score event at tokai east

Today I did my first score orienteering event here in Cape Town. For those who don't know, a score event is different to the usual orienteering events where you have to visit each control on the map in a specific order. With a score event you get a set time (60 minutes in this case) to visit as many controls as you can, in any order you like. For each control you visit you score 10 points, and if you go over the 60 minute time limit you get penalized 10 points per minute.

I came second overall with a score of 180 points (18 controls), that's the best result I've had at an orienteering event ever. BUT (there always is a but, isn't there) I'm pretty sure this is not an indication of how I'll be performing in general, since there where a few guys who went to more controls than I did, they just missed the time limit and got penalized for that, so I had a bit of luck on my side this time, I guess....

I've drawn my route with a red pen on the map below. I did hesitate at a few of the controls, but it was more due to considering route choices and how to maximize my score, than trying to work out where the control was. I think the biggest mistake I made is I didn't go up to no 9, 10 and 11 because I thought I might not make it back in time, in the end I came in 6 minutes early. But overall I'm quite happy with the race.



My route was no 1, 4, 6, 8, 7, 5 (slightly mis-judged the angle), 18, 17, 16 (where at first I ran past because I couldn't see the control, it was lying on the ground), 15, 14, 13, 19, 20 (long flat section next to tar, by this time I was feeling pretty tired), 21, 22 (tar just about all the way back, it was horrible on my lower legs), 3, 2, finish.

I'm pretty unfit at the moment (as I've mentioned before), and I think I'm about 8kg over weight. My training consist primarily out of walking for 60 minutes each morning in the forest, and some running here and there on the flat sections if I'm feeling good on the day. So I probably pushed a little too hard by running for a full 60 minutes, and on tar. I think it's going to hurt a little tomorrow.