Sprint into Sping Race 6
La Trobe University - Bundoora
A great field today:
Bruce 18.42
Keely 19.02
Brodie 19.35
Matt 19.41
Kerrin 19.42
Ian Lawford 20.13
James 20.39
Patrick 21.26
Splits
My first route choice was right on 1-2. I was equal fastest on this leg, so this was a good start.
On 3-4, I hesitated at the high fence opening. I could see the gap at the other end, but on first glance it looked uncrossable on the map. I was almost going to go around to the right before seeing the gap at the other end on the map. I may have lost 5 seconds here.
I made a good choice on 6, going left with the fastest split.
On 9, I ran to the middle of the circle and searched behind the wall for a few seconds before realising that the control was above me up the stairs. The map didn't show a canopy in the middle of the circle, so I was surprised that I could run under the control flag and not see it. I lost 10 seconds here.
I went right to 10. At first I didn't see the wall to the north of the control, but I adapted well and lost no time here.
I ran left to 12, and again left to 14.
17 was the trickiest leg on the course. Unlike several competitors, I understood that I could not cross the creek on the canopy. There was only one legal crossing to the west. The splits show that a few ran <60 seconds, possibly over the uncrossable wall. I am not sure if you can run on top of an uncrossable wall, but even if you can, you should not cross a watercourse with black lines on the edge.
I then had a good section from 17 to the finish, with many fast splits. Going right to 25 and 26 may have cost me 2 seconds each, but right to 27 probably gained me 4 or 5 seconds, not having to cross the canopies with rails to the south of 27.