Tiomila Leg 8.
No words for this yet. I ran ok, but that is far from the point
Well.
I did manage to get some sleep this year, I think maybe 90 minutes between around 20.00 and 21.30. In bed from 19.00 which was maybe later than previous years but I wasn't super stressed about that as I knew that it would probably just end up with me lying in bed more, and six hours (wake up at 01.00 would be ok).
Anyway, made the mistake of checking the results at 00.00 (or there abouts). I knew it wasn't a good idea to check, but I was expecting only positive news so I wanted to see it. Bit of a shock to see. Put the phone away, then the mind started going, and I had to do more checking of the situation. Ah, it is as bad as it looks.
More resting, more thinking, more resting. Short word with Håkon when he wakes up. He disappears to eat pizza. I am opting for the tried and tested "breakfast is acceptable as any meal" strategy. 2nd and 3rd breakfast occurs, good decision.
Before I went out there was a bit of chat with the boys that were around, I think everyone was looking for motivation and also trying to give it to the others. Stress levels low, motivation high.
The race itself. Out with Jocke Svensk (Stora Tuna), and after having a brief look at the course tucked in behind as I was unsure of the routechoice to the first control and was happy to follow. 1 fine, 2 fine and did my own thing to 3 (or Jocke had a different control 2, I am not sure). Got 3 fine and on the way out saw Jocke again and tried the old "still looking for the control, maybe it is this way trick", I think no luck.
Bit of a faff into 4, 5 good 6 good. Went straight for 7, saw a light as I was leaving it. Half way to 8 this turned out to be Øystein. Did some short legs sort of together but definitely my own orienteering. Made a small mistake just before the long leg, so he got a bit of a gap, but was able to run that in after some time on the long leg.
Took the lead on the leg and then went nicely through the next couple, small wobble on 19. Then went for a left choice for 20. I thought the climb into 20 on the right choice would be slow and difficult, and I thought that being straight on the top would involve too much up and down. As it turns out the green was bad on the left choice and it was far more stony than expected (it didn't help that I did run in the stones as well). So lost time.
Then ran fast to the end.
I really know exactly what to think but I feel pretty empty about the whole experience, it feels for the first time that I have just been at tiomila, as compared to racing it. In the second team, I still had a racing feeling.