Munster Orienteering Championships 2018
Muckross (Blue Pool)
After my last win in 2015 it's good to be back on top of the podium. Home advantage I definitely was able to avail of, with a slice of luck here and there. Can't say I was clean though, definitely a few minutes lost, mainly being stupid, particularly on 3.
Had figured 1 was either on this boulder or the one near it so was just a matter of starting fast and not having to worry about where I was going. Get the HR up. 2 was grand too but 3 I made a balls of, didn't trust myself that i'd come in the 1st path, I had, so went back and checked myself. Stupid.
4 was ok up the hill but maybe could have had a better line out to 5. Easy by the path and 6 was a matter of getting through the crappy underfoot conditions. Ankle not in the best of shape so this was the start of the tough stuff.
7 was grand once you didn't cut in early. 8 I was a bit concerned about but got it ok. Left of the hill top before cutting across to 9. Saw the dark green and used that to lead me into the control. Uphill to 10 was tough, 1st section to the track ok, but next section of the climb was rough at the bottom. I must admit I spiked 10, hit it spot on, not that I realised at the time that the control was badly wrong.
Saw Kilian leaving 11 as I ran across the open. Then into the forest again for 12 and 13. Found the running difficult here in the green stripes.
14 I got ok, but could have run it better. At least I knew where I was quickly enough after leaving the track. Not a great line to 15, up and then down, but was unsure of myself. 16 I was a tiny bit left of. Then cut in too early from the track to 17, could have saved myself some crap.
Tried to push the track then to 18, use the easier running sections. Getting into and out of 18 wasn't easy in the ferns. Used the drain then to attack 19.
Across the re-entrant to 19, climbed through some of the undergrowth to the path and then started dropping to 20. I'd an unclear picture in my head here, wasn't 100% certain of how the terrain would look, saw the green thicket to my right and then things made sense.
Tough climb again to 21. Stopped here to tie shoe lace, tape had disappeared. Dropped down the steep hill towards 22 but got drawn into the 1st re-entrant, saw the crag and then cut back across to 22. Down the hill on the path and up the next hill to 23, knew where this control was going to be. 24 was grand too. HR looked a bit low here so tried to run hard down the hill on the road before running along the fence to 25. Forest here ok.
Not sure if I got the best line out to the track for 26. Cut in beyond the control, continued a bit, saw the track in front of me, so had to come back to it. Some time lost here. Ok to 27 and then down the hill to 28. Cut in maybe slightly too early, thought I was looking for the re-entrant first but then realised it was a depression, no control next to the re-entrant so cursed that this might be wrong. Climbed and found the control. Could see the boulder to the left so was sure that the control was wrong.
Stayed low to 29, but had to cut back to it. Trying to keep the pace as high as I could, not long to go now. 30 was grand but line out to the track I took was not what I intended. 31 was fine and then around the track to the finish. Our last control to the finish wasn't ideal in terms of approaching it.
Was definitely concerned today that my Achilles would hold me back but happy to report that it held together. Will see how it feels later, ice definitely on the agenda. Left ankle still not recovered from 2 weeks ago, but no major tweaks today, just some bangs here and there.
Results
Splitsbrowser
QuickRoute