you went North of the first building, but I was too busy trying to run hard.
Obviously a good race, but didn't feel the best physically out there, and clearly still speed work needed as Darren was quicker, but I knew that.
Felt like I could be close to some others. at the finish, so really pushed on the run-in and it paid dividends, as I overtook Darren on the run-in to take the win. Really happy with the result, but work to be done.