NA Champs sprint (M65), 1.9 km, 30m climb. The
map.
Last day of what has been a superb event, The organizers have done it just right.
Ran well enough to win my class. Excellent.
But much more excellent was seeing the team win the BK cup. And all through the event, and in the two years leading up to it, there has been a good team spirit about this, and watching them get the job done was very very fun.
Course was easy, as almost all sprints are, but of course easy to make mistakes too if you are running hard. Though this one was (because of the terrain) pretty straightforward, most of the routes were straight with just slight adjustments a couple of times to simplify the orienteering.
Don't think I missed anything. Visibility was good, even through the green areas, so if you kept your head up you could often see the flags from a good distance.
That's not to say it was a run without a little drama. Though the drama was just before the start, and yet another sign that I am losing my marbles.
I have seen people freak out just before the start, they forgot their compass or something else, or a shoe is falling apart, or something, and panic ensues. (I will resist naming names....)
I don't think it has ever happened to me. Until today.
My start was 10:03, call-up 10:00. About 9:56 I am getting my compass and e-punch and control description holder out of my bag, perhaps 20 meters from the start, yup there's the compass, the control description holder, but where's the e-punch. Damn. Dump out the little ditty bag, not there. Dump out the main bag, not there. Shit, and I know they are not changing start times if you are late.
Panic. Call-up in 2 minutes. Go to the person at the call-up line. Do you have any extra e-punches? She sends me to registration.
To registration, do you have any extra e-punches? She sends me to the computer operation at the finish.
At this point the panic is definitely not easing.
To the finish area. I spot Alar. Do you have any extra e-punches, I start in a couple minutes?
And he looks in one box, nope, then a second, there they are, he hands me one, I run off.
It's just after 10. For some reason I detour by my bag, and there on the grass, about a yard from my bag, is my own e-punch. Grab it, leave the rental one, at the start just in time.
I am such an idiot. Is this the direction my life is going? It seems so.
My
route.