Race Evaluation
2001 Billygoat Run:
TimGood
| 1. | Flipped the map over, see (1) is a long way away and not a good skip choice. Turn in that direction and follow the crowd. Settle in behind Eddie and Joe B, figure I will stay with them until they warm up and run away. Cut the corner near the 18-19 leg and inadvertantly get ahead of Eddie and Joe. By now I have figured our where we are. Still lots of people ahead of me. Start orienteering at the marsh. Punch with Eddie and Randy Hall. A huge pack is right behind. | ||||||
| 2. | +00:15 | Continue SW to avoid those coming in and get stuck in the small marsh with Eddie and Randy. The pack avoids it, so I have am with a crowd at (2). Seems everyone is there although all I can recall is JJ. | |||||
| 3. | See a steady stream going to (2) as we leave, including Ted. | ||||||
| 4. | Managed to get free of the crowd. With Joe B. (this is his control) and Randy. | ||||||
| 5. | +00:15 | Skip Decide this is a good skip choice. Randy agrees but fears it is to obvious. I slow down to study the course for a better choice but find none. | |||||
| 6. | While looking ahead, I have taken a poor route to the trail. Randy and Joe are gone and Gregory and JJ have passed me. I pass Joe at the bridge with his shoe off. JJ goes to (5) and I am alone except for a glimpse of someone ahead on the trail. Wonder if people are not skipping 5. Think it is Alar ahead I make an effort to close the gap. Get close enough to see it is Gregory and we both catch Randy at the control. Eddie is just leaving. Randy's compass gets caught in the punch so Eddie gets away. | ||||||
| 7. | I struggle on the uphill and fall back. | ||||||
| 8. | +01:30 | Only Randy in sight. Get careless and do not pay attention. See some rec people and rec controls and suddenly realize I do not know where I am. Joe sees me cross the creek. Realize my mistake and approach 8 from below as Randy leaves. Joe is already there. They say we are around 8th. | |||||
| 9. | +04:40 | Grab a quick drink and head toward the dam. Do not know who has passed me but figure I will not see Eddie, Greg, or Randy again. Notice the course line crosses an uncrossable stream but am past it before I think to check. Big mistake since that would have put me on the trail by (18). Cross the dam and head straight for it. Tim Parson and a cadet are with me. No one else in sight. Poor compass work and we cross the water near (17) thinking we are S of the green. Tim thinks I know where I am going, I think he is keeping me honest. Walking most of the uphill. At one point I think I see Eddie go by heading to (10) Eventually we hit a stone wall but is a junction. More time lost before we can find it on the map. We are 300m N of the control. I verify that the small trail is nearby then we run to the control. See a whole line of people going to 10. I recognize Ted and Bernie in the pack. | |||||
| 10. | Pack is gone before we can punch. Still with Tim but the cadet has disappeared. | ||||||
| 11. | Do not see the small trail and head straight for the yellow. Tim might have taken it since he loses me somewhere. I catch a glimpse of white leaving the control as I start across the yellow marsh. | ||||||
| 12. | Alone. Take the trails the whole way while I pull myself together and look over the upcoming legs. Probably should have cut the first corner. I need to catch the pack ahead of me. Catch another glimpse of white running away as I approach the bag. | ||||||
| 13. | Straight for it. See the white again and some others. They appear to be to high and running down the spur. Get close enough to recognize Ted. Just before the bag a mob of people seems to appear from nowhere. I have caught the pack. | ||||||
| 14. | Cannot recall all who where there. Peter, Peggy, Bernie, Tim P., Ted and many others. Passed most of them punching near the head of the pack. | ||||||
| 15. | Pack hesitated slightly leaving the control as Peter, Tim & I ran up the spur. On the trail I debated whether I should pass Peter or just stay with him. When Peter said he had a slight injury and was holding back, I took my chance and pushed the pace on the trail to build a small lead. Left fork and cut in just past the small pond. | ||||||
| 16. | Had already decided to use the left trail so was out of (15) before most of the followers has left the trail. Cut in at the rocks and pegged (16) | ||||||
| 17. | +01:30 | Stopped to take a quick drink but the cups and water were still unopened so I skipped it. Did not want to lose my small cushion. SW tp trail and left around lake. Passed someone in blue who had taken the right trail to (16) and missed it. I went through the finish and chute. Wanted to get a drink but did not know where to stop. Looking back from the dam, I saw no one so they must have gone to the right. Took trail past start then bearing to control. Repeated same error as (9), drifted N and missed the cliff. Knew I had overshot and was heading back when I saw part of the pack running in behind me. | |||||
| 18. | Pack was much smaller. Peter, Tim P, Bernie, Dan S. were ahead of me. I could see no one behind. With the group by the control. | ||||||
| 19. | This time I opened the cups and took a quick drink. Peter and I took the trail, others cut the corner. Trail was better. I did not even recognize that this is the same place I cut the corner on the way to (1) and picked up a little on those who took the trail. Took trail to past the stream then cut up. Peter was leading while we discussed what Ross Smith was up to. He was skipping (20) and passed us going the other way on the trail. | ||||||
| 20. | Tim P. took the lead going down the trail. I ate a GU while Bernie moaned about having lost his in an earlier fall. Without water the GU was not very satisfyng. We were all together again by the bend. | ||||||
| 21. | Wanted water but again cups were tightly sealed. Since everyone else seemed to survive without them, I tried pouring the water into my mouth. Mananged to choke on it and get nothing to drink. Ran as a group the the control. Gave homage to Bernie along the way since this was his control. | ||||||
| 22. | Should have been thinking about losing the pack but instead was worried about it losing me. Blisters on both feet were making it difficult to run. We went straight then left up trail to small trail by the lake. Peter disappeared but came across the dam just as we got there. He must have gone right over by (8) Trail by lake is to narrow to pass easily and I am last in group. | ||||||
| 23. | Dan is a slow puncher so I fall behind at each control and have to work just to catch up. | ||||||
| F. | Passed another group (I only remember Nancy but there were many others) going the other way to (17) and that spread us out. I was to tired to kick properly so just followed Peter in. 2:06:14 19th. My best place ever and should be good enough to meet my prerace goal of getting 'TG' on a control. |
Total Time Lost - 00:08:10