This year, not so much. I think I forgot there had been a windy storm before I had gone last year, which helped. Also, this year, we were in a different location of the park and not so many pine trees. I did end up making it out the door a little later then usual, but made it up in plenty of time before the course closed, but... Not before they ran out of maps for the course I wanted to "run". I'm an intermediate level, and have had one foray into advanced courses, this summer, when dad and I went to the canoeing orienteering event. We tried a tan course and after finding the first two markers, promptly became lost.
It was frustrating haven driven over an hour, across state lines only to be told, too bad. Their printer was out of yellow ink and they couldn't do anything about it. Ugh. They recommended I try the advanced. Based on my last experience, I wasn't wild this was my only option. Going down a level wasn't appealing either as I've found those too easy. Well, I grumbled in my head and took a tan map.
And you know what, I think this one was an easy tan. Somewhat like an orange like I usually run. It was on the shorter side which helped. And after finding the first two controls realitively easily (I overshot the first one but was able to easily correct) I was feeling ok. On the next control, a more advanced fellow overtook me and got to the control first and then dashed off into the woods for to the next control. I just plugged along, enjoying my hike (not running) and a few minutes later I came across the same guy, running around in the vincinity of the next control. He mentioned he knew it was around here but couldn't find it. Having learned from my previous times, I didn't let him distract me and focused on what direction I thought the control should be, not where he was heading. And I found it for the both of us and again, he sprints off to the next control. And again, a few minutes later I catch up to him dashing back and forth looking. By now I fell like an old regular, and slowly made my way directly to where I thought the control should be. He dashed ahead and clocked the control first and in the meantime, another more advanced fellow comes running up the hill and mentions he's been looking for the control and can't find it. I asked him if he wanted to know where it was, and pointed him in the correct direction. It was literally several feet from us.
Talk about a boost of confidence. Here are two runners who are used to doing this level course, and it's me finding the controls. I think it also helps to go slow and steady versus trying to dart around. They were on another course that happened to overlap mine and I didn't see them again, but enjoyed the rest of the course finding everything pretty easily. It also helped its winter is so crossing through the woods wasn't too slow going. Although, tons of snow and hidden ice. Another reason to take it slow and steady.
After the last event, I had bought a pair of gloves that I could sweat in that worked out fabulously. I started off being cold but by then end, was taking off the gloves and hat. At the end, I was making my way back to the finish and jogging a little, and along came another guy. Because of him, I ended up running all the way back and it was only then I got wet feet running through massive puddles in the fields. Luckily, I had also packed a second pair of sneakers and my super warm and cozy socks.
It was such a lovely day and such a beautiful setting with the narrow (and slippery) bridges through the marshes and I found this one tree whose trunk had grown at a 90degree angle and then straight up, making for a perfect height bench. I had left my phone behind and had wished I had brought it for the pictures and also, I forgot, I wanted to "track my run" so I could look at what I did afterwards.
Looking at the splits, I find I did ok, but my saving grace was slow and steady and that's how I eeeked out coming in first! Not too shabby.
And, after I downloaded my results and was heading out the door, I noticed on the porch a tarp with a huge pile of greens. Clearly, they were using them for making wreaths or something, so I couldn't take the, but, they had a trash barrel full of scraps and I rummaged around and got a pretty good haul (nothing last year). And, as I was driving back to the highway, I couldn't help scanning the sides of the road , hoping to find another fallen limb like last year, and guess what. I found one! Except, I think it was a Christmas trees eons bought that had fallen off their roof. It had been there awhile since the needles were falling off. But there were a few branches that were worth saving. Fast forward when I got home, and was doing some quick yard work, putting beds down for winter and found, some grasses I usually trimmed earlier in the fall, had dried in this beautiful way and I thought, this will make for some nice decoration, along with the bamboo clippings I had saved from an earlier yard clean up. So I think I have enough to decorate with. I like having stuff straight from nature and not going to wage (and not costing anything).
So I had a great orienteering event, picked up some boughs, and also swung by two stores where I found some birthday/Christmas presents. So all in all, definitely worth the trip, and I'm glad I talked myself into going. It was a full day away and now, I need to go off and get all my chores done for the weekend, into one day.
I've been practicing a new technique. I write down everything I want to get done today, divided into two groups: have tos (like it's going to be hard during the week if I don't do this now) and like tos (like I'd like to paint my bookcase but it doesn't have to happen this weekend). But in addition, I've started putting an estimate of how long (I.e. 20 minutes). And then throughout the day, I make note of how long it actually takes. Interestingly, I've found that a bunch of things take me twice as long as I thought they did. So I've been resetting how long I think it takes. And also, I'll add up all the times, and realize I have two days of work I'm trying to get done in one day which is impossible. So it resets and manages my expectations. I feel much better at the end of day because, although there is still a lot to do, I know I got a lot done. Speaking, of which, this post took longer than I thought it would, surprise, surprise, so need to dash.
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