Orienteering 1:45:58 [5] 13.63 km (7:46 / km) +432m 6:43 / km
ahr:159 max:183
IOC Classic - Gold!
I was first starter so I knew I was in for a long solo race and took the opportunity to relish it and really focus on the navigation - and hopefully put down a marker for the day.
I started smoothly, moving strongly across the terrain, but completely focused on really clean navigation. Ticked off the first 5 really cleanly and feeling confident. Just an enjoyable experience in such gorgeous open contours.I had planned to go straigh-ish, maybe slightly right of the lineto #6, but I looked up and was drawn towards what looked like nicer running left of the line early on, and then the route really grew on me as it avoided the re-entrants and the running wasn't too rough. Looks like it worked out really well (or others made mistakes), because I got it cleanly and put it a minute into the field on this leg. I picked what felt like a solid route on the long leg (25mins!), left of the line and then staying quite high hoping for good running in the second half of the leg. Heading high and straight for the left of the lake was good, the climb up from the lake was brutal, but it worked out nicely enough and I tried to make sure I kept pushing the whole way through the leg and again was rewarded with a nice split.
Took my time reading the features on #9, because I felt this and #10 were both danger controls. However, after feeling like I navigated perfectly into it no control appeared, and I found myself searching (2mins lost). Discussed concerns about it at the end and started to feel confident this was in the wrong place and this was confirmed by control collector Corbett later in the day.
A little unsettled on #10 and took my gel (which was vile), hadn't kept great contact on the first half of the leg, but picked out some crags and a re-entrant halfway and kept better contact from there to get it all good.
Clean through #11 & #12, and made sure to stay right and enter the forest late on #13, I knew transitioning into here would be tricky sow anted to play it safe. I changed my mind halfway and cut in a bit earlier to follow the yellow line, but ended up left and lost maybe 90sec in the wrong open.
Settled the head and focused completely on being clean, and despite dodgy lines entering both #14 and #15 I got them both cleanly. Leaving #15 was a pain, but got out and got across the open smoothly, dropped into the control from high, but once again struggling to be certain in the forest. I hit the right spot but searched the crag with no success and started it relocate before realising it was on the clearing above me (45sec).
Once again, settled down, knew this was the crucial section and got #17 smoothly, spent some time making sure where I was on the road to #18, and finding the ride - but very smooth otherwise. Used the ride to #19, all smooth again, feeling confident in the forest. To #20 I was very confident and moving nicely through the forest, came along the bottom of the open, into the crag, and no control. Again a moment of panic as to what clearing I could be at, before checking the description to see it was on the hill (30sec).
Smooth on the last 2 forest ones, working back to the road, and then pushing into the finish.
I knew it had been a pretty decent run, lots of smooth navigation, lots of very clean controls, and I'd felt very strong in the terrain throughout, but I also knew I'd dropped the guts of 5mins in total which felt like a lot. But I did also feel like mistakes would be somewhat unavoidable in that vague forest, so there was certainly still a good chance.
As the day went on and people came back, it slowly became clear the time wasn't getting beaten which was exciting news.
Really cool to eventually win the classic and to do it with a dominant run on such an iconic map. Chuffed with it!