Orienteering race 2:10:35 [4] 19.1 km (6:50 / km) +300m 6:20 / km
ahr:166 max:180 shoes: Inov8 Roclites
Brit Long Champs up at Culbin East.
Probably started a little harder than I should. First 4 controls were fairly complex dunes and wasn't prepared for the 2.5m contours and lost about a minute on each. Got a good flow after that and started using my head and trying to only pick up the big features until getting into the circle and reading the detail. The occasional stumble here and there meant my time was adding up faster than I would have liked, but there were no major errors. Pace slowed quite a lot on the way to #23 and I was bleeding time on each leg, walking up even the most gradual slopesand being maxi sloppy in the circle. Not impressed with #29, on a single knoll on the top of a hill. Finished off with some control picking in complex stuff in super low vis light green - was OK in here except for one it a spot that was mapped as green but was blantantly white.
I have to admit, I never felt totally confident with the map, I'm not sure if it was me or the mapping. The vegetation was sometimes spot on and other times just a rough indication - I don't mind either, just keep in consistant. Similarly, the entire area was criss crossed with thin strips of open cleared areas, some of which were mapped, some not.
All in all, it was a good event - but my little issues with the map stopped in being a great event. It was well organised, the forest in general was amazing to run in, so much so that you never needed to take a wider track option and it was your ability to ready the map in the detail that dictated your speed. I don't think the area was quite the gods gift to orienteering the organisers were making it out to be, but it was still well worth the trip north and I wouldn't hesitate to head up there again for a major event. Now I just need to work on my endurance in the terrain after 90 minutes.....