SA Badge Event
Manawarra, Flinders Ranges
2nd place, 8.5 mins behind Simon
A thoroughly enjoyable course in superb terrain. It was well worth the 1.5 day drive to get here. The only downside was the cold wind in the morning keeping temperatures low. I think the low temperature caused a bubble in my compass, which disappeared once it heated up back in the cabin at Hawker.
I was fairly clean through the first 3/4s, trying to keep my speed high and focus on my compass direction. The course required different skills to most typical Victorian terrains. I had to use my compass a lot more and maintain close map contact. Navigating was straight forward when you could do this, but if you lost map contact, then re-location could become very difficult and time consuming.
I relaxed on a long leg and lost map contact in a semi-open area. Luckily Simon had almost caught me and saved me from any time loss. From there I tried to hang on. His pace was a little too quick up hill and I lost him, but only by 30 seconds over the last 15 minutes.
It was a good confidence builder, completing my first competitive long distance race since my calf injury in April.