Carrick Mountain
Long Selection Race
Happy to have finished in one piece, that was the aim. Definitely some orienteering issues and some serious fitness issues in the 2nd part.
Handy attackpoint from the road for 1, but didn't have a clue in the felled area. So maybe close to a minute wasted.
Next few were ok. Took a straight line from the road bend to 5, passed the control on the rootstock, didn't know it would be on my course later, and thne overshot the boulder, was too high. So more time lost.
6-8 were ok, and then went around the path to 9, steep climb up. Took the path again to 10 and 11.
For 12 took the direct enough line on a bearing, but stopped short when I saw Ruairi Long searching. Found a path beyond him so like everyone else figured that was the path on the map. I did have a feeling though it wasn't the right path, didn't feel right, and was correct. So minutes shed here.
Then didn't have the legs to keep up with Ruairi.
Missed the path I wanted to 14 so ended up with a longer route, easier, but longer. Went right to 15 before. Long downhill leg to 16, felt like I was going ok but it was downhill.
Then onto the 2nd part. Some climb to start, then 18-20 were tough physically, a lot of walking! Wrong path again to 21, cut down early but knew i'd done it. Then 22 was the rootstock i'd found earlier.
Overshot 23, went a bit too far right. Used the path to get back to 24 and 25 was downhill, last bit of downhill. Legs felt like cramping between 21 and 22 earlier, and now they were really starting to hurt. Somehow went straight to 26, probably should have gone around.
Then uphill to the last 2. Mike Long in front of me so had to find the energy to get up the hill faster.
Body well and truly exhausted afterwards. My HR was around the average for a lot of the run, hasn't been that high for that long for a while i'd say.
Good to be back orienteering.
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