First of all I would like to say thanks to Mark Adams and GHO (Dontgetlost.com) team for such an adventure on all of the Caledon maps. I did not know that they connect so well :)
Next is the team performance. We finished second overall with only few seconds behind and it is after 3 hours and 15 min of the race. As Nick mentioned, we had a lead (~5min) for all 30k till the last kilometre, but lost it at the last route choice to the last CP.
Lastly about my performance, I started the race with the Nick's words: "Nothing comes for free"- he said them when we were planning our route choices and strategies before the race.
The start was on the line-O, where most of the people was chatting and positioning their teams. After the 1st CP, we started our regular Orienteering course. As long as routes to CP2-3-4 and 5 were really steep and icy, and my choice of shoes was not the best for it, all teams were not far away from each other. CP5 was on the top of the really steep hill. As Nick said "Nothing comes for free", I knew that after that hill we can gain advantage on the flat area and we should not waste it for nothing.
I was really slow on that icy hill, but when I heard that teams started to make jokes (about me being too died after only first 30 min), I knew that it is the moment when they are discouraged and I should push. At the same moment, I heard Nick shouting to me to tell them the "F" word and start pushing. I think I got my wings :) We ran crazy to CP6 and CP7 and got 3 min gains right there.
As I wrote on my last blog note before, my main focus for this year is psychology of the race. I think it is the key for a good orienteer to feel your-self and to know how to react in the particular situation. Our competitors got distracted and we used it.
After CP7, we had Line-O again- that’s where I started to look at the map. I want to be honest; I did not have good winter trainings and not fit yet to such 3+hour of adventure. Most of navigation was done by feet and Nick (who as a local knew few spots). Next part was Score-O and Matrix, after which we had the long run on road to the last map. I ran out of my water- the reason that I read that we will pass water station several times; I thought it will more than twice. My lesson here is to take the water when you can, but not when you ran out of it ;)
Last map- I have a good feeling that not only I was in my team, who thought that we were done, so we did not push and walked on the hills to CP17. Plus, we were slow on route choice to CP 18 and even started to chat to other half-raid teams. "Nothing comes for free" comes against us now. After running around the lake, Nick saw another team catching us, so panic started (at least for me). Before that point, I was hoping not to do any fast moves to avoid cramps b/c I was running for 5k without the water already.
"Click" moment: in a sec, our team started to rush, lost its confidence and focus on the course. At that point (in my opinion), our team was about placing not about clean navigation. We agreed before that we will run to CP 20 on left route to trail, around the lake and trail again- done. But as feet said, at that moment he could not remember about that route choice, so we ran to the right. I was struggling behind my teammates, and even though I knew we are doing a mistake, I could not do anything, but just moving one leg in front of another :( We punched last CP20 only 1 sec after competitors. We got still a chance to win, but I think misunderstanding in the way to the finish killed our chances (we were too disorganized). But really, coming strong from behind is more motivating than trying to run away after thinking you have already finished the course.
So, even thought I saw better prizes from GRR and Hammer raids in the past, I still want to thank for the lesson that "Nothing comes for free!"
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