Orienteering (Rogaine) 2:54:11 [4] 16.0 km (10:53 / km)
shoes: Salomon Speedcross 3
Linda and Randy's Challenge the Gats Rogaine - third year for team Greenhouse Gases! We did the 3h Coed category, and came fourth behind young, strappy teams. Our Andrew ran the 3h solo and placed 2nd behind Rorry. So proud of our boy!
Great day : around 9 degrees, sunny with cloudy spots. No rain!
Francis and I ran a very accurate course. Our navigating was much better overall than last year; we hit contols dead on! I felt much improved at reading the details of the map and forging ahead with good attack points. We agreed on all of our decisions! Yay! We had a blast - the best 'couple date' ever!
My better conditioning this year meant that I was doing quite well up to about 13 km of running and climbing, but then I hit the wall and the last 3 km or so for me were really tough. Slavic stubbornness (and Francis' encouragement) pulled me through. I enjoyed using a light, small hydration pack as a storage device, but next time I need to have the bladder filled and I need to USE it. We didn't take in any water or food along the way, and I think I should have. It may have given me a few more km to burn up.
We had planned to hit more controls than we were actually able to - which is probably typical for a Rogaine. Next year's strats will work on three things:
1. Better cardio condition for me ( still building slowly and responsibly on that)
2. Plan a route with more point-gathering and faster woods-routes strategies.
3. Better nutrition delivery, both in terms of timing and ease of access.
Also, I need to do more O-mileage in my Ice Bugs in order to be able to use them over a long event with no achilles issues. This time I stuck with my Speedcrosses, and I could have used better gripping ability at spots.
All in all, a great experience. My idea to pop a Tylenol at the last minute was good, on top of one Aleve taken in the morning. Both held off any achilles issues and the back tension I had from driving from Barry's Bay the day before.
A wee highlight of the day was seeing one of my orienteering students, Woodrow Connell, at control 81, which is James and Kim Connell's house (and Ken and Brenda Jamieson's previous house). What a creative idea to include their home as a control site! And so nice that there were TimBits at the water station there :) I gave Woodrow a couple of high-fives (including a special 'compass' high-five!) and then we ventured on to the parking lot at Pink Lake to oick up another control. Apparently a bear was spotted around Pink Lake!
As a last comment, my god the woods were lovely! Running along with Francis was wonderful, and post-event discussions and the MEAL were very enjoyable. I don't know where Randy and Linda get the energy to do this every year, but it is an amazing event, and we really appreciate their efforts.
Francis thinks we should do the 6h Rogaine next year - hahaha! ... Work in progress...