Warm up/down 15:00 [2]
shoes: Inov8 X-Talons 212
Did a really nice warm up around the given map sample. Felt good mentally and had no problems in my heel. Made a race plan to run technically sound over fast
Orienteering 17:10 [5] **** 3.5 km (4:54 / km) +60m 4:31 / km
spiked:25/28c shoes: Inov8 X-Talons 212
I am really happy with this race but even more so with the result. Even with a few stupid small mistakes at least I stayed relatively clean.
I was quite nervous on the start line. But as I got to 10 seconds to go I just got myself focused and ready. I had already worked out where the first control was going to be in the start boxes so I had no problems here and picked the optimum route. Number 2 was fine but could have been dangerous. I stopped at 2 to read my description for 3. This meant I was going to spike the control but I am not sure whether I picked the best route here. Probably not looking at the splits.
Four was easy. Going to five, I had to stop still just before the stairs up to the control. This was just to make sure I was going right as I couldn't make it out running. Had no problems with the easy controls 6, 7, 8 and 9. I was third overall up to this point which is encouraging looking back.
To ten I missed some seconds. I was planning to go left but realised there were uncrossable walls there. So I ran a few extra meters around an unnecessary building. I didn't take the optimum route to 11. I went back down the stairs I came up to ten. This route was longer. Maybe I was a little urged for speed over navigation here.
Then I went clean until the spectator. I was leading here at the time according to the speaker but fortunately I did not hear this. 16 was fine but I did not take this easy leg to plan. Had to take a few seconds to get the right route to 17. But I missed the control running to a control at a bush twenty meters lower.
Spiked 18. To nineteen I lost more time. I ran to go through the white forest west of the control. When I got there it looked impassable so I ran around the car park. To twenty I ran back around by the car park because of thinking the forest was impassable. To my annoyance some guy burst through it. Close to twenty seconds lost here.
20 was ok. To twenty one is missed a few seconds again. Just too quick to navigate cleanly. Took one turn to early. 22 was fine and I was pushing as I could see my 1-minute man ahead. Caught him to 23.
We ran together to 24. He did a mistake at the control however and I was able to sneak in without him noticing. Pushed to 25.
26 and 27 were ok. But 28 was stupid. Once again running too fast with not enough map reading. I missed my turn down towards the control and had to backtrack. Could hear my name on the speaker to the finish and pushed well.