Orienteering race 39:00 [5] 7.25 km (5:23 / km) +227m 4:39 / km
shoes: VJ Falcon 2013
JK 2013 Relay, Hambleden.
Men 120+ with Roger and Fraser. 2nd place.
Roger did the business on leg one and came back with a small gap over OD and SYO and a bigger one over INT. Fraser pulled away a bit by the spectator and still had over a minute on SYO at the pre-warning, came in to set me off ahead of Tim Tett on last leg…..
Route choice straight off the start and my first control (depression in green) looked missable with the straighter route so for safety and with a lead, I took the tracks to the left. Had a tiny wobble in the circle but got it okay – pretty disconcerted to run out and then see Tim ahead of me punching his own #1 next to the big track, didn’t see how I could have lost over a minute. Turns out gap was only 40secs by the changeover.
Maybe a bit thrown by that, I ran too far for #2, a bit left and never saw the earthwall or flag, had to stop, panic and backtrack. Maybe 45secs gone as well as any sign of Tim. FFS. Refocused from there and went well from #2 to the spectator at #10, trying to ignore that as I left #4, I saw Rich Barrett for BAOC to my right heading down the hill parallel to me after a shorter gaffle….
All round this loop there was no sign of any SYO top ahead, so I was listening keenly to the commentary at the spectator control at #10 to hear what the gap was – I heard it was 51seconds and then as I headed towards #11, I could see Tim further up the slope climbing towards #12…..3km still to go….
The gap still too big to get him in sight on the flat, not helped by a scrappy route to #13 then getting confused before the circle, dropped maybe 30s on this leg. Struggled on the climbs up to #14 then #16 but on the way up to #16 the foreshortening effect of the climb meant that suddenly I caught a glimpse of SYO top up ahead – Tim again!
Still not close enough to get him in sight on the flatter stuff, got the gap back to 49secs at #17 apparently, but with not much course left I was pushing a bit hard and drifted left on #18, another 20secs gone.
Arrived at the last control about a minute down and about 45secs ahead of Rich Barrett in third. Second place and pleased to be on the podium, but frustrated too, could find enough time out there to have finished the job for the team.