Training Log Archive: dbakker

Running around South Canoe picking up the 5 controls I didn't get around to getting yesterday in the Lee's Trail/Crosscut area. Added a little run around the triangles (up is still a wet mess, but better than earlier in the spring) without the controls.

Still slowly getting better, lots of snot rockets again today, and coughing a fair bit in the morning but getting better after lunch.

Forgot to charge the garmin (again...), so approximate distance based on google earth line drawing.

Still working on MacArthur Island, finishing off the outer ring of the island and getting a border of mapped material around the river on the otherside of the island. Lots of potential to expand the map in the future into a couple of nearby schools with decently interesting buildings and grounds. A project for another time though, don't really need the area for the event in two weeks.

Event: South Canoe
 

Still sick, so about fifty/fifty walking and running for setting out controls and control pick up for the South Canoe event. Me and Jonathan tested a number of things at this event including live results and using a MeOS sprintout using a single punch instead of a seperate printout punch.

For basically no promotion, conflicts with soccer (no ski team kids showed up...) and a lack of ski team coaches because of a coaching course out of town, we had a decent turnout of around 28 people including 5 newcomers, who all enjoyed themselves and even asked when the next event was.

A number of things we learned:
- Live results works, but formatting of splits needs improving for better analysis.
- Do not use a 300dpi image basemap for course setting, minimum 600dpi or try the new purple pen OOM support.
- Printout from MeOS also works, but the formatting is screwy and needs improvement.
- Don't make people go up and down, and up and down even if it makes more interesting route choices. Climb sucks. (Sorry people on the middle distance course)
- 7.5km straight line distance is too long for a local event even for the long course. When the winning time is an hour fourty, the slowest time 3 hours 20 minutes, and only 3 finishers, make the course shorter.
- Forcing beginners to take the easiest course (if it is well designed and interesting which I think we managed today) will increase their enjoyment of the sport and the likelihood they will come back. Likewise, having someone on hand to run them through map reading (this is what a trail looks, dark green = don't go) and navigation basics (track where you are on the map with your thumb) makes a massive difference.
- Some people want compasses, I think we should have some available rather than sitting in a cupboard in Kamloops.
- Take event photos and share them on Facebook! Jude Corfield took five photos out there, I shared them on facebook. Boom 230 people reached on Facebook, 9 likes, and a whole lot of people who have never heard of the sport exposed to orienteering (based on who liked the page).
- Text descriptions as well as symbols on beginner course control descriptions.
- Bring the first aid kit. Doesn't do much good in the basement.
- Set up MeOS with Purple Pen export of course files before the event.
- Carrying Whistles? Is this insurance policy or just good practice? And how heavily should it be enforced?
- Computer battery only lasts 3 hours with timing.
- Oh, and remember to put north lines on the map :)

Event: USA & Canada - WOC/JWOC Team Trials OUSA National 3 day meet
 

Setting out controls for the bottom half of the courses in South Canoe.

Feeling much better than yesterday today, but still almost all walking. Symptoms have changed from a fever, sore throat, lethargicness (totally a word) and runny nose to just coughing, runny nose and a little tired today. Progress!

Still feeling crummy, so didn't do too much. Checked the first half of the controls for the event this Saturday and worked on a bunch of Kamloops promotion (the least favorite part of my job but probably one of the most crucial).

Cold hit me hard today, dead tired and fever. Mapping from the couch and working on promo for Kamloops series. Hopefully we get some more new faces signed up, already have 2 complete newcomers signed up, and I'm talking with about 5 more who are interested.

Just got an email from a teacher in Vernon looking for me to come down to her grade 6/7 class to teach some orienteering, so gotta figure out how to respond to that one soon.

Course setting for the South Canoe event, and updating the map in a few places (old cross cut and stubby to indistinct trails, new part of no more tears, etc.). Looking like a fun, hard course for the long one. Beginner is kind of bland, but I always struggle with interesting, but easy courses espescially in Malibu.

I'm done school!

Phil's second training course in South Canoe. Except for a couple of legs which just went straight up hills (a pet peeve of mine is just going straight up a hill to the top with absolutely no navigation involved...) it was a fun course on a section of map that I had never run. A couple of little mistakes, I think I might do a full write up on this one later tonight.

Attached gps file is off since I forgot to stop the GPS...