Orienteering race 1:30:56 [4] ***** 11.0 km (8:16 / km)
shoes: New sneakers
EOC Long Final.
Another tricky area with varying terrain, and much more physical than the previous day. I got the first control well but then lost 2mins on c2. I got c3 well and picked up a Swede on the way and led her in, she had started 2mins ahead of me. c5 was the start of the butterfly loop, and the Swede and I went different ways. Getting c6 involved crossing a massive swamp/lake and when I got to its edge I couldn't really believe that I was expected to cross it. I looked for the compulsory crossing that I surely must have missed, but alas there was none, and I had to wade/swim through the eel infested waters (well I thought there might be eels anyway). Spent 1min getting c6 and c7 and then it was back through the swamp again!!! (150m across??).
Lost a bit of time at c9, but my biggest time loss (3mins) was finding the butterfly central control for the third time... grr... it was so tricky in there! I didn't make any other notable mistakes, however I found the swamps and marshes very hard going, and there were many more on the course. I was very low in energy for the final loop, and luckily the nav was easy there, or maybe I wouldn't have made it around (I was very very tired and felt faint).
I'm not disappointed with 36th for this long final, it was tough and a good experience!