Well, I had the template ready and editor opened before the contest, but the text is mixed with story and the task itself so sometimes it's kinda hard to determine where the story ends. Even if I would got it read in first 30 seconds, still I would have to think about the algorithm for 1 or 2 minutes. From my view, it seems like that top solvers just have already solved the task or probably after reading the text for the first time — just boom — and the final formula is in their head.

Perhaps it really comes with experience :P

And well, I read the task in Russian and I type quite fast.