Run race ((orienteering)) 15:31 [4] *** 3.1 km (5:00 / km) +40m 4:42 / km
spiked:23/24c
Second sprint race with a paired start (I was paired with Carl Dalheim, who'd been only a few seconds behind me in the morning). Once again felt as if I was grinding the gears on the first couple, and missed 4 by a few seconds because I was concentrating too much on planning 5 (a long leg), but pretty good after that, and got the right option on the very roundabout 17. Running pretty hard in the later stages across the ovals, partly because I was chasing Chris Norwood (who'd started a minute before me) - ended up eight seconds ahead of him, having been three seconds ahead in the morning. (Finishing ahead of fast M60s in sprints is a sign of modest progress, given that Messrs Norwood, Lawford and van Geldermalsen have had my measure more often than not over the last six months).
The best news from this is that my hip feels better after running two sprint races than it has at any other time in the last four days. Go figure. (Also positive is being comfortably under the benchmark of 40% behind the elite winner that passes for respectability these days). Doing two events in a day will also be good preparation for doing four on Wednesday.
The head-to-head format made for a few interesting duels, the best of them being the Steer v Steer sprint finish (Asha reversing the result from the street-O championships by a few metres). Belinda looked like she'd held off Tash in a close one but she'd missed a control.