Orienteering race (Western Cape Champs) 1:25:43 [5] 9.1 km (9:25 / km)
shoes: Inov-8 Oroc 280 #3 (CH)
Haweqas - 1:10'000. Long Distance Champs
Legs still not good, which was disappointing. Had a moderate start with no real problems and worked my my slowly up to 2nd place by #8. Got lucky here when I ran into the control when I wasn't expecting it yet - something was probably wrong in the area.
Still decent from thereon but the legs weren't giving me enough support. :-)
Control at #16 still wrong, 2 years later its still unchanged. Then into a section for 17-18 that we've never been into before. Okay for 17, but was too high for 18. Ended up bundu-bashing, then circled round the back but got very badly caught in green with a dodgy map / AP. Didn't handle this leg well, should have gone more for safety and aimed off. Lost about 7 mins in total.
19 was also big problems. A big patch of green is still missing off the map and they put a control right beside it. Passed close to control the first time, then climbed and circled back to bump into Tim / Brian / Eugene. Found it for them as soon as we arrived back in the area (6 mins lost). Brian just behind me but Tim drifting higher as I had done.
Brian and I were out quickest, hoping to drop Tim. Good to 20. Brian a bit left to 21 whilst I was a bit straighter, allowing me to get away. Got recaught by all 3 exiting 22. Took the main track route choice to 23, which may have been fractionally quicker as Brian recaught Tim with that option. I'd dropped 15s due to speed on the track, but re-caught them at 24 when they missed to the right.
Nice to be running in a bunch over the last section, but disappointing that it was me with the earliest starting time in the bunch!
Ended up way down in 6th place behind Tim, Brian, Michael, Eugene and Mark Collins. Total time wastage of 13 mins, so not happy at all.