US Sprint Champs, Camp Wakpominee, near Lake George NY. M65 Brown. Good weather, felt physically ready, though as usual, hard to get the eating completely right for an afternoon start (2:52pm). Did very well for most of the course, but a ridiculous error at #9 cost me two places and I wound up 4th (Charlie DeWeese was 2nd, Rick Worner 3rd).
After first 7, only :17 behind Peter and :50 ahead of the next competitor (Chuck Spalding). First thought for #8 was to go around on the trails, even though it was a lot of extra distance, because it would be highly likely that I would do that well - and I can go so much faster on trails then in the woods, especially in green. But then I thought the optimal possible time would be through the green to the clearing, and I ought to go for the max. Mistake. The green slowed me down so much I certainly would have done better going around. Making matters worse, never saw the clearing, had to bail to the creek. Lost :25 - :30.
Making matters still worse, I stewed about that wrong decision a bit as I headed to #9. Nailed 9, but when I got there, the control code was not what I had in my head. Turned out that I still had the code for 8 in my head (probably because I'd been stewing about the wrong decision going to 8). But didn't think to check my clue sheet! Tried a few different places but kept coming back to the same spot. Finally, Gary Kraght, who I'd passed leaving #3, punched that control, which made me look at my clue sheet and discover that I'd been in the right place all along. Aargh!! 90 secs blown.
Regrouped, had a real good leg on #10; did 10 -> F only :06 slower than Peter. But the crazy error at #9 did me in: missed 2nd by :22 and third by :09.
My route is on the meet's
RouteGadget website.