Orienteering 1:48:00 [3] 10.5 km (10:17 / km) +200m 9:23 / km
shoes: 2011 VJ Supra
Eyam Moor & Bretton - Black course
Entered this as a bit of a challenge, and as another fitness test. Aim was to take it steady and get the navigation right. Did well on the former, and not great on the latter...
A little surprised that the first two controls were in large depressions barely a metre deep. So was expecting the third - a crag - to also be small, but it was on the edge of a fairly steep ridge and so very obvious, and had I read the detail in the circle properly wouldn't have been an issue (1' lost). To #4, checked out another control, which also looked like it was in a depression (30").
Next few controls characterised by lots of heather on the moor and small, often vague features with the flag well tucked away - would have been very bingo in mist. Lost 1'30" on #8 as didn't search for the kite enough first time. Slowed significantly by the heather to 12, 13, 14 but hit them all well.
Long leg to #15 - checked to make sure I had the route choice correct, but overshot at the end by 200m (miscounting walls), confused myself and lost 4'. Clean through the interesting bit to the end, legs getting tired and managed a few slips and slides.
Felt pretty spent on the walk back to assembly, suggesting I had the pacing about right.
Lessons
- Terrain strength in the tougher stuff needs plenty of work
- Still struggle with accuracy in the vaguer bits, need to be more confident
- Missed 15 probably due to change in runnability - need to take care.
- Endurance probably ok for a 90-100 min steady run at low pace, but nowhere near being able to race that sort of distance at the moment.