Started overconfident from the previous day and made a meal of the first control. Lost 4.30. Overshot the 4th as well, losing another 1.40. After that I regained concentration and kept everything under control. Pulled myself back from 32nd to 13th.
Some observations about running M60A.
My placings for the event were 13th, 12th, 13th. I was surprised to find this placed me 10th overall for the three days. In years past I would conclude first that despite my three errors, others were making more errors. But some analysis suggests this would be the wrong conclusion. Tit wasn't what I would call truly hard navigation. It was more about keeping moving in steep (day 1) and then rough (days 2,3) terrain.
So I dug a little deeper. There is a lot of variability in the performance in this age group now. First three placings are in a class of their own. Daylight and then placings 4-9. Again daylight, then myself and five others, Then more daylight. My errors didn't make any difference to the overall placing. Nine minutes saved wouldn't have done much for me.
What seems to be happening is that age is wearying us all. Some of my competitors didn't manage all three days. A couple continued but, if they were horses, one would say that they broke down mid course on day 3. I came close on that as well. Plantar Fasciitis was very troubling towards the end of day 2. It took a for amount of gritted teeth determination and a funny running gait to keep going. Some strapping, NSAIDs and changed shoe lacing helped me get through the last day.
The increased span of times in M60 is in part a reflection of injury and other problems preventing some previous good performers from training in a manner to which they are accustomed. I am in this position, but not to nearly the same extent as some others.
Conclusion. I would like to do better in September. Five years ago I would have been telling myself to train longer and harder. But now my first thought is how to manage those niggling injuries and tendon issues to keep training at all. The span of M60 results tells me that improving my fitness will gain at best a couple of places. Injury could lose many more than that. The secret is to be the last to fall over.