Another race that ended up more as a good workout. Solid start, lots of fighting for position on rough trails in the first 20 minutes at HR >170, and a great foot workout.
Though maybe some training, e.g. intervals, aside from just weekend racing would help...
Fought the top woman - really tough small runner on rugged trails - back/forth a few times in the first 2-3 miles. Got ahead, but
Max. HR was actually downhill as I was fighting past people and trying to gain as many places as possible when the pack of ~3-5 in front of me got off 'trail'.
BTW, this 'trail' run was ~25% not on anything that would even make 'indistinct' grade on an Orienteering map. Probably only about 5-10% was 'bushwhacking' by intent, but the other 15% was on smallish trails when the course was invented several years ago that have since been covered with all sorts of deadfall. Not the steepest Mt. Penn run by Ron Horn, but definitely one of the least road-runner-friendly courses he's hosted.
Unfortunately a great race was marred somewhat by someone who managed to out-hooligan Ron Horn just North of List Rd. He streamers every ~25-50m, and chains arrows to trees at every turn, yet someone removed ~300m of streamers and cut a chained sign off a tree - that was set the day before, and apparently vetted earlier in the morning!
And I'm setting 30 controls for an orienteering event in March within the 1km surrounding that spot. Could be very expensive event if epunches are swiped en masse :(
Results expected
here