IOC Classic
Well. Wow. This was a serious day:
https://scontent-b-ams.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/t...
Almost 0 visibility on a super technical area and a really long tough course.
Toughest IOC classic ever?
Map
Competitor Name: Ruairi Short
Course Name: M21E
1.
(2:13, +0:08) (2:13, +0:08) Super foggy. Start counting on my new found pacing skill. Go past some cars and the paved area. Compassing in. Know I'm in the area when my paces are good. There's the control. "Oh hey this pacing thing works!"
2.
(2:49, -0:15) (5:02, -0:35) Down the hill. Knew I only had to find the river and keep going until I was at the control. Again pacing to know I had gone far enough.
3. (1:36, +0:05)
(6:38, -0:30) Compass and pacing. Slowed down when near the control and got it nicely. A great start.
4. (16:01, +2:44)
(22:39, +1:17) Was unsure on what to do for this leg and decided I needed to hit that fence. Went up. Hit the fence. Then it was a bit random. Running on the contour didn't really know where I was until I got into the technical area and saw the rocky ground before the control. Spike! "Ah sure it's only a control pick from here"
5.
(9:26, +2:18) (32:05, +3:35) Left 4 90 degrees the wrong direction. Stopped and tried again. Plan was to hit the little marsh in the valley. Oh what I brave man I was. Confidence levels were starting to become low and I knew i had gone far enough when I found a rock. Didn't know if i was left or right so i kept going. I was right and found the bare rock. Boo ya! into the control.
6. (5:18, +1:05)
(37:23, +3:39) Leaving 5 was asked where 71 was and I said just there. Broke my concentration for the first time and lost pace count. Kept going. Knew my line was ok until I stopped going in and out of ditches. When the happened there was a big crag with 6 at the bottom of it.
7. (2:50, +0:19)
(40:13, +1:14) Shane ran into 6 just after me. "Choo, Choo, NOT" compass and pacing to 7. Was a little right but managed to read the peat hags and go into it just behind Shane.
8.
(0:57, -0:06) (41:10, +0:55) Now I see Darren going into 7. Wow, this is going well! Straight into 8.
9.
(1:52, -0:02) (43:02, +0:49) Shane says "did you start before or after Marcus cause he's just ahead." Fat chance of seeing him. Catch big peat hag thingy and into the control.
10.
(6:33, +3:00) (49:35, +3:49) Head towards the linear gully thing. See a person in front. A while later he is still in front, only slightly closer. "Is that a French top and a bald head?". Yes I have caught Marcus. Good thing I checked out what he looked like from 10m away before we started. "oh wait, maybe i should be reading my map" All concentration gone and I am chancing my arm now. "Sure following Marcus will be grand". Then I recall yesterday. A crag looms out of the fog, we have this. No control. We all run around, Darren doesn't even see Marcus is here! After a while i see Marcus heading North with a purpose. I have to go after him. See him drop under a crag and come back out as I hammer towards it. He is pushing. By the time I'm in and out he is gone.
11.
(7:41, +2:50) (57:16, +5:24) Running hard but Darren goes past me. Hit the lake and go for the control but too rushed and didn't actually pay attention to how high I was. See Darren flying down the hill. Have no idea if he is going from or to 11. Have to relocate on the boulder on the hill. Never see Marcus again.
12.
(2:00, +0:06) (59:16, +4:07) Compass and pacing
13.
(1:09, -0:03) (60:25, +3:11) Compass and pacing
14.
(1:43, +0:06) (62:08, +2:59) Compass and pacing, went around the lake
15. (1:21, +0:07)
(63:29, +2:48) Compass and pacing
16.
(1:59, +0:01) (65:28, +2:33) Compass and pacing. Saw the water hole
17.
(2:20, +0:50) (67:48, +2:49) Time for gel no.1. Go slightly off line and have to stand still to relocate.
18. (6:15, +1:07)
(74:03, +2:22) Body is tired. Plan was to hit the big crag. Never did but saw the gully. Compass into it and there is Darren again.
19. (4:36, +0:57)
(78:39, +1:38) Try to run away from him up the hill. Not really happening. Huge marsh to catch me but I miss the contol when I don't read that I have crossed the first gully. Relocate and Darren goes past again.
20. (3:01, +0:33)
(81:40, +1:55) Compass and pacing, except the compass is poor and I hit the path. Quickly reloacte and into the control.
21.
(3:34, +0:13) (85:14, -0:08) Plan is to go back to the path and go for a drink on the way to this. Never find the path but I do find a Darren. He finds the control for me. Thanks Darren!
22.
(4:11, +1:24) (89:25, +1:16) Went for a drink. Then compass. See Darren going what I think is way too high. I somehow go straight past the control and have to climb back up to it.
23.
(8:02, +3:33) (97:27, +3:55) Body is suffering big time now. Get to the big marsh and think I am at the rocks above the control. Drop down the valley, to the crag. No control. Back up the hill. I was 10m away last time. Damn
24.
(2:48, +0:47) (100:15, +4:42) Easy control and I make it easier by staying high and hitting the re-entrant and coming down it
25.
(2:27, -0:22) (102:42, +3:37) Handy down the hill and read the valleys get control lovely.
26.
(1:16, -0:16) (103:58, +2:50) Jump down the cliffs, visibilty is about 40m now! See Darren again amazingly. Easy control
27. (7:55, +0:32) (111:53, +2:37) Actually have to do some work on this control and pick routes other than straight. "Damn you Terry and Ruth!" (good job) Darren is dying but not as much as me as we suffer up some valleys. Eventually get to the control.
28.
(12:45, +8:22) (124:38, +4:20) The hill of death and what turns out to be the decider. If I had Darren's split to this I would have won. But the fog came down and he was gone again. Got up to the boulder i found when going to 22. Compass and pacing. Nearly there, lots of rocks no control. Map is falling apart and very hard to read. Look behind some rocks. Find a sign that says "Taped route starts here". Not very useful to me but it turns out to be the path and I get the control.
29.
(3:02, +0:21) (127:40, +3:59) Try to run hard but there's not much left. Control is easy in the end.
30.
(1:18, +0:06) (128:58, +3:59) Up to the fence and into the control. Suffering big time.
31. (0:42, +0:07) (129:40, +4:03) Scariest run in of my life. Tapes stopped about half way and I couldn't see the re-start of them. Had to keep going and they appeared again. Phew. Punched and collapsed.
4th, again. It was all to play for between the top 4 really and I came out just on the bottom. Unbelievably tough race and hats off to Marcus for the win, but also to everyone who finished. When I think about what we actually did it is a bit insane.