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Night Orienteering @Wanderers

30 March 2019
Wanderers Golf Course

I am going to start off by saying that this event was definitely not my event. I think I have been so caught up in who I am going to beat and how fast can I run, rather than focusing on the actual course and technique on the night. I was not able to find a map before the event, so I did not feel as mentally prepared as I wanted to be.

I realized after registration closed that Michelle was not there, so I think I placed a lot of pressure on myself to come first, to get those 1000th points, instead of focusing on doing well on navigation. When I got to the start I put my name down at the first available time, which meant I had 3 minutes before the start - no time for warm-up. I have been suffering with a bit of a foot injury, but I knew that whatever pain, I could run through it.

Start - #1: Picking up the map and starting, I was actually cautious and stopped to find #1 - I did not get to see where the other ladies had gone to. Following the path down towards the trees, the control was easy to see.
#1 - #2: This was a loooong running leg. I didnt really have a plan of action, except to just run. I ran past the drain, up past the building and golf greens and through the trees to the control.
#2 - #3: What should have been an easy leg was actually my longest leg. I was just aiming to hit the path and follow it. I somehow ended up at the bottom of the reservoir with the greenery thinking I was higher up, where the fence came out. I thought I may have missed the path, so I headed back a little before going up (I didnt see #6 otherwise I might have been quicker). Going up I found the path, as it was leaving the side of the fence, followed along to the control.
#3 - #4: Eager to make up for time lost, I basically just set off sprinting down the hill in the 'general' direction. I sort of saw #7 but didnt know which control it was. I crossed the path, and looking at the direction of it, I thought that the control was more left and not straight down I ended up in the trees the other side of #12 - I decided to check and see if I could locate where I was. Found the control after this
#4 - #5: Headed a bit too low, but followed trees up to control
#5 - #6: Headed more or less straight, aiming to the left of the golf greens
#6 - #7: Knew where the control was, so set off towards the building, and I could see the control
#7 - #8: Went a bit too high, was worried that I had actually missed this control
#8 - #9: Decided to run below tree line, could see the control as I got closer to the sand bunkers
#9 - #10: Ran more or less straight to the control
#10 - #11: Ran up through the trees, to run above tree line
#11 - #12: Ran straightish down, knew where the control was
#12 - #13: Was heading nicely to the control but I doubted where the control was as the features and positioning did not look right. Ended up running to the earth wall before going back
#13 - #14: Headed off to the left of the first group of tree, aiming right on the next set. Easyish control
#14 - #15: Aimed to run to the left of #2, above the trees and then straight through the next trees to the control
#15 - #16: Headed straight
#16 - #17: Wasnt sure if I should follow the path at the top or run round the bottom. I decided the bottom route. Clearly not paying attention to where I was going, I ended up running up the steep hill still following the vegetation and ending up by the path. Wasted some time having to go back down a little to get to the control
#17 - #18: straight run
#18 - #19: Headed to the right of the vegetation, could see the control once the small path ended
#19 - Finish: Not exactly a sprint...

I kept thinking while I was out there to read ahead, but as the controls went by my confidence was as lost as I was, so I was more focused on each control as it came. I also found that the direction confused me, in my head, the features and direction I was running didnt seem to match up to what I was expecting.

Finishing I was convinced that Sarah Pope had beaten me because she apparently had a good run.
There was unfortunately an issue on the courses, for people who set out before me (2 controls were swapped around between mens and womens courses), which meant that 2 legs had to be taken out. Based on overall I was 1st, 30 seconds ahead of Kirsten Chambers. I had a gut feeling that if the leg #16 - #17 was taken out and this is where Kirsten lost time to me, that she would jump in front of me. Official results see me in 2nd (so so close to getting those 1000 points but perhaps karma from the St Davids event where I got a better placing because a control was taken out).

Overall I did not enjoy my run, I felt like a headless chicken running around and that I have never done orienteering before by the amount of times I had to stop to relocate. In terms of running I am thankful for my improved fitness, to help make up for some of my mistakes.


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