Coalfields Classic National Orienteering League Race 11 & WOC Trial (12/05/2012)

M21E 8th place

My calf had improved, but I was still a long way from 100%. I wasn't really able to run at top speed, and minimal training for 4 weeks would probably prevent that in the second half of the race anyway. I had to be really careful accelerating and climbing stairs and banks, so realistically I was going to be around 10% slower than I could have been.

I started very well, having predicted a route choice around the first building near the start. I took a couple of extra seconds to read the map and then took the right route - giving me the fastest split. I continued well onto the second and was still in 2nd place.
3 and 4 involved stairs and slopes, and that brought me back to the field. Unfortunately, this was going to be the case with my calf.
5 was my biggest mistake of the morning - losing 10 seconds. I tried to find the second staircase on the left, but the map/terrain was very confusing and overshot by 15m. The ideal route choice was diagonal left, approaching the control from the left.
6-16 were clean, but I was certainly restricted with my calf and losing time.
I was too careful on 17. I correctly read that the right side of the building was a dead end, so I took the left route. I failed to see the right route around the garden which cost me 5-10 seconds.
18 was mapped next to an olive green garden bed. I stayed clear of the garden bed on the exit, but I saw others that didn't.
After the garden bed, I ran too far left and almost took a wrong turn. I correctly just in time, but probably lost 10 seconds for missing the short cut.
I had a good section from 20-23. From 20 I exited backward, avoiding the stairs and the long wall, resulting in the fastest split. On 23 I took the left route and was in the top 5 splits on a long leg where I was again restricted at top speed.
My finish was clean, but I had to resist sprinting, especially across the very spongy grass.

I did my best and I have to be happy with 8th place, especially considering I couldn't walk less than 4 weeks ago. I was a bit disappointed given that 2nd Australian was certainly possible for me without injury on this course. However there was nothing else that I could have done to avoid this, so I have to be satisfied.