I did a fun thing when I test-ran my LTF Long Advanced in
God Mode, which was to take splits, so that now we can compare them to the mere mortals.
One caveat: In a number of these splits is reflected the fact that I set three- or four-inch pieces of duct tape at many (but not all) of my control locations, and didn't record or remember which ones I had or hadn't taped - which led to me sometimes either searching for tape that wasn't there, or, failing that, spending extra time poking around confirming that I was indeed at the right place. Naturally, it's also considerably harder to spot a small piece of duct tape than an orienteering flag. Taken together, these factors acted as something of a check on the Power of God, and allowed Superman a sporting chance at certain times.
1. God:
1:23Bone/Jones: 1:36
Straight the only real option here.
2. G:
2:14Bone: 2:45
Course Setter's Choice: Left (due north out to the trail along the powerlines, turn right up the hill).
3. G: 2:11
Bone:
2:09Straight again the only viable option. If you read the contours right, this is actually a deceptively simple leg, as you merely have to aim off to the conspicuous spur left of the control, then angle into the crazy trench/saddle thing. Impressive split by Eric.
4. G:
1:55Bone: 2:08
Course Setter's Choice: Straight (also an option: up the spur to the right and around on the trail).
5. G:
1:09Jones: 1:12
Course Setter's Choice: Straight, attacking from the trail bend.
6. G: 1:20
Nachev:
1:13Course Setter's Choice: Straight. In the rough open areas of LTF where visibility is excellent, you can often "cheat" by taking a general bearing, ignoring the piles, and going into scan mode, counting on the fact that the control will be visible from a good distance away regardless of whether you end up left, right, or dead on. I hadn't set any tape here and so had the hamstring of checking off each pile, but after a bit of loitering, confirmed I was at the correct place.
7. G: 1:38
Bone:
1:30Course Setter's Choice: Unclear between three possible options. I took the trail route right; it appears that the left trail route was faster. Straight was also viable.
8. G: 1:54
Bone:
1:15Course Setter's Choice: Straight. I apparently spent quite a while here looking for my tape, and eventually figured out that I hadn't put any at this location.
9/10. G:
4:46Bone, Kolyvek/Roach: 4:51
Forgot to take a split at 9, so this one is combined. Course Setter's Choice for 9: Right out to the edge of the rough open, then up to the trail and in off the corner.
11. G: 1:21
Bone:
1:15The confirmation factor again at work here.
12. G: 1:47
Bone:
1:42Eric beats God on running speed alone. Go figure.
13. G: 2:10
Bone:
2:04Course Setter's Choice: Unclear. I went left (south to the border trail). It's possible that right along the powerline is faster. 11-12-13 was not a good stretch for God!
14. G:
0:39Bone: 0:50
15. G:
1:23Bone: 1:39
Course Setter's Choice: Straight, slightly right around the green patch. Also viable options: Trail route right; straight but slightly left around the green patch.
16. G:
1:03Bone: 1:21
Course Setter's Choice: Straight; the forest is actually quite runnable here.
17. G: 2:25
Bone:
1:54Course Setter's Choice: Left out to the trail, direction less important than speed (straight along the S edge of the creek also an option). Ironically, I spent a while here trying to physically locate the actual boulder, as it is a very low, sneaky, moss-covered, stump-resembling boulder.
18. G:
2:23Bone: 2:32
Straightforward trail leg. Uninteresting but unavoidable given the giant unmapped swamp in and around the OOB area.
19. G:
4:27Bone: 4:57
Straightforward longish running leg, but with a tricky touch at the end. Course Setter's Choice: Jump off the main trail near the line and across the fairly runnable top of the hill, rather than continuing to the small trail, which leads to extra distance and unnecessary climb.
20. G: 2:46
Jones:
2:21Another trail leg. I spent some time loitering here as well, as a backhoe had appeared near the control location and cleared out a bunch of juniper and created some new brush piles - all of which had happened
after the map had been updated not a month prior.
21. G:
2:31Jones: 2:42
Course Setter's Choice: Straight. The test I set up here was whether people would snap out of trail-running mode, look up, and take a beeline through the rough open for the plainly visible tree line, ignoring the irrelevant trails running to and fro.
22. G:
2:00Bone:
2:00Course Setter's Choice: Unclear. I went trail route right, but executed it suboptimally. Straight is likely a touch slower; trail route left may be best.
23. G: 2:38
Bone:
2:10The Boulder. Eric apparently smashed me on this one; I was overly cautious and spent too much time overthinking/picking a jump-off point. Even when you know where The Boulder is, you know you really don't know, even when you're God.
24. G:
1:07Bone: 1:10
Straight was the only real option here, unless you wanted to end up in the swamp.
25. G: 1:19
Bone:
1:1426. G: 0:35
Jones:
0:29God always mails in his finish splits.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
God's estimated time losses:
20s @ 7 (route choice)
50s @ 8 (confirmation factor)
20s @ 10 (confirmation)
40s @ 17 (confirmation)
30s @ 20 (confirmation)
30s @ 23 (route choice/hesitation)