Orienteering race (Boomer (H1)) 2:45:00 [4] 17.0 km (9:42 / km)
shoes: Salomon XA PRO 3D MID GTX Ultr
I don't have my split times with me and I don't have a GPS tracking device, so I'll put in the correct time later and I'll sit down and work out the distance and climb tonight.
First orienteering event since I don't know when, but it was very pleasant to see so many friendly and familiar faces who were kind enough to say hello. If nothing else, orienteers are a very friendly lot.
I planned to walk the whole thing and just use it as an endurance exercise and navigation practice. But at the start, when everyone took off, I couldn't help but run/jog along. Sadly, even though as I was making a real effort to keep up, I got left behind very quickly and just after the first control I was pretty much on my own so I settled down to the job at hand. If you haven't run in the bush for a while, it's amazing how tricky it is to dodge vegetation and small rocks and keep yourself upright. By the end of the course, I felt a lot more comfortable trotting along.
There were a lot of things that I used to do almost automatically in orienteering, that I had to give conscious thought to. Remembering the codes and description for the approaching control, keeping my thumb on the map where I was supposed to be and looking at the compass a lot more frequently than I would in rogaining. Also, it was tricky trying to work out what, of all the small detail on the ground, would be on the map, unlike rogaining where almost nothing is on the map.
Having resigned myself, by control 2, that I was going to be on my own, I was surprised, when on my way to 8, to see Shanel. I thought he must be having a baaaaad day, but it did fire me up for about 2 controls. Skipped 5 and went straight from 4 to 6. Got to 10 by the end of the first hour and then started to wonder whether I would finish by the time the course closed at 1pm. Decided that would be my goal. Got to 11 and looked at the climb to 12 and thought "bugger it, too hard" and went down to 13 where I saw Shanel again! Went way too east of 16 and ended up on the other side of the semi cleared area. Saw Shanel again on the way to 17 and thought poor bugger, he's going everywhere but he where he should. Made another error on the way back to 14/18 and after that it was just a case of plodding along. Got to 19 by the end of 2 hours and it was looking touch and go for 3 hours. Got to 22 by 2hrs 30 mins and after that it was OK.
Overall, my navigation was good. Just two sizeable errors (16 an 18) but you can have good navigation for almost all of your course and all it takes is one blow out to ruin it if you're focussing on time, which I wasn't.
It was great to be out in the bush and keeping in contact with the map. The peace and quiet were only shattered by the noisy trail bike riders who, at one point, stopped and stared and probably wondered why some old guy in a tie dyed shirt was stumbling through the bush. Simmo said I could wear that shirt and not feel out of place. :-) Don't know about that. The WOW O tops look pretty flash and Oscar's shoes were stand outs.
Highlight - saw an Echidna curled up near 23. Nearly stepped on the poor thing.
Had a great time and thanks to Simmo and Binnsey and everyone else who had a hand in making it all happen. It's amazing how much effort you guys put into running events week in and week out.
Oh, and tRicky? You were a little put out because you had to wait 45 mins to talk to someone else on your course? Phhhtttt!!! :-)