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Wednesday 1 April 2009

Reading like Ross

By Popular demand Ross has broken down his run at the Spring Cup for us, so we can attempt to see just what the Rocketman needs to navigate off - the map is on his blog

1. This was a tricky control, there was not much at all to go on at all. I ran on compass with th knolls on my right then tried to read the vegetation, but it wasn't very distinct. I got sucked a bit left to the light green, then figured what I must've done when I didn't see the control. Lost about 1min.

2. This control was quite similar to the first, just compass and trying to read the vegetation. I kept the darker green on my left until I passed the lighter green on my right. I was waiting for the white patch going in before the control, but there was on a little bit earlier which I think was bigger than the maps shows, I got sucked in here to the darker green. There was actually some small hills in here which stalled me a bit, but then I felt that I hadn't run hard enough so I pushed on to the control. lost 30 seconds.

3. This was the first route choice control. I chose to the right at the beginning to avoid the green in the middle. It's fast to run straight, but I didn't want to risk missing the small track and get slowed down in the green. Also left looked ok at first, but I didn't want to dick around with the green and that small valley with the creek in it. Then I cut through the open area which was faster than it looks, and went into the forest just above the small valley and marsh then aimed a little to the left of the control so i could hit the line of hills and run straight into the control.

4. This was just a matter of going straight and avoiding as much green as possible. I misread the control circle and lost 15 seconds, I thought the form lines there were the valley that i just had to run down. Whoops.

5. This was pretty much straight and reading the vegetation.

6. This control I went as straight as possible using the tracks as much as I could. I planned to run all the way on the tracks and hit the control from the left. But just before the big track I could see the dark green wasn't so bad so I went a bit straighter, but I lost a little time just before the control because my attack point (the little spur with the form lines) was a bit vague. Lost 15 seconds.

7. Straight up.

8. I wasn't thinking much at all here, I was just trying to keep up with Jamie Stevenson and Scott Fraser who had caught me up. They were running damned fast.

9. I lasted to the track junction with Jamie and Scott, then had to slow right down so I wouldn't puke and go into a coma. I ran up the track to just where it was flat again then cut in towards the control. It was easy to hit, you couldn't miss the stream.

10. This was an easy control. Just run straight and then along the tracks to avoid the green.

11. I lost a little time on this control. I headed along to the end of the clearing then to the big track junction. I ran into the terrain looking for the green blob in the open. I saw what I thought was the green blog but I wasn't so sure because there was a lot more open after the green. I slowed down a bit to read my map, but then i saw the control. It was in the open though, there wasn't so many trees as I expected. Lost 20 seconds.

12. This control was a matter of going straight, but I aimed a little to the right because there was more detail to guide me into the control. If I had gone straight on there was a chance I could've drifted to the left and easily missed the control.

13. Here I headed straight to the clearing so I could run around the green and down to the control, then there is no way I would miss it. If i cut through the green it might be hard to tell if I was above or below the control.

14. Here I went straightish, but the green looked pretty bad so I ran a bit wobbly. It would have been much better to run up the open in the valley then along the track. Lost 30 seconds.

15. Here I aimed straight to the track junction. I slowed a bit when I hit the track because it was all windy when it was meant to be straight. I ran on the tracks and then around the green into the control. I hit the ditch straight on the end, but was slow into the control because it was quite hidden behind a tree and I couldn't see it. Lost 10 seconds.

16. This was the spectator control, so I already knew where it was.. I just ran straight on.

17. I had also seen runners doing this control. Just ran along the track but then I was a little confused when the vegetation and contours didn't seem to match at all. I was lucky thought to see the control. Didn't lose any time, but easily could have.

19. This was just along the sand dunes and knowing when to go up to the control. There was another track that wasn't on the map so we both went up a little early, but realised quickly. Lost 10 seconds.

20. On the way to the 19th I had planned to run this one to the left but Mats Haldin ran right. I went with him. I figured it would be faster together anyway. This was a mistake. A big group with the winner in it went past here and went left, they made a small mistake on the 20th and still beat us there. Lost 20 seconds.

21. Here I just ran on the main tracks. then up the valley looking for the control. I ran a little past it before I saw it. Lost 5 seconds.

22. Here I ran straight through the clearing, but I misread the control circle, I thought the depression was over on a spur, but it was in the end of a re-entrant. Lost 20 seconds.

23. Here I just ran straight along to the track junction and into the control.

24. This was like the vague controls in the beginning of the course. I ran straight as I could and tried to make sense of the vague vegetation. I was looking for the yellow patch before the control, but I didn't see it. I saw a patch of open that wasn't on the map over to my left and headed towards that, but then I heard Mats Haldin behind me had seen the control. So I raced back over. Lost 30 seconds

25. This one was just straight. And I had Mats Haldin infront of me so I could just run fast to catch up.

Finish. Just run!

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