Here is the Mid-Atlantic Champs '06, M35-45 map, and here are my routes.

Decent race tho the lack of fitness was evident. Did boom #5 and #9, probably lost 2 minutes or so. #5 was simply lack of sharpness, mind cluttered with injury and other thoughts. Foot seems to be at a steady state from about 2 weeks ago, no better, no worse, pretty mild -- if I can get my volume back up without further damage to the ligament, I guess I'll be fine, tho will always worry, especially with long races on the calendar.

This map was made from the Lidar basemap we've been hearing so much about. I didn't notice much, which I think is a good thing, except I think they missed a reentrant going into #9 (tho this observation is made at race speed, so it could be dubious). Overall a fine map, at least as the contours go, tho I did have some complaints about veg in certain places.

Well, the season is over, and was my best statistically, on each of the 4 numbers that I watch, such that the stats mean anything. Average time per K at 8.92 vs PR of 8.97 and last year of 9.25. And, it felt that way, at least technically, tho obviously dealing with 4 separate injuries and Lyme disease didn't help on the physical front.

Courses are getting shorter; my average course length this year was 7.64K vs 8.08 last year, 8.30 in '04, and 9.54 in '03. A bit of that is injury-related from the past couple of months, but most of it is the continued trend towards sprints and general overall shorter course setting. A disappointing trend, IMHO, my love of urban sprints notwithstanding. I grow more and more jaded of "sprint in the forest" type things, unless the length is made up elsewhere. Some people say "its all orienteering", but to me, that's like saying "its all wine". The other trend along these lines seems to be from classic/classic to classic/middle instead of long/middle. Of course, I've observed this before, and didn't expect it to change then, and don't now, either. (Admittedly more speculation than science in the paragraph to fit the observed shortening, but the words seem to jive with my experience).

Looking ahead to '07, that PR should be toast, assuming I can get healthy and get my fitness back, as alot of the PR was under injury and sickness. I seem to have stabilized technically, after, what, 8 years? Geez. Also all the '07 O trips are put in for; unfortunately Jukola didn't make the final cut, as no traction could be sensed (and I certainly don't think I'd make the team anyway at my current state, which is just as well), and that will be a disappointment to miss. One of the planned hilights is the totally geeky thing of running on a course that goes thru three countries.

Next race is sometime in January, somewhere in Virginia, as will be the most likely next update of these pages.