Orienteering 22:51 [4] **** 2.5 km (9:08 / km) +50m 8:19 / km
spiked:14/17c
Auckland Sprint Relay, Epsom
Running with the 'masters' pack down a narrow alleyway towards the first control I think I finally 'got' the deal with sprint relays - Venice should be awesome if the setters get it right. Unfortunately after being 3rd there I completely misinterpreted the map on the way to 2 (or not on the way to 2) and got dropped by said pack... I suspect I wouldn't have stayed with them much longer anyway as the legs felt heavy right from the start. Other than that just a couple of small misinterpretations around controls, I don't think I'll count 11-12 as a mistake as even though I lost contact with the map at some point I'm pretty sure I somehow stuck to the intended route. A good head-to-head battle with Rudy around the 2nd half of the course, where we were taking different choices on almost every leg - while he got away in the end I think for the most part my choices were equal or better. Think I could happily run one of these again!
Orienteering warm up/down 44:35 [2] 2.5 km (17:50 / km)
As a warm-down, went out to shadow our 3rd leg runner, a 'school-team mum' doing her first ever actual course, at a jog/walk. Tried to remain a passive safety-net but had to keep orienting her map for her and making more than a few 'subtle' suggestions. But part way through the second very technical part of the course it all seemed to click, and in the end I think she did pretty damn good! Definitely not the easiest first ever course!