Time to start the autumn orienteering season - itärastit starts this week, and there are three firmaliiga events starting next tuesday.
OK going on #1-#4, then quite challenging legs and controls on #5-#7. Had no good plan for finding #10, just wandering in the right direction, when a clearer plan via the stone lower down the hill would have been better.
Last firmaliiga event this year.
This course often had a clear path/road as one route choice. Decent running with an overall 11./80 placing.
Best splits are #4 and #6 where I was 6./80 - not bad!
From #3 I didn't even consider a direct route, just quickly back to the big path. Then up onto the slope, with a small cliff and stone providing verification of my exact location. Over the grey open cliff and a bit further I see the flag. Not much thinking, stopping, or walking - just execution.
#5-#6 was the second longest leg and possibly the most challenging? Out of #5 just after the first blue swamp I made a conscious decision to go south - not directly over the hill along the control-line, and instead ran along a path with the big stone and cliffs as mid-way checkpoints. Then down onto the second blue swamp, and following other runners up onto the stony slope towards #6 - enough other people there so no searching for the flag required. Again mostly just executing a good plan with very little standing around or slow map reading. Good.
The worst splits are #7 and #10. Out of #6 I had a clear plan to go a bit north, down the hill north of the steep cliff, find the smaller path and use that to get to the bigger path. Execution of this plan however was poor and instead I drifted towards the road and climbed two hills for no use. Close to #10 I stepped off the path too soon, stood around wondering for a while, and then followed others to the control - it didn't feel that bad but 1:58 lost to the best runner is a lot and only 30th in the splits...
The last firmaliiga event for this season was held yesterday at Luukki.
#1-#4 mostly OK
#5 very slow route choice through bad terrain with fallen and cut-down trees
#6 a small 1min loop to find the control
#7-#8 OK (a small loop on #7 close to the control)
#9 maybe +1min here again as I followed others to the left when the control was right.
#10 again followed others to the wrong control before finding my own, +2min maybe
#11-F slowest ever finish as I tried to figure out where it was...
Firmaliiga result 49./61
#15-#16 a long pause to read the map on top of the first hill
#16-#17 a small correction to the south just before the control
#18 had a reasonable plan and executed it OK.
#19 again a long pause to read the map
#20 found the swamp instead of the lake 🙁 didn't have a good plan when leaving #19
#21 again poor planning running up/down hills instead of around them.
