Sunnny HOT day at Flying Pig, Middle Creek Park Course, a medium course, 4.3 km and most of it going uphill. Only 210 m of climb, but the downhills were often too steep to run too.
First few controls were pretty bad. On 1, I actually forgot how to work my map and compass for a bit on a trail crossing.. somehow everything I knew just had quietly slipped out of my head. But at least I just stood until I figured it out again. Whew.
And this was
before the 40m climb. The Climb felt like the "up" on a rollercoaster... clink Chink, clink Chink. I was hoping we could come screaming down down down for the rest of the course. But there were plenty more BIG hills.
2 More climb, thought I'd try to contour as much as possible, knew where I was when I crossed the ditch but then had a very hard time finding the stump. Lots of stump. Lots more stuff going on than I was expecting. Should have expected this w 6 m contours, but an awful lot of fallen junk too. Stood again for a minute or two, figuring it out and slowly walking. Zing. Got it, found it.
3. Wanted to run straight down (walk slowly) then bear off to the right, run back to the left and see clearing on trail. Missed and was too far left. Lost minutes because there was an indistinct trail where I wasn't expecting it (on the left).
After that.... rest of the controls were pretty good.