Orienteering race 1:26:20 [5] 8.23 km (10:29 / km) +425m 8:20 / km
West Point A-meet, red, day 2. A tough, long course. I have a late start time, so late that nobody is in the woods anymore, I have the constant sense that I am the only one out there. I have some mistakes early on. The climb in the middle is brutal. I end up having the win in M45, since PG graciously stayed in M40, where they put him. His real age, as some agents from a foreign nation told me. Now we know.
I was in good physical shape this weekend. On both days I could and can do much better. Much to improve, route choices, adjusting to the map, attacking controls in complex rock features, build the focus from beginning on and keeping it while going to the threshold of my running capacity. In a way it is good not be perfect, it gives room to experiment and develop.
Running warm up/down 30:00 [3] 5.0 km (6:00 / km) +40m 5:46 / km
Warm-up run before race. It is nice and sunny, the start is deserted, Spike starts 10 minutes before me, I have the last start time for some reason. I can start whenever I want, but I want to warm up well.
Note
I found this news article in the local Poughkeepsie Journal. I faintly remember talking to a journalist last week. I swear I didn't write the article myself. See
Sport of Orienteering requires dedication. For the record, my tempo runs are great fun and not 'hellish' at all. I feel like a flying Kenyan lion when I run them.
I am glad that orienteering is portrayed in the article as a physical challenge and real sport, not just a few weird guys stumbling around and starring at some paper with printed spaghetti plus green spinach splotches.