Training Log Archive: Sandy

Event: DVOA Norristown State Hospital
 

Hard to say what this was: putting out controls for the Norristown event, but I just drove around, parked, put out a couple controls, drove to a new parking spot, put out a couple more. It took about 90 minutes to get them all out. Once that was done then the direction signs had to go up and then there was all the standing around doing registration and start and then working epunch. Had enough helpers not to have to pick up controls but had to clean up everything so it was go, go, go from about 3:30 until 8:00. But once again, we were packed up and out of the park only a few minutes past 8.

People seemed to like the courses and there weren't too many complaints about the map. There was lots of chatter about route choices and missing turns and confusing buildings so I think everyone had fun. Norristown is a unique venue and I'm so glad we were allowed back in. We need to get the map updated to ISSOM standards.

We had over 50 starts which is great. I wasn't sure how much attendance we'd have at these but so far it's been super.

C • ISSOM mapping 2

Around the meadow loop in the 90 degree heat with Sandy. It was okay in the trees but we were wilting in the open sections.

Really good session, at least if measured by how much sweat was produced!

Stitches still annoying but didn't seem to affect the workout.

Another couple hours at Ft. Washington trying to get the trail network correct. I've given up trying to get the vegetation to be very precise and am just worrying about getting the trails and the mowed places as close as I can. I've covered about half the park but definitely the half where most of my courses will go. Not sure how much more time I can or am willing to spend after I draft all of what I covered today.

I think I'll do some course design next and limit myself to further updates to where my courses go. I enjoy or at least don't dislike doing this kind of work but it was really hot out today and I was toast after two hours.

C • Thank You 5

Wandering around Ft. Washington SP doing map updates. This one will be worse than Norristown. They've put in a disc golf course and mowed all sorts of new trails and let others get all overgrown. I've only covered a small section and it's taking a really long time doing the drafting.

Stitches really, really itch. And it's still sore - sort of like a bruise.

A slowish - on purpose - hike around the meadow loop with Sandy, neither one of us feeling up to more.

Did a program at Friends School Haverford. A former student of mine teaches there. I made a map of their school grounds which has enough land and gardens and play areas and even a cemetery to make it interesting. Put out 12 controls.

First worked with a dozen or so 3rd/4th graders just letting them run around finding controls using the map or not, finding as many as they wanted or as few. If they wanted more, I gave them an index card with 3 random control numbers and challenged them to go find just those. I had a whole pile of index cards and they could repeat as often as they wanted. And finally I had 2 courses that they could do each with 6 of the controls.

After about 45 minutes the 1st/2nd graders came out and I gave them the same options. Several of the 3rd/4th graders kept wanting to do more and a handful kept running around doing new index card courses for about 90 minutes. A few of the 1st/2nd graders got into it as well although they were mostly just running to controls and not looking at the map so much.

Then all the 1st - 4th graders went inside and about 30 5th - 8th graders came. Luckily they came in small groups at first and I would get one group going before the next came. They were told they "had" to do this activity and very few got excited by it. However, they were much better at looking at the map and knowing where the controls were going to be. Only two of the older kids wanted to try a course after going around finding random controls. One girl tried to talk her friends into doing a course but they wouldn't. She finally decided to just do it on her own. Yay!

The teachers thought it was great and I left a pile of maps with the DVOA web address. I encouraged them to let the kids take a map home and perhaps a few of the kids that really liked it will talk their parents into bringing them to an event in the future.

I originally wanted to do this as part of WOD but it got postponed twice for various reasons. Glad we were finally able to do it.

And my shoulder is pretty sore but ibuprofen helps.