Orienteering 1:53:12 [4] 11.68 km (9:42 / km)
shoes: VJ Integrators
Long-O training at Cavehill, such a chaotic mass start with about 50 runners headed to 2 controls both with about 50m of the start, the elbows definitely came out. It was all going so well until I started on the long part of the course, I miss read the control description twice for #1, firstly I thought it was a pit then released my mistake and was looking for a hill, I stood looking at a control I thought was on a spur for ages, so decided to check the description and it turns out it was my hill. I was to high to #4 and ended up at #5, which meant dropping down quite a long way to #4 then having to turn and clamber straight back up. I diced with death heading across to #6, steep slopes and ice do not mix but once I hit the path it was fine. Everything was going fine until #13 when I decided on the path route which was grand til the path ran out in the middle of the gorse. I then had to backtrack round it which was a real waste of time, I should have gone with my first plan of going over the top but my knees didn't want to wade through anymore snowy heather! Susan overtook me on that leg and I had to remind myself that it was training and not to push to catch her.
Turns out I'm slightly less of a pansy on stairs so slowly reeled her in on the long run to 15, we were together for 16 and then I took a different route to 17 and never saw her again. The rest of the course was grand if not a tad slippery.