Saturday was an informal – organised by NGOC where I was in competition with my daughter. The timing was up to us and I set off a few minutes after her. With her in my sights I took a quicker line and caught up some of the time. It was a bit neck and neck until my error and hesitation let her get ahead. A bit further on her error allowed me to catch up. There were a couple of examples of “cheating” where running just off the map was so obviously quicker that I couldn’t stop myself. We got to the penultimate control together and consulted. She took one route and I took the other. She won the leg and the run in – but with her start I can still just about claim victory.
Sunday was a more serious affair with both Christine & Ian on the same course as me, with Sue & Dave on different courses. This was the BOK event at Headless Hill – far more like Headless Chicken for me. I started badly with a tumble down towards control 1. A few controls later I over-ran it and ended up messing around in the wrong block of forest. It was mentally down hill from there. It is always a bad sign when you are heading up hill in a race and not really out of breath! The results confirm my utter failure with Ian recording 58:51, Christine 62:28 and me 78:01.
Once I finished I found them all in the car, engine running and pushing to get back home. Mercifully a short drive listening to the discussions like I was an outsider. That’s the way it goes. I will just have to do better next time.
My route – look and laugh! on Google Maps
See also Dave’s blog “Headless“
Tags: Orienteering
23/11/2008 at 10:55 pm
62:28! Don’t give Ian more credit than he deserves!
I blame it on overtraining and excessive bouncing. My ally in the orienteering competition did a great job at tiring you out with her bouncing, tickling demands and general Grandad-mania!
Thanks for a good weekend!