Still didn't fell all that good after I finished, but I guess nobody did as well as they wanted to today. Only ever went like 90% and that was probably for the best. A clean race could've seen me go 10+ minutes quicker. Lots of (very wet) deadfall made some sections very difficult. I owe my shins a lot, they took an absolute beating today.
Hesitated on the way to 2 as I was making the route choice for 3; too much snaking around. Ian suggested taking the S trail initially exiting 2, and I think that would have been a better choice but I didn't even notice it during the race. Turns out the open strip between the undergrowth was a great decision, one that I wasn't planning on making initially until I saw someone else take it in front of me and noticed it was extremely runnable. Tried to deke him out as I passed him which ended up in him catching my anyways as I fought through a gaggle of deadfall.
Fell pretty hard on the way to 5. Saw I think Robbie on the way to 8, think he followed the line at some point rather than taking the trail all the way.
Caught David and someone else on the streamered route to 11, and passed him to 13, where I tried hard to lose him on the way to 14, going too far NE in the process and met him again as he punched 14. In retrospect the choice to go down the spurs was probably too conservative, and I could've trusted that I'd find the semi-open area regardless. There was post-race discussion of going down the river to 14, but I was worried the deadfall would be just as bad but also with super muddy soft ground. My route to 14 hit some pretty bad deadfall and I probably averaged the slowest pace there of any forested section in the entire race. It really was a slog at some points.
He went too high to 15 which pulled me off my route and cost me some time. I was very pleased with my route to 16 as I finally ditched him.
17 was probably the worst mistake. Good route most of the way, but I should've just accepted the climb right away and followed the big spur all the way down. I made the decision to climb a little too late and cost me a bit of time and map contact. Crossing the undergrowth on the steep slope was horribly slow. Then overran as I didn't drop enough and thought the light orange NE of 17 was the orange NW of 17, which resulted in my going up the big (wrong) reentrant. Relocated somewhat slowly all things considered.
Not much to report on from the rest of the race. I think the route to 21 was sound.
Livelox link.