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ROC Night - O at Powder Mills Park - Run


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fairport, New York
United States
Rochester Orienteering Club
40F / 4C
Total Time = 1h 08m 12s
Overall Rank = 2/60 tms
Age Group =
Age Group Rank = 0/
Pre-race routine:

Signed the form, paid the 3 bucks, socialized a little bit, tried to decide if I wanted to also wear my jacket on top of my long sleeve shirt and sweatshirt. Had on gloves and ear warmer (I hate wearing hats...) Changed batteries in headlamp, tucked small backup flashlight in pants pocket. Pinned punch card to front of shirt. Sat in amazement at all of the people who turned out for this crazy event. Race started late because there were so many people to sign in. Drank lots of water.
Event warmup:

Decided to ditch jacket knowing I tend to get pretty hot no matter what the temp is. Once I walked outside of the lodge I started questioning my no jacket choice. Stretched a little bit and jumped around to attempt to get warm. Waited while they handed out maps. For this so-called "score-o" event they don't hand out maps until 60 seconds before the start. Part of the challenge is to plan your route yourself. Of course, I leave all of that to Rob, knowing I'm really just there for the running! Little did I realize that I was also the gopher...
Run
  • 1h 08m 12s
  • 8.3 kms
  • 08m 13s  min/km
Comments:

From the lodge, headed southeast towards control point #1. Shouldn't have wasted time getting this one first. Each of the 24 control points are worth different points. 1-8, 10 points, the middle third 20 points, and the last third 30 points. We ended up passing #1 again and could have gotten it then when there wasn't a crowd around it. From here we headed to the very south end of the park, hitting control points along the way. I won't bore the regular BT reader with all of the boring orienteering details. However, most of the race went something like this:
Running like a bat out of hell down a trail in the pitch black, hoping my crummy headlamp stops blinking out on me. Following Rob off of the path making sure branches aren't going to slap me in the face from Rob barreling past them, jumping over logs, running up steep, practically 90 degree, hills, wrestling ourselves out of thorn bushes, sliding down steep, leaf covered hills on our a**es, jumping (not too successfully) over water filled ditches, pretending I was a "Jesus Lizard" as I tried to race across swamps fast enough so my feet didn't sink too far into the swamps we found ourselves in, pulling my feet out of ankle deep mud when I realized I wasn't a lizard, cussing at my husband that I better not break my freaking ankles, poke out my eyes, slash my face...., fighting the blindness I experienced every time a fellow nutty night-o'er passed me and flashed their freaking LED light in my eyes, yanking a pin-punch out of a young, dumb teenager's hand as she asked her boyfriend "Now which one are we at???" (I knew and I wasn't about to wait around for them to figure it out...gawd I can be a bitch...), and scanning the woods with the headlamps hoping to catch the control point reflectors in the light. Then ME running off to punch the card attached to my shirt while Rob stayed behind to plan our next move (like I said, a gopher). Needless to say, I ran more than Rob did, but it worked out. We made a pretty good team. At one point I was sooo tired I told Rob he better slow down or else.... But, the closer we got to the end, the more I found my spunkiness returning. On our way to the finish line from the very last control point, which was up the biggest hill of them all (or at least it seemed like it) a competitive team passed us just getting to that control point. It is always amazing to me how much of a race is mental. Earlier in the race I really thought I couldn't go any further, but then, when I saw how close this other team was to us, I hauled a** like I've never hauled a** before.

Post race
Warm down:

Collapsed on a bench and downed the rest of my water. Ate some chili that the organizers always make for this event. YUM!!


Event comments:

Well, 4 hours after the event I was sitting at the computer, tried to cross my legs and went "OUCH!!" I lifted up my PJ leg and found (I'm not kidding) an 1/8th inch long thorn sticking out of my skin about 2 inches up from my left knee!! Can't believe it took me that long to notice :)

Orienteering seems to be becoming a popular sport based on the increasing attendance I've noticed at these events over the years. We need more volunteers to keep things going. Rob and I have volunteered before, but have talked about needing to step up and do even more. It's a good organization with lots of really nice people!




Last updated: 2006-11-04 12:00 AM
Running
01:08:12 | 08.3 kms | 08m 13s  min/km
Age Group: 0/
Overall: 2/60 tms
Performance: Average
Course: Powder Mills Park in the dark. Mostly full moon and clear night. Cccooooollddd!!!
Keeping cool Drinking
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall:
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? No
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks?
Post race activities:
Race evaluation [1-5] 4

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2006-11-05 5:44 PM

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Veteran
188
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Rochester, NY
Subject: ROC Night - O at Powder Mills Park


2006-11-06 7:17 PM
in reply to: #589611

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Master
1324
1000100100100
Rochester, NY
Subject: RE: ROC Night - O at Powder Mills Park
Looks like a fun(?!) night of running through the woods in the dark. Glad you guys enjoyed yourselves. I'm surprised that you can move after doing this even and kickboxing in the same day!
2006-11-06 8:36 PM
in reply to: #589611

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Champion
6627
5000100050010025
Rochester Hills, Michigan
Gold member
Subject: RE: ROC Night - O at Powder Mills Park
Giddyup!!!  Sounds like an AWESOME event.  And I used to live in Fairport and run at Powder Mills, so I'm missing it that much more.  Fantastic that y'all scored 2nd. 
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