Orienteering race (Foot) 1:25:06 [4] **** 8.9 km (9:34 / km) +300m 8:11 / km
spiked:12/16c slept:9.0 weight:171lbs
QOC: Prince William Forest, VA., Southfork. The DC area weather finally improved and the woods were comfortable. I enjoyed Sandy Filibrown and Valerie Meyer's courses but they were humbling. Sandy told me before I went out that she loves these woods. However, she also told me of Ken Walker's impression being that of a lot of green with debris to go over or around. She attributed the difference in opinions being that of relativity. Sandy's most recent run was in thicker woods in DVOA-land and Ken's was like mine--in the open fast Harriman State Park, NY.
Due to time, I didn't warm-up before starting out. My being used to more open woods was pretty evident on the first leg as I came off a spur and had trouble focusing on the map while pushing branches with pretty full leaves out of the way. I crossed a larger reentrant and pulled up short for a little bit of lost time. It sort of set the pattern for much of the rest of the course. I managed to be fairly clean on legs, #2, #3, and #4. I went around a reentrant and dropped into another far before I'd intended to but got to #5 okay. I spiked #6, #7, and #8. I was too wishy-washy deciding a route to #9 and executed it poorly. It was so poor, that when I got to a control, I punched, stopped for water and a Gu, and only then realized it was the wrong control. I took another 8 minutes relocating and getting to the right control. Sandy's/Valerie's setting had me rather hesitant on the final approach to #10 but I hit it well after running fast initially up the hill. The control circle had obscured a contour there that would have helped. Going to #11, I was feeling stronger. However I misread the control location somewhat. It was on a ridge and because of the parallel nature of curving contours on both sides, I'd interpreted the control to be on the slope. That cost me another 3 minutes or so. I knew it was risky to try to make up time but I tried anyway. The course after #11 was downward sloping but relatively flat so I picked-up the pace. The woods also seemed better. I had some less than direct routes but spiked #12, #13, #14, #15, and #16. It was just too little too late. I still felt this was good training. It highlighted some of the things that I need to do next week even though US Champs terrain in Wisconsin will be vastly different.