Orienteering race 53:39 [3] 5.5 km (9:45 / km)
Leg 6 for Clyde at the Harvester, at Blakeholme in the Lakes. Promotion to the A team got me out of a night leg. After a pretty poor sleep, had my breakfast at 4am to prepare for expected departure but overheard Tam and Steve discussing some 'challenges' in the forest and realised things were extending somewhat so went back for a snooze. Emma got back about 6.30am so had some more chocolate and headed to the start with some warm clothes. Donald was out a while too, so ended up in a mini-mass start at 7.45am. 'No heroics' was the pre-race guidance, so stormed off at the head of the pack...then realised I had no idea where the start kite was....so slowed to look at the map. Found 1 fine, and spiked 2 on a longer leg, fine so far, but tough underfoot and night could have been mayhem. Generally ok to 3 and 4, took a safe path route to 5 but missed it (1 min) looking off the wrong path bend. Slightly lost composure and took a slow direct route to 6 when longer path may have been easier but ok to radio control 7. Saw Rupert FVO just behind me then got distracted and made a hash of the easy 8, going up early onto the wrong spur (4 mins lost). Met by Ken Daly INT going up to the final loop but got ahead of him and had a clean fast final loop through the bracken. Should have been under 50 mins but happy not to make any major howlers and the team finished 6th ahead of FVO B and INT.
