Training Log Archive: expressoIn the 1 days ending Sep 20, 2009:
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Sunday Sep 20, 2009 #
Orienteer race (ultra-long) 2:22:09 [4] **** 14.6 km (9:44 / km) +475m 8:22 / km
shoes: Icebug MR2 811
US Ultra-Long Championship - Rattlesnake Hill, near Rochester, NY
Approached this race with a lot of trepidation as 15 hilly Ks is a long way to go and I knew I would be out there over 2 hours. Tried my best to prepare all advance aspects of this race. Good to finally start and get down to business.
Shaky start as (even with magnifier) I did not see the trail to 1 until I my feet found it and I stopped to resolve. First half of the leg to 2 was thick and physical as I just pushed NW then W until I was caught by the stream and then followed the spur up and straight in; good simplification. Straight to 3 was diffuse but I am pretty sure I found the rootstock attack point but things did not match-up after that. Lots of folks thrashing around looking through here and we finally stumbled across it. Water and Gu would be critical on this long, warming day so I detoured a bit south to the water stop; adjusted route when I saw the same open spur from earlier with paths headed down it. This was the killer route choice and I sped down to the stream junction and then contoured over to 4. Humped it straight to 5 and then down and up toward 6. There were no good APs up there but I tried to use the corner of the green blob but wound-up 100m north and a bit down from my point but luckily relocated on rootstock there. Didn't blink at any route other than the road to 7 but lost time missing veg boundary handrail near end. Good route choice to 8 but humbugged by control description of bottom of reentrant as I hopelessly searched down at stream level while it was actually 3 contours up. Bit slow to 9 and thought I had a good fast route to 10 taking the road way up and then dropping down around the north side of the lake but the southern trails are probably better. Almost 2 hours into race now and starting to tire quite a bit and lose mental and physical acuity. I fell and instinctively grabbed a small pine tree but couldn't stop momentum and instead lacerated hand pretty bad on broken branch nubs. Ouch!! and lots of blood. Overran 11 and had to climb back up to get it. 12 was a twilight zone experience as I just pounded SE toward road but came out 400m east of where I expected, luckily right on line to point. Ugh, this race had better end before my wheels come off completely. After finishing I was exhausted, wobbly and then discouraged to see Sergiy was already in after starting 10 minutes behind me. Oh well, I gave it everything I had and should be satisfied with that.
The adrenaline was wearing off and my hand was throbbing so I made my way to the ambulance. What pathetic service!! Apparently, by NY law, all they were "allowed" to do was wipe it with water and when I asked for hydrogen peroxide or Neosporin, they offered to drive me to the ER. Gawd, how brain-dead can the lawmakers be when paramedics can't offer rudimentary first aid. They didn't even bandage it until I asked, only to receive a lame piece of gauze and half-assed wrap of tape. Luckily it wasn't as deep as I feared from the prodigious amount of blood earlier. Enough about that...
Bussed back to download and was very pleased have third place in M40 in the midst of some great orienteers. It was a good day and I found a lot to be happy about.
Results...
Approached this race with a lot of trepidation as 15 hilly Ks is a long way to go and I knew I would be out there over 2 hours. Tried my best to prepare all advance aspects of this race. Good to finally start and get down to business.
Shaky start as (even with magnifier) I did not see the trail to 1 until I my feet found it and I stopped to resolve. First half of the leg to 2 was thick and physical as I just pushed NW then W until I was caught by the stream and then followed the spur up and straight in; good simplification. Straight to 3 was diffuse but I am pretty sure I found the rootstock attack point but things did not match-up after that. Lots of folks thrashing around looking through here and we finally stumbled across it. Water and Gu would be critical on this long, warming day so I detoured a bit south to the water stop; adjusted route when I saw the same open spur from earlier with paths headed down it. This was the killer route choice and I sped down to the stream junction and then contoured over to 4. Humped it straight to 5 and then down and up toward 6. There were no good APs up there but I tried to use the corner of the green blob but wound-up 100m north and a bit down from my point but luckily relocated on rootstock there. Didn't blink at any route other than the road to 7 but lost time missing veg boundary handrail near end. Good route choice to 8 but humbugged by control description of bottom of reentrant as I hopelessly searched down at stream level while it was actually 3 contours up. Bit slow to 9 and thought I had a good fast route to 10 taking the road way up and then dropping down around the north side of the lake but the southern trails are probably better. Almost 2 hours into race now and starting to tire quite a bit and lose mental and physical acuity. I fell and instinctively grabbed a small pine tree but couldn't stop momentum and instead lacerated hand pretty bad on broken branch nubs. Ouch!! and lots of blood. Overran 11 and had to climb back up to get it. 12 was a twilight zone experience as I just pounded SE toward road but came out 400m east of where I expected, luckily right on line to point. Ugh, this race had better end before my wheels come off completely. After finishing I was exhausted, wobbly and then discouraged to see Sergiy was already in after starting 10 minutes behind me. Oh well, I gave it everything I had and should be satisfied with that.
The adrenaline was wearing off and my hand was throbbing so I made my way to the ambulance. What pathetic service!! Apparently, by NY law, all they were "allowed" to do was wipe it with water and when I asked for hydrogen peroxide or Neosporin, they offered to drive me to the ER. Gawd, how brain-dead can the lawmakers be when paramedics can't offer rudimentary first aid. They didn't even bandage it until I asked, only to receive a lame piece of gauze and half-assed wrap of tape. Luckily it wasn't as deep as I feared from the prodigious amount of blood earlier. Enough about that...
Bussed back to download and was very pleased have third place in M40 in the midst of some great orienteers. It was a good day and I found a lot to be happy about.
Results...