Race Evaluation
Irish Orienteering Championships, Leim Oirthear / Sruth an Iolra + Log an C: Irish Long Distance Course 1
roar
| 1. | Had kind of watched Hugh heading to number 1 but only the start of the leg. So I knew my direction from the start kite anyway. Had real trouble picking up the map and probably lost nearly 3s. Made the control nice and big with the re-entrant but was a little worried coming into it and slightly surprised when I saw it. That was the end of the hard controls for a while so there was now time to get into the map. | ||||||
| 2. | Legs were not fresh going up to 2 but I worked at it. Used the boulders to line into the re entrant | ||||||
| 3. | Long leg to 3 was really draining and my split is quite bad. Not sure why. Felt heavy near the control but knew it was the ground and not me. | ||||||
| 4. | 4 was a scary control down the slope so I picked the features down to it. There was a Hugh standing around as I came down the slope though it didn't help as I saw him running away towards 5 only. | ||||||
| 5. | +00:15 | Kept height as much as I could to go under the crags and have a good idea of where I was coming into it. Hugh was lower and in front. In the circle I lost confidence and checked an extra boulder that I didn't need to. | |||||
| 6. | Saw this was the last climb for a bit so put the head down and tried to work up it. Didn't go hugely fast but I got there. Could see Hugh running away again but no help for the control | ||||||
| 7. | Another long one. I stayed high but maybe should have gone straighter. Hugh seemed to be running away from me but I stuck to my speed that I could do and used the big contour features to get to the control. Hugh appeared behind me then. The placement felt a little weird. | ||||||
| 8. | Few short legs now. Made sure I got them. Not perfect line on 8 and again contours felt strange. | ||||||
| 9. | +00:05 | Easy short leg down to 9 but I lost confidence at a small hill 2/3 of the way there. Felt like I should be at it so stopped before continuing | |||||
| 10. | Hugh was now right beside me after 9 so we paralleled across to 10. Easy control, you could see the stream and hill from a bit away. | ||||||
| 11. | +00:30 | Tried to find good running to the road which didn't really happen and then stopped for a quick drink and a gel. Stopped shorter than Hugh to get a head start on the hill. Planned straight and did it mostly ok but was a little high in the middle. Still high in the circle but it was on a water course so followed that down. Hesitated beside the control a little but no way I lost >2 mins on this leg. Hugh was wobbling around in front of me and came to the control after. | |||||
| 12. | Some nice technical parts! This was easy actually, just followed the watercourse. | ||||||
| 13. | Like Lunsen on a hill. Read nothing, ran on compass for the first half, climbing a little to the flat plateau. Then navigated from here using contours only. Excellent control. Hugh was following me now. | ||||||
| 14. | +00:15 | Wasn't really able to work out where the control was going to be. Ran down the re-entrant and over the hill but missed it. Felt like it was to my right and Hugh found it there. | |||||
| 15. | Second gel time. Took it while making my way to the second river at which point I started to read the map again. Hugh didn't even navigate while I did that! Control was grand though and punched it just behind Neil who appeared. | ||||||
| 16. | Another long one. Went fairly straight and maybe climbed a little too much but was really unsure in the middle for a while. Luckily it opened up and I saw Shane going around the hill into the control. Pushed on down the hill and around into it but saw Shane way lower. | ||||||
| 17. | +00:10 | Brain was on the edge now. Line was a bit left out of the the control but I knew from experience that I could trust my compass when I wasn't able to work out the ground. Came to the bouldery re-entrant and then rounded the top to the control. Was too low somehow though. | |||||
| 18. | +00:10 | Last climb. Dug deep and did what I could. Thought about being safe but knew I was running slower than the top guys would be so decided to be agressive. Straight is great... Picked the features into the control but was one watercourse to the right. Stopped reckoned I was too high from the contours and then into it. | |||||
| 19. | Short down to the hill and off the edge. No idea where on the map the spur was and then the control was tucked in at the bottom of a crag. | ||||||
| 20. | Feeling good about myself for getting the two hardest controls well and pushed on. Nice big hill in front of it and taken well. Hugh was the only person faster than me. | ||||||
| 21. | Couldn't work out what was going on with the hills here so checked the compass again. Was a tiny bit right but then saw the wall so no problem. Shane took the fastest here as he could see us. | ||||||
| 22. | Agh. Eoin appeared in front which was strange and I ran towards him. Did not climb enough but knew I had gone far enough when I had. Eoin kept going, Hugh kind of went with him. I looked back a small bit, saw I was too low and looked up to see Shane heading to a control. Sprinted, and I mean sprinted up the hill issuing expletives and punched it ahead of Shane. | ||||||
| 23. | +00:25 | I sprinted a bit hard apparently and suffered down here. Grand control though. | |||||
| 24. | Last one and I got really scared when I rounded the hill at the end of the tapes to no control. Hugh passed me and went around to the control. Phew | ||||||
| F. | Tried to pass Hugh but couldn't get him. Luckily he punched the finish well. |
Total Time Lost - 00:01:50