orienteering 14:53 [3] 2.3 km (6:28 / km)
17th in the B final. Another fun time running through the cobblestoned roads and passageways of Goslar. I don't think I made any errors today - just a bunch of hesitations to make sure I was taking the best route. Certainly could have run faster but I just have not cultivated a sprint mindset. So would have moved up many places with some more effort but I just wasn't thinking in terms of trying to run right on the edge of not too fast. But again, finished with a big smile on my face and thrilled to have had fun.
Almost got run over out of my 1st control - had to sort of deflect someone about to crash into me whose head was in his map. Then on the way to the third control things weren't really lining up with the compass, but other things were - like buildings and alleys - so I kept going. Stopped at one point to see if I could possibly have taken a wrong turn, but decided no, I was where I thought I was. Was very glad to see a control where I expected one and very, very glad when it was my control number. After that I ran with more confidence, and never had any more doubts about where I was. At one control at the entrance to a large courtyard, I wondered if there was a shortcut through the courtyard to the next control. Did not want to miss an obvious route like yesterday so took the time to check carefully, but no - there was no way out of the courtyard in the direction of my next control, I really did need to backtrack out the way I had come as I had originally thought. Towards the end I took a quick glance at the end of my course (read ahead? who does that?) and thought I still had a good bit to go when in fact I was just about done. Not sure why I saw things incorrectly. So I took a bit of a breather when I really should have just been pushing hard to the end.
Sprinting is a whole 'nother sport in some respects and if I plan to do more of them, will need to learn how to do them properly.
Note
On closer inspection, I think I missed one optimal route - the left route looks to be a bit shorter, maybe 10-15 seconds.