West Point A-Meet - Middle Distance
I had a nice early start before it got too hot, though it did mean leaving home at 6am to get there on time. I didn't feel like I had a good rhythm at the start of this race and always felt a little rushed in my navigation, but I managed to start without losing much time in the technical early section of the course. I took a rather conservative route to 1 to give myself time to get into the map, but probably should have gone straighter. Good after that and settled down a bit after 3, as features started appearing when I was expecting them. Went around to 6, which I think was a good route. Then stayed low and around to 8 also to get good running and avoid the steep cliffs on the line. Not sure if that was good or not, have to look at splits. Then lost my brain to 9. Climbing up the steep hill, I told myself to be careful after I crossed the ridge, as this is the oxygen-deprived state in which mistakes happen. Still, I ran along the line of cliffs and somehow convinced myself it was the lower line rather than the upper. Stopped eventually, figured it out and went back, climbing down to the control. Saw Daniel Griff there, who started 3 minutes before me, and whom I had passed earlier without knowing. We stayed together after that. He was stronger up the hill on the trail towards 12, but hesitated on the way down and I got a bit in front. Then stayed in front, taking a good line to 13 and going through the stone wall junction as my attack. Annoyed by the 1:25 lost at 9, but satisfied otherwise. Finished about a minute ahead of Wyatt and Ross. It seems a lot of people made big mistakes out there, and the heat could not have helped the late starters. Always nice to win an A-meet race - I think it's only the 5th time I've done that.
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