Orienteering 41:34 [5] 5.86 km (7:06 / km) +233m 5:55 / km
18c shoes: Icebug Spirit7 M OLX
IOC Middle - 10th Irish I think (incl. 20s)
Ewww.
I started alright (I thought), got 1 grand, and alright up the hill towards 2, contoured round a little high up, but climbed too much and went too far, and ended up past it a little uncertain - 1min lost already (didn’t think it was as big as this at the time).
Grand through 3 - 6, moving decently on the downhills and good splits on 4 & 6, has me back in the general pack.
Got a ground oul line toward 7, but having crossed the river I misread the map and was parallel too low, 30s. Coming out to 8 I got all up in my own head - was worrying about PaulP starting behind and hum catching me, and was starting to get tired.
Took an odd line to 8, too Garner right, realised and didn’t correct, 20-30s. Slow up to 9, slow up to 10 watching my back. Poor.
Down towards 11, I had just stopped reading the map enough and when I did, I wasn’t making sense of it at all, 20-30s.
Paul caught me shortly after 11, tried to sustain an effort and follow him - couldn’t really, but still followed and ended up right on a higher hill - 20s (though Paul has fastest split??).
And absolute mess following him again towards 13 - thought it was too easy to read the map sokept on his line, we overshot and saw him running back towards it, but thought he’d punched, so went onto the hilltop beyond, saw the lake and realised.
Cruised round the end sad at myself.
Many issues here, generally wasn’t fit enough for the terrain. Mentally all over the shop worrying about others. Not reading the map enough. And then no know-how to keep checking the map myself after being caught.
Jaysus a long road ahead, but very keen to get some consistent mileage in, and physical improvements go a long way towards technical ones too.