orienteering race (Belair long NOL) 1:37:15 [4] 9.3 km (10:27 / km) +405m 8:35 / km
shoes: Asics Trabuco
Mass start loop race, Simon-style. And he did a very good job of being kind to the women. The men may beg to differ...
Hadn't warmed up at all unless you count swinging a hammer to put stakes in, setting up the event from 7am. Really felt it through the first short loop (woke up very stiff from yesterday's lugging of the controls we had planted in flowerpots) and was glad of my thoughtfully-placed water at the map change, which I chose to wear rather than drink. About 2 controls into the next loop, came across Bun sitting in the gutter nursing a busted elbow with Katelyn hovering anxiously nearby. After a couple of minutes, I walked Bun to the next control and she swore she was okay so I went on, having lost sight of Lauren & Jacqui and figuring I wouldn't see anyone else for a while but might be able to reel in some junior girls towards the end.
As it was, when after the hard slog above Echo Tunnel I got to the rocks between the waterfalls, at the top of the course, I suddenly encountered everyone having a "hunt the control" party. Of course, some of these were people who were on their second loop around the rocks while I was still on my first, but I got through the rocks pretty cleanly, and from there it was all downhill. Seriously. Reeled in Heather & Clare on my way down which was a nice bonus, went above the trainline tunnel on the next long leg, kept seeing a Nugget in the distance which turned out to be Lanita. Never saw Bridget but she must have been just in front of me.
A fairly good run by my standards; lost a couple min at most in small errors, and a couple more when I stopped for Bun, but the most I would have gained if I hadn't done that was a couple of places, and it was good for me to catch my breath :)
Very long hot day out for some of the juniors but they get full points for perserverance, especially Will walking the remainder of the course from Long Gully in his socks because of blisters!