Orienteering race 58:00 [4] 6.4 km (9:04 / km)
shoes: Salomon
Green Y at Remarkable Flats; Day 2 of US Champs. This day started out fine...I felt good, ready to race. That was about to change, though. At the second control, I smacked my head very hard on the tree limb that was holding the control. I had punched and was getting ready to take off, when head and tree made contact. It almost felt like my brain got sloshed around. I kept running on towards #3, holding my forehead, feeling the beginnings of a headache. Found 3, headed to #4, when I started getting a little nauseous. Stopped behind a boulder on the way up to 4 and lost my breakfast. Not good.
I finished the course, having to stop one more time on the way to #11 to be sick. I was nauseous the whole time and my head hurt so bad. When I got in, I took a look and there was definitely a bruised, scraped bump on my forehead. I sat down for a while and felt a little better.
Other than feeling sick and not being able to run as strongly as I would like, my run was fine. I found all of the controls right on with no problems. It was kind of cool to see these wide open plains covered with orienteers, like little ants. The final slope towards the finish was especially fun to watch.
Even though I managed to eke out a 2nd place for the weekend, I wasn't happy with either of my runs. I needed better navigation on Saturday and better running on Sunday. I need to get those two in sync!