Orienteering 1:17:47 [5] *** 10.09 km (7:43 / km) +405m 6:25 / km
spiked:11/14c shoes: Inov8 X-Talons 212
Did something I have never done before in an orienteering race. I took the wrong map! I read the order on a sign when waiting to go and ran off grabbing the 'correct' map and was off to 1. I got there well, running a lot of the uphill leg. Spiked it nicely but the code didn't match my control descriptions on my arm. What?! I started to relocate but I was sure I was right. After a bit I considered whether there was a mistake with the course but many others had finished it earlier in the day. The control on the map was in a re-entrant and my descriptions said saddle. This is when I thought maybe I had taken the wrong map. Checked it and my stomach sunk as I saw 'M21S'. Started heading back to the start... Later turned out I was right but the sign at start was different to the actual order of maps on the ground. Cillin noticed this but had the foresight to actually check the course numbers on the map bags. Fault by the organisers, what can you do?
So I arrived back at the start after 13.30 minutes. Chucked the map on the ground and grabbed my correct one. Was ready to start my course minus some energy and I had to do the climb at the start all over again. It was kind of funny at the time. Kind of.
Number 1-3 went well. Steady pace and good map contact. Just what I was looking for heading into the race.
Missed 5 minutes to 4 though. Got pulled by an elephant track and didn't use the compass and headed off 90 degrees wrong. Didn't cop it for ages even with the massive open. This was bad on my part.
For the next few controls I was happy with how I put this mistake behind me. Back to steady pace and good map contact all the way to 10.
Not sure about my route to 11. I think straight would have been better. At 10 I saw 77 minutes was still in reach. Simon Bradbury had set this time earlier in the day. I really wanted to beat it, would have been funny given the circumstances. But this haste, made me miss some time to 11 and 12. About 2 minutes in total. Ran well for the rest.
Once again enjoyable despite another poor run :) That's what I want though! Obviously my worst result all week but my best performance minus the start! Easily fixable mistakes. Find I'm kind of getting back into orienteering well after the break since EYOC. Need more :D