Orienteering race (SA Champs Middle-Grabouw) 40:40 [5] *** 6.2 km (6:34 / km) +180m 5:44 / km
21c shoes: Salomon Speedcross 3
Legs were feeling good, but pitty the nav let me down. Felt nervous for the first time ever before an O, and that probably contributed to the iffy navigation.
#1 – I went the wrong way around the thicket
#2 – went straight through the green, should have taken the road. Caught Cobus (+2) and Nick (+4) here.
#4 – went around the eastern thicket before circling back to the control
Next few controls were good, except I was slow up the hill to 9.
#13 – biggest time loss. I think there are more boulder clusters and rocky ground here than is mapped… Went too far west, and had to run back down the hill to 13.
#14 – Stopped short of the control and visited another boulder before getting it…
15-18 were ok, running speed felt good.
90 degree exit angle error out of 18. Saw Brad and Ake running to 17 when I was on my way to 19, knew then I had lost too much time.
#20 – Way too low on the hill, found a control from another course first, had to then relocate and head up to 20. 30-40 sec mistake.
In the end, a messy run and no real consistency, despite stringing a few good legs together. Speed was ok, just need to work on map contact and using my compass more… 4th place out of 12. 27 sec behind Tim in 3rd.