Running warm up/down (Terrain) 9:58 [2] 1.0 mi (9:55 / mi)
slept:7.7 weight:185.5lbs (injured)
Mason Neck State Park, VA. Warm-up in the field before QOC's event.
Orienteering race (Foot) 1:03:19 [3] **** 6.0 km (10:33 / km) +60m 10:03 / km
spiked:5/11c (injured)
QOC: Mason Neck State Park, VA. I decided to go out on the Green course so that I didn't over-extend myself. It was encouraging that I could do some running in the woods without my calf flaring-up yesterday. I recall that I had similar experiences 2 years ago.
S-1 Today I had troubles. At the start, I did a 180.
1-2 I ran a bad bearing leaving #1 and hit a road to the east that I hadn't planned on. It did however allow me a decent attack point. I ran about 20m past the 2nd control but somehow knew and turned back to see it behind some trees.
2-3 I had a rough plan on reading the vegetation to turn into #3 but again, when leaving #2, I was further to the left. I corrected at about the right time but did some more zig-zagging to get to the control. It was rather surprising that I got to it in as little time as I had considering the way I tried.
3-4 I went straight but pulled-up one vague flat reentrant before the correct one. I realized this and again was able to correct very well, all considered.
4-5 I planned to follow the marsh to the control but when I got a little higher, I suspected that I'd passed it. I turned back, then turned back again, going past where I'd been. The control was much further up the marsh than expected.
5-6 - When leaving #5, I angled over to the spur but thought I was angling more to the west to do this--that'd support the control being further up the reentrant than expected. I ran along the left side of the vague ridge. At some points I thought I was too high, and at others I thought I was too low. When I hadn't seen the marsh on the direct route, I felt I was to the left too much. At the road, to make sure I didn't miss the reentrant, I aimed-off to the left. This probably brought me further to the left than I should have. I was able to cut right when I saw the reentrant and kept going till I found the control. I think the control might have been too far up the reentrant because it extends beyond the contour.
6-7 I went straight along the reentrant to the control. Like many legs today, it seemed a long way to the control.
7-8 - I ran straight at it but it seemed like I was passing more reentrants than are on the map. Still, I spiked it running on the hillside.
8-9 - I again went straight, using the contours to figure my position. Going over other the 2nd to last reentrant, I felt I had drifted to the right too much so I made a correction to the left. Going over the last reentrant I saw Frantisek and other people hunting. I did too going right (to the west) initially. It seemed like I was getting to where the reentrant ended so I turned around going east. When I got to a bend, I turned around again, now relocated, and ran to the control just past where I'd thought the reentrant ended.
9-10 - I ran straight, going through the green. It wasn't bad. I drifted left a little coming to the trail near the bridge (I couldn't locate the bridge on the map because I'd left my glasses in the car), but I recognized the marsh and trail bend. Mark Mace was on the other side of the road at a stand still (I later learned that due to the pollen in his eyes, he was having a lot of trouble with #10 and other controls) however we both plunged in and went almost straight to the control.
10-11 I decided not to use the road. Mark seemed headed there. I was going to angle over to the trail along the reentrant but I kept drifting left and seeing the road. Even after crossing the reentrant and not seeing the trail at all, I saw the road to my left again. Finally I cut over more and got on the trail. At an intersection with a white control, I felt good enough to cut across remaining trails and use the tip of the first reentrant to attack to the control in the second.
11-F - I angled left to reduce the climb and get around the out of bounds house. After that I used the road. The heat and distance were wearing on me so I just plodded in.
The good thing about today was being able to relocate well. I'm not sure why I kept drifting left. Maybe it was my injury, the vegetation, or not using my eyeglasses. Still it was a fun day. I generally like running this flat stuff and thought Gary set a pretty nice course.