Orienteering race 1:00:30 [4] *** 4.8 km (12:36 / km)
spiked:16/22c
Flying Pig Middle at Big Bone Lick - Red Course
After yesterday I was in contention for a medal in M45+, so I tried to rally for this race, despite the heavy legs from 3 races on top of relatively little fitness. Chose to go left to C1, since that seemed a safer way to start. Also played it safe to C2, staying low until I was sure I would hit the trail w/o hitting green, but it was smooth moving, then chose to go all the way to the field to make it easier. C3 - knew I was too far left since I was not near the edge of the pond, but didn't correct and lost some time trying to see the shape of the spur. Should have run right to where Hammer was coming from (and another runner as well). C4 - I think this is where I went to the wrong junction (too low). C5: there was quite a crowd in the little clearing, so easy to spot. Punched just ahead of Z and his shadow.
C6: let Z go by and decided to take the low road (as did he). He cut up the trail toward the campground, which didn't make sense - why would he have come low. That was enough distraction that I cut in too early, but probably didn't lose a whole lot of time (Z did - he was supposed to be going to my control, too). C7: up to the campground and in. C8: Nate O caught me coming up the hill and I couldn't keep up with him running down hill, as there were too many tripping hazards to let myself go. The ditches kept me on line and I didn't fall all that far back C9: gained some on Nate O while climbing (I stayed on a better line to the right of his), but lost sight of him going down the other side.
C10 was fine, but C11 I went to the wrong junction. C12 was probably a good split as I liked my line. C13: Stayed low until I was sure the spur had started, climbed it and found the reentrant easily.
Here's where I lost the medal... As I was going into C13, I started setting the bearing to the next control, but unfortunately, I was setting it from C14 to C15. I crossed a stream (I knew I was supposed to cross something, but I forgot it was a trail, and I saw I was close to the big field. I figured that was fine, I was considering the trail anyway. As I climb to the trail, I realized it's not the segment I was expecting, so instead of figuring out where I had come from (C13), I just told myself that I must have made a 90 degree error leaving C14. Someone almost saved me by commenting on my interesting route choice, but I thought he was making fun of my 90 degree error, when really he was saying it was a strange way to go 13 to 14.
Since I thought I had a chance to stay under an hour, I worked hard through the brush to the trail leaving C15. When I popped out, there was a regular runner moving fairly quickly along the trail, so I had to take off on him - went down about 150m and plowed into the woods toward C16. A little slow in the soggy stretch to C17.
Then it was fence climbing time... I saw the nearest gap was a bit away, but the fence was about the easiest there is to climb - sturdy wire array with enough room for a foot (not like chain link fences). But my lack of flexibility made this quite the adventure anyway - getting the second leg to swing over the top was a challenge.
Rest of the course was pretty straightforward, although I'm not sure the trail route to C20 was any good. Relatively big error leaving C21 as I went way right to the parking lot.
Downloaded and was shocked when he said "Control 14", but looked at the map and it immediately made sense.