Orienteering race 1:02:21 [5] *** 5.0 km (12:28 / km) +85m 11:30 / km
ahr:134 max:171 spiked:7/9c
Had a disastrous first control with a 13 minute error. The start was a confluence of 5 trails, and I thought I was on the right one, but the bearing didn't match up quite right, so I thought I might have been on the trail to the right, so ran left. When I came to a large trail, I then made a 90 degree error, and ran west instead of south on the trail I thought I was on. Ended up in a corner of the map where I had no idea where I was because I hadn't looked there, because I was sure I was further south. Finally followed a steep bank south until I came to a trail I could recognize. then I blew the 3rd control. I was looking for a cliff at the bend of the creek, but came to another (what I thought was unmapped) reentrant. It turned out the line of the reentrant was obscured by the control circle. I thought I might have been at a stream further east, so headed west, but that was obviously wrong. The rest of the course went OK, but I was very disappointed in the course design of the 2nd half. There was virtually no route choice, and the controls were orange level, with lots of lost distance just running in the meadow. On the whole, a very disappointing day. I finished 7th in M65, but I had enough of a lead on day 1 to salvage 3rd place, although I really did not deserve it.
Actual distance ran 6.87 k
Added Tues. 8/7. Just downloaded my route from Google Earth. I can't understand how I made that huge error unless I was so psyched about trying to keep my lead from the previous day that I choked and didn't think clearly. First mistake was not stopping and confirming that I was on the right trail to begin with. Second error was not checking the bearing of the trail when I turned right. After I made my little sidetrack to the west, I ended up on the correct trail and was at a clearing with a building where I should have easily been able to relocate. I remember being there, but somehow could not get the terrain to match the map. I walked back there after the event, and the mapping is OK, so can't figure out why I didn't relocate there. Then I came to a distinct bell tower with another building in view which was 50 meters from the control. Again, should have easily been able to relocate, but didn't. Very discouraging. I think it must have been nerves, because after the big error, the pressure was off and generally I did OK after that except for another 3 minute error on the third control. Although I probably should have been able to recognize the problems there, it really is difficult, even in retrospect to see the reentrant that confused me because a considerable portion of the line of the reentrant was obscured by the control circle. I should have gone down to the creek, and kept looking at the banks for the control, but again for some reason I thought there was a little spur between the river and the control and the cliff was on the other side of the spur, not the river side. This is clearly an error on my part.