Orienteering 1:58:21 [3] 20.0 km (5:55 / km) +500m 5:16 / km
JK Classic. Knew the distance would be hard for me in current shape but happy in my O currently.
Started well, in 10th at 5 but it was very easy so got complacent and missed 6, hit the wrong control in a pit and only realised it wasn't mine when I checked the code. Didn't relocate quick enough. 2 mins binned. Promptly missed 7 confused by the map (also bad bearing) and another slip on 9. Good feeling gone. Pushed on a bit now, didn't want Murray on me.
Knocked out some respectable splits until I doubted myself on 12 despite being exactly online and lost another minute checking the wrong re-entrant. FFs Rhys. Steady and safe for a while now, but tiring already. 19 just confused me. Then I picked the nice path through dark green, which turned out to be not a path halfway through and got garrotted by neck high brambles. 3 minutes lost fighting through this shite, really pissed off. To add insult to thorny injury, the brambles managed to turn off my Garmin too. Enthusiasm killed, popped onto the path with a big "SHIIIITTTTEEEE" as Murray and Rich caught me.
On the train now, battling Murray up to 22 where I started to fall for the old line to 28 trick. Murray kindly shouted me, but took me a while to work out what he'd said - thought he said it wasn't my control. Put a big effort in on tired body to try and recatch him, eventually getting there at 28 but we both missed and Rich nipped in and got away.
Murray promptly disappeared on the long track run, and I just hung on for the rest of the course, trotting up the hills and not making any more real mistakes.
Disappointing really, didn't cope with my time losses well. Too much old Rhys, not enough composure today. Course was a bit dull, but mostly just fucked off with that bramble patch.
Spent the evening removing two well embedded thorns out of my thigh.