After spending two hours staring a test I know not very much about, it was nice to get out and do something I do know something about.
Waterloo HQ red makeup, from Igor's memory. Thanks for preparing the pdf, it was great to do a make up; it hurts to miss a meet!
He must have miss-remembered something, as my time turned out okay.
I do notice a technique improvement on no flag days - I get deliberate near the control and run to the center rather than trolling for a flag I'd easily see if I went to where it's supposed to be instead of scanning for it. So maybe I ought to do that more often...
Also, the woods were fantastic today, just gorgeous. 51, so I only slightly overdressed with a sweatshirt (didn't have any brightly colored regular shirts with me).
1. Took road easily, looking at a few legs. Quite slow! ~8th
2. Charge! 1st
3. Should just get up on ridges for easier running than side hills, 4th
4. Road, but not enough vigor. 5th
5. Trying road for speed, that bee line can be thick. 3rd
6. Fun mostly downhill, 3rd
7. Tough up that hill, and thicker than expected on the flat north of road. 2nd
8. A little reading ahead, using swamp then hill for turn in. 1st
9. I chanced the uncrossable swamp, high reward, low penalty. 1st
10. Should have left straighter rather than grabbing trail. So tricky in the area near 10, I slowed and applied caution. 1st
11. Straight, swamp fine and not too green where I hit. 1st
12. Hammer trail, almost botched it but not correctly reading the junction of reentrants at the top, saved by the rock pile (I was ready to go one too far). 1st
13. There's a better, flatter way. Mostly wanted to get close, then hit the dot ditch and let it guide me home. 2nd
F. Such a soft grade but it felt brutal. 11s back to Igor at 13, got it back in the kick. (if flags match) 1:10:30 1st (if matching)