Estonian Championship, Long

EMV Long, 01.09

Course: 7,8 km
Map: Juudakund, 1:15000, H 2,5 m.

I had had a great feeling the whole previous week. I also felt really good at the last orienteering training that I had. There was no doubt I was going for the gold. By chance, me and my brother had the same start minute. But we don't run the same class of course. I'm in M18 and my brother in M20.

S-1: Saw my brother speeding away right in front of me. Didn't mind that. There were logs on the path so I wasn't really running on the path. More like by it. Got back on it and turned left from the path junction. Ran down the slope and saw the marsh on the left. Climbed up a bit and crossed the narrow ride. Followed the height and noticed the pits a bit lower, on the right side. To the wide spur and the control behind it. To my amazement, my brother led the exact route, all the way through my control. But he didn't have that one.
1-2: Since the paths were just terrible on this terrain (they were grown into grass and bushes), I didn't follow or seek for them. Ran past the depression, up the slope and past the stone. Bearing to the swamp. Also noticed all the paths on the way. Some fighting through the bushes and I noticed, that my brother was right behind me. This time we had the same control.
2-3: Right past the first clear marsh, across the small stream to the gentle hillside. And stop! What!? A swam right in front of me? Turns out, that the elongated, narrow depression was wet. Didn't let that discourage me and went along the slope to the control.
3-4: The first real loss. No special plan. Straight to the big road with a bearing. With a slight tilt to the right, to avoid the greener areas and to know which way to head when I'm on the road. Had quite a high speed, frequently checking the direction with the compass. Everything seemed all right. I was guided by the marshes, but I couldn't determine my position. But I knew that I just had to get on the road. When finally getting on it, I was chocked how much to the right I had inclined. Ran to the higher area and turned right in the forest again. Followed the side of the big wide spur across the road, to the clear marsh. Used the big deep depressions for easier navigation. No problems. The way I had came to the road, I figured out only later that evening.
4-5: As some kind of a path was already visible from a greater height, I went to it. Followed it to the swamp, crossed it and punched without difficulties.
5-6: Again, took a bearing to the road. As you can see on the map, that didn't turn out quite as I had planned. And again, my location was a mystery. But as long as the direction according to the compass was correct, it should be OK. That it was, but the map just wasn't a match to the terrain. When I reached the big clear marsh, I knew where I was and I tried reach the path as fast as possible. Even that didn't work out well. When I got on it, I was trying to cut off the corner constantly, straight to the road, but I was always set back by the small trees and bushes. So I ran all the way out. High speed to the bigger road junction, to make up the time loss. When seeing the roads split, I went in. By this time, it had hit me that my usage of the compass was not very reliable. But still I checked it once in a while. Everything was very understandable and clear on this route. Later I realized that I had ran the same way I had ran to the fourth control.
6-7: It was very difficult to go straight as a lot of trees had fallen down in that area. About ten meters after the control, I was crossing a tree on the ground and I hit a tip of a dried-up, stiff branch in my groin area. A loud sudden cry sounded. It was not pleasant. The control was easy.
7-8: Another stupid act. When having a quick look at the map, it seemed that the yellow area was just a narrow clearing. I didn't see that road on it at first. When having run for some time I saw another runner in my class running on the open area and a lot faster than me, I checked the map again. Dammit! Quickly got on it and ran faster. Wanted to go straight to the left hand path again but couldn't, because of the bushes again. The other guy in my class ran straight into the forest. I ran fast by the road all the way to the control area and saw that guy about 100 meters behind me. But the control that I was about to face, are just the kind that I'm afraid of. Not much to read before the object, in fact almost nothing to read. Just checked my heading and wanted to catch the knoll. I did get to a knoll, and started looking for the re-entrant but when I saw the marsh below, I knew where I was and quickly went back. That other guy just punched.
8-9: Before the control, I had noticed two routechoices. From the right or from the left? I chose the left option since I had come from that direction and the way was known. The moor was very runnable. Finally got to the hill and slowly gained height on the slope. First I thought the control object was a re-entrant and I was heading towards it but I saw that there was no flag there and I saw it on the spur. Great!
9-10: Straight to the road. Forest was well runnable. When I was on the road itself, I started running north as I misread the map for a second. But fixed that right away and went back to the narrow ride across the moor. No difficulties.
10-11: Onto the path. Followed it and then went straight past the big depression. Looked for the bigger marsh on the right. Up the spur to the depression.
11-12: Bearing to the narrow ride. Followed the track to the crossing and ran across the two swamps' "neck". Up the hill, past the two boulders. Was not sure in my direction. Got to a big gully and didn't know which one it was. Ran over it, as well as the spur on the other side as I had thought that it was the next spur already and I was expecting for the control. I saw a flag but I knew it wasn't mine. Though I ran to it to check just in case. Stopped right there and delved into the map. It hit me right away where I was and quickly ran to my flag.
12-13: Just straight. Followed the paths as long as I could and then fought through the dark green. Down the hill through the depression. A few meters on the road and then through the grove next to the pond. Up the hill by the path and over the clearing. A lot of nettles. Down to the creek and the stone. Although there were two stations in that control, I had to wait in line just to punch.
13-14: Around the marsh, onto the open area. Again too many people in the way.
14-F: Max speed. Perfect punch in the last control, as well as the finish.

Splits

  1. Lauri Sild          00:53.00,0
2. Kristo Heinmann     00:57.16,0  +4:16
3. Erki Pellja         01:07.37,0  +14:37
4. Kaspar Kork         01:16.30,0  +23:30
5. Sven Oras           01:17.10,0  +24:10
6. Priit Randman       01:19.42,0  +26:42

When I finished, I knew I had made a bad race. By then, I really hoped I would get at least the bronze. But when hearing the results, again, I was chocked by the weak performance of my opponents. 4 minutes in front of the second!!?? Tremendous. But at least, for me, I have the two most important victories in Estonia - middle and long champion!