Race Evaluation
US Relay Champs: Red
voit
| 1. |
Bad route choice +01:00 | We're leading after the third leg! The relay championship is mine to blow. Start off nervous as hell, thinking we have about a 1 1/2 minute lead over DVOA, based on the green-leg spectator control. Very conservative route choice --left to open area, then onto trails--provides a chance to study the map. While punching, I hear a noise behind me. Clem! Oh no! | |||||
| 2. | Most of the way to #2 is an exercise in trying not to panic. Exercise is successful. Come upon small, elongated hilltop and turn left into control. | ||||||
| 3. | Decide to follow stream into control. About 50m past road crossing, decide that field to left is much better route. Too late. Halfway too control I look up and see Clem cruising along field. Running as fast as possible through debris-laden reentrant, I manage to reach control first. | ||||||
| 4. |
Bad distance judgement +01:00 | Follow stone wall to corner. Hang a left. Stop short and too far left. Clem shows up seconds later. He sorts things out first and beats me to control. | |||||
| 5. | Panic suppression required once again, but I'm moving faster than Clem and reach control first. | ||||||
| 6. | Navigating along left edge of green takes me through the rocky reentrant and into control. No sign of Clem. | ||||||
| 7. |
Hesitated +00:20 | Splash through stream, climb hill, and follow ridge line. Slow going through pines. Hesitate one reentrant too early, sort things out, and punch. Still no sign of Clem. | |||||
| 8. | While climbing the long hill, realize there's no one in sight and remainder of course is relatively simple. Just don't blow #11 and we're all set. | ||||||
| 9. | At spectator control, Karen Williams lunges as if to tackle me, confirming that Clem hasn't been through yet. | ||||||
| 10. | Trying not to fall flat on face in front of cheering throngs. | ||||||
| 11. | This is the one not to blow. Hit it dead on. Cool. | ||||||
| 12. | Control location -- reentrant in open field -- triggers Wyoming flashbacks. | ||||||
| 13. | Might as well take the road. Near the control, Peggy Dickison, who has been trash-talking me all day, launches her last, desperate salvo. | ||||||
| F. | It doesn't work. I don't fall on my face. SVO crosses the finish line first. And there was much rejoicing. |
Total Time Lost - 00:02:20