orienteering race (BendiGo ToDay Hagaby) 1:28:40 [3] 10.0 km (8:52 / km)
shoes: Inov8 X-Talon
It's always good to try new experiences, right? But I think missing out a control should preferably be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Woke up very dehydrated and with a ham hangover (have got to be more careful about avoiding sulphite preservatives in things) but was more lively by the 8am start. First control was either a short or a long leg; I had the short and took the dam-shore route to it which was sub-optimal, so was already behind the pack before the second control. Okay across the hills although hot and tired - and then came unstuck by 3-4 min on 7 (60) which sounds like it was a nemesis pit for many people.
Part A of the error was to cross the first saddle on the track and start looking above a SW gully instead of crossing the second saddle and looking above a NW gully. Worked that out and went into the right gully but part B was that I passed straight by the control and looked too low, had myself almost convinced that I was in a gully too far north so turned around, headed back up and then people on the other split (who I was probably ahead of at that stage) came across the gully at 90 degrees and thus led me up to the pit.
First loop 3km meant second loop 7km. This time I had the long first leg but wasted time at the end going around the contour channel rather than jumping it a couple of times, because hamstring was losing its jumping ability by then. Wasn't real good up hills either, but down was okay, and I enjoyed the longer legs out to the east even if I did see Kathryn finishing that crossover 2km loop just as I started it.
Disaster struck just as I was happy to be near the end. Punched the 3rd last control on the edge of a clearing, took a bearing telling myself I just needed to go up to the right of the faint watercourse/gully and to the top of the knoll. Got puzzled when I crossed a track and more puzzled when I could see the cars at the finish. Worked out that I was somehow on the bigger knoll, east and uphill of the last control. Headed west and downhill, crossed the flowing channel which puzzled me greatly because I hadn't crossed it going up. Found the correct gully, crossed it, found the correct knoll, punched it, and then couldn't find the finish units because they were where the clear/checks had ben previously. Figured I had lost about 4-5 min somehow, but felt much better after a swim in the dam.
Halfway back to Adelaide I got a text from Jim saying "Did you go to the second-last control? I have you down as a DNF" and the penny dropped! Of course - I was taking the bearing as though at the second-last, but I was actually still at the 3rd-last. No wonder I couldn't make anything fit :(