US Nationals, Middle Course, St Patricks Park, South Bend IN and crossing in to MI
This did not go as planned. It started out well, I was moving smoothly and reading well through 5. At 6, I decided to follow a young guy into the woods even though I knew it was too early.
Then it fell apart for the next few controls. Actually, my brain turned off/ Missed the elephant tracks leading right to 7, and didn't follow my compass well, so I wandered in some tall crap before I bailed out. Leaving 8, it took so long to get to the trail, I misunderstood which one I was on. Figured it out and ran to 9.
I was desperate to keep moving and I did not read the map well from 9 to 10. I got the tiny stream (on the map) and I hesitated for a bit, actually considered turning back. But then I saw some leaves about 6 inches below the surface. So I stepped in. And promptly found myself buried in mud up to my chest. Ugh! that was so unexpected, good thing I didn't lose my map or compass. I sort of swam on the surface, pulling myself along on some branches until I got out of there. Boy that was a mess!
When I got out to the road and realized it truly was an uncrossable fence, I was confused. Turned north because I thought I could go on the road to the west, but I saw that the gate was closed there. Did I see the route that went just a bit further north along the road? No, I did not. I turned around and ran all the way south. I thought I could get through the fence at the first bit of green (just east of 10) but I was wrong. So I had to keep going south to the fence end, then head back north. Lost a lot of time on this stupid route.
Lost more time on a bad execution of the route to 11, but then I relocated quickly. That helped turn my brain back on for the rest of the course and I moved well to the end.
I'm disappointed. I wanted to do well this weekend, nice clean runs, with good concentration. Let's see how the next three races go.
http://sprintseries.org/doma/show_map.php?user=map...
Edit: wanted to capture that we went to the history museum and Oliver house in the morning. And were very grateful that our hotel had a washing machine, so that we could clean our muddy clothes (Mike also crossed the "stream" aka mud pit).
And it was very cool to run in two states today: thanks OCIN and SMOC!