Training Log Archive: GswedeIn the 7 days ending Jan 10, 2017:
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Tuesday Jan 10, 2017 #
Running 1:00:00 [3] 12.0 km (5:00 / km) +250m 4:32 / km
Reflective run on the trails around the house.
Note
Here's the result of my reflections on the run which I would like to bounce off those reading this. This is going to be long. Here it is:
A)
What has OUSA been doing to help US orienteering? For those who aren't familiar with it, here's OUSA's mission statement:
1. Increase participation in the sport.
2. Teach map reading and navigation skills.
3. Promote enjoyment of, and respect for, the environment.
4. Establish world-class competitive excellence within our national team programs.
Now, I'm going to focus on two of those points, namely, 1 and 4. I have more experience with 4 seeing as I'm on the national team. And I have experiences and opinions about 1.
Let's start with 4. After meditating on it, I'm convinced that, while I've been on the team, OUSA has not done much to "establish world-class competitive excellence" for me. I'm not criticizing all the volunteers who handle all the logistics for the US teams; in fact, they've been extraordinary. I am saying that the organization of OUSA has done little to help me.
It's been the US orienteering community through donations and support in other ways that has helped us to higher performance, but I struggle to find many ways in which OUSA has helped my personal performance. Yes, I have received some travel money and I had lodging and fees paid for at WOC 2015. However, I suspect a fairly large percentage of what I've received has come from donations.
After doing the calculations, I can confirm, without specific numbers, that I have received more support from the Spanish O Federation than from the American Federation. To clarify, the Spanish Federation has never given me money, but they've allowed me to travel with their athletes to competitions if there is an open seat, not paying for gas. If there's been extra space at their accommodation, I've stayed with them. And I've taken part in training camps for extremely reduced fees or for free (although sometimes I've had to pick up controls in exchange).
Effectively, considering the money I have not had to spend, and consequently the additional training I've been able to partake in, a foreign federation has been more supportive than my own. This difference will only be more striking after having our teams' 2017 OUSA unrestricted budget cut to zero.
If we want to "establish world-class competitive excellence within our national team programs," it is going to take much, much more than paying for WOC fees and occasional travel expenses. It doesn't sound great and may not even be viable with OUSA's current situation. However, it's the truth. I've been lucky enough to learn that excellence in orienteering goes far beyond focusing on WOC performance.
Open to discussion.
Now, point 1: increase participation in the sport. I want to open with the caveat that I am not thoroughly familiar with everything OUSA may do to increase participation in the sport. This is based on a specific case which I believe is representative of others and needs to be corrected.
My brother's club, BROC, was created almost two years ago. I've helped them to make some Kartapullautin maps for the several club members to enjoy for training. They've also made their own and are hoping to use them for a rogaine in the spring.
However, they still don't have a true orienteering map. Now, OUSA has a map grant initiative. But, unless something has changed since the last time I spoke with my brother, BROC still has not received any money to be used towards creating their first map. They have, nonetheless, found a way to pay their OUSA dues. After visiting my brother and enjoying their basic maps, I can confirm that they are not lacking terrain for maps. Moreover, my brother and I think the Blacksburg community is just the type of community that orienteering would thrive in.
So, first, what's the point of having a map grant program if a newly formed club can go two years without receiving any amount? And, unless I'm mistaken, the total amount new clubs would be given as a grant would be $1,000, not enough to make a map large enough to be reused consistently.
Here's an idea: retire ONA ($20,000/year) and provide grants of $5,000 to 4 new clubs each year. I think the people editing the magazine have done a wonderful job for years; retiring the magazine is not saying they haven't done a good job or that it's useless. But we have a much cheaper (free?) way of sending the same information to OUSA members thanks to digital technology. As an OUSA member, I prioritize growing the community in the US by helping new clubs over receiving a paper summary of what's going on in the community. Doesn't the newsletter email already fill this niche to an extent?
B)
Ok, for those who have made it this far, this next part is a dream/meditation/reflection I've had about improving the US orienteering team in a myriad of ways.
The US O team needs help to improve, a lot of it. We have little money and we're really spread out. However, we are not lacking maps and we have a number of athletes who can do really, really well, if prepared properly.
As people reading this probably already know, I just finished up a training camp in the Hudson Valley area. I'm once again convinced that the maps and terrain there are among the best in the country (world?) and an incredible resource that needs to be utilized more.
So here's a proposal--please keep in mind that this is a rough draft and can be tweaked considerably before taking its final form:
I rent a 2+ bedroom apartment (house?) in Peekskill, NY. OUSA helps pay or helps find some way to pay for a helpful percentage of the rent. I take a room as a permanent resident/project organizer, the other room(s) are filled with bunk beds. Hopefully, this could encourage other team members to move to the same area or maybe other permanent residents...to be explored.
US O team members--juniors and seniors--come for training camps and stay for free whenever they wish (max. of 30 consecutive days because of rental laws, I think), OUSA members for free or cheap ($20/night perhaps) for nearby competitions--helpful for team-community relations (if charged, it'd be a suggested donation to OUSA)--and foreign national team athletes stay for a cheap donation rate in an area with some of our best maps (good for our connections with other countries). Obviously priority for beds would go to US team members first, then OUSA members, then foreign athletes.
Why Peekskill?
It's got public transportation to a large airport(s) with cheap flights around the country and world. It's got 20+ high-quality technical maps within 1:15 drive and LiDar data that I could play around with of 2,000+ km2 technical areas to explore new areas and avoid overuse of the same maps.
Some benefits of this plan for US orienteering:
-They'd get another US-based elite orienteer (me) living in an area with great maps who's focused on elite competition and sharing what he's learned with other team members and juniors.
-I'd be able to organize training camps for elite teams which would also be open to OUSA members and foreign athletes. Free for teams and cheap for members and foreign athletes.
-I could organize year-round training camps for foreign orienteers vacationing in the NYC-area. I've seen this done simply by putting biodegradable streamers in the forest and charging for $5-10 for each map printed.
-I'd be able to train myself on great maps that would prepare me physically and mentally. Seeing as I'm still on the team and hoping to perform, this is important.
-This would be a relatively cheap elite training center.
Why I'd like to do this:
-This would also help to me spend significant amounts of time abroad (1 month+, specifically, the coldest part of winter in Peekskill is a great time to be in Spain).
-I could help the US team by providing a stable, consistent place to have cheap training camps.
-I could help foreign athletes explore the US, improving our relations with the rest of the world.
-I'd get a cheaper place to live in the US.
-I'd get to spend time doing what I love with people I enjoy and have a training group.
Like I said, probably needs massive tweaking. OUSA may not even be allowed to provide that aid, but it's an idea and I'd be willing to implement it.
A)
What has OUSA been doing to help US orienteering? For those who aren't familiar with it, here's OUSA's mission statement:
1. Increase participation in the sport.
2. Teach map reading and navigation skills.
3. Promote enjoyment of, and respect for, the environment.
4. Establish world-class competitive excellence within our national team programs.
Now, I'm going to focus on two of those points, namely, 1 and 4. I have more experience with 4 seeing as I'm on the national team. And I have experiences and opinions about 1.
Let's start with 4. After meditating on it, I'm convinced that, while I've been on the team, OUSA has not done much to "establish world-class competitive excellence" for me. I'm not criticizing all the volunteers who handle all the logistics for the US teams; in fact, they've been extraordinary. I am saying that the organization of OUSA has done little to help me.
It's been the US orienteering community through donations and support in other ways that has helped us to higher performance, but I struggle to find many ways in which OUSA has helped my personal performance. Yes, I have received some travel money and I had lodging and fees paid for at WOC 2015. However, I suspect a fairly large percentage of what I've received has come from donations.
After doing the calculations, I can confirm, without specific numbers, that I have received more support from the Spanish O Federation than from the American Federation. To clarify, the Spanish Federation has never given me money, but they've allowed me to travel with their athletes to competitions if there is an open seat, not paying for gas. If there's been extra space at their accommodation, I've stayed with them. And I've taken part in training camps for extremely reduced fees or for free (although sometimes I've had to pick up controls in exchange).
Effectively, considering the money I have not had to spend, and consequently the additional training I've been able to partake in, a foreign federation has been more supportive than my own. This difference will only be more striking after having our teams' 2017 OUSA unrestricted budget cut to zero.
If we want to "establish world-class competitive excellence within our national team programs," it is going to take much, much more than paying for WOC fees and occasional travel expenses. It doesn't sound great and may not even be viable with OUSA's current situation. However, it's the truth. I've been lucky enough to learn that excellence in orienteering goes far beyond focusing on WOC performance.
Open to discussion.
Now, point 1: increase participation in the sport. I want to open with the caveat that I am not thoroughly familiar with everything OUSA may do to increase participation in the sport. This is based on a specific case which I believe is representative of others and needs to be corrected.
My brother's club, BROC, was created almost two years ago. I've helped them to make some Kartapullautin maps for the several club members to enjoy for training. They've also made their own and are hoping to use them for a rogaine in the spring.
However, they still don't have a true orienteering map. Now, OUSA has a map grant initiative. But, unless something has changed since the last time I spoke with my brother, BROC still has not received any money to be used towards creating their first map. They have, nonetheless, found a way to pay their OUSA dues. After visiting my brother and enjoying their basic maps, I can confirm that they are not lacking terrain for maps. Moreover, my brother and I think the Blacksburg community is just the type of community that orienteering would thrive in.
So, first, what's the point of having a map grant program if a newly formed club can go two years without receiving any amount? And, unless I'm mistaken, the total amount new clubs would be given as a grant would be $1,000, not enough to make a map large enough to be reused consistently.
Here's an idea: retire ONA ($20,000/year) and provide grants of $5,000 to 4 new clubs each year. I think the people editing the magazine have done a wonderful job for years; retiring the magazine is not saying they haven't done a good job or that it's useless. But we have a much cheaper (free?) way of sending the same information to OUSA members thanks to digital technology. As an OUSA member, I prioritize growing the community in the US by helping new clubs over receiving a paper summary of what's going on in the community. Doesn't the newsletter email already fill this niche to an extent?
B)
Ok, for those who have made it this far, this next part is a dream/meditation/reflection I've had about improving the US orienteering team in a myriad of ways.
The US O team needs help to improve, a lot of it. We have little money and we're really spread out. However, we are not lacking maps and we have a number of athletes who can do really, really well, if prepared properly.
As people reading this probably already know, I just finished up a training camp in the Hudson Valley area. I'm once again convinced that the maps and terrain there are among the best in the country (world?) and an incredible resource that needs to be utilized more.
So here's a proposal--please keep in mind that this is a rough draft and can be tweaked considerably before taking its final form:
I rent a 2+ bedroom apartment (house?) in Peekskill, NY. OUSA helps pay or helps find some way to pay for a helpful percentage of the rent. I take a room as a permanent resident/project organizer, the other room(s) are filled with bunk beds. Hopefully, this could encourage other team members to move to the same area or maybe other permanent residents...to be explored.
US O team members--juniors and seniors--come for training camps and stay for free whenever they wish (max. of 30 consecutive days because of rental laws, I think), OUSA members for free or cheap ($20/night perhaps) for nearby competitions--helpful for team-community relations (if charged, it'd be a suggested donation to OUSA)--and foreign national team athletes stay for a cheap donation rate in an area with some of our best maps (good for our connections with other countries). Obviously priority for beds would go to US team members first, then OUSA members, then foreign athletes.
Why Peekskill?
It's got public transportation to a large airport(s) with cheap flights around the country and world. It's got 20+ high-quality technical maps within 1:15 drive and LiDar data that I could play around with of 2,000+ km2 technical areas to explore new areas and avoid overuse of the same maps.
Some benefits of this plan for US orienteering:
-They'd get another US-based elite orienteer (me) living in an area with great maps who's focused on elite competition and sharing what he's learned with other team members and juniors.
-I'd be able to organize training camps for elite teams which would also be open to OUSA members and foreign athletes. Free for teams and cheap for members and foreign athletes.
-I could organize year-round training camps for foreign orienteers vacationing in the NYC-area. I've seen this done simply by putting biodegradable streamers in the forest and charging for $5-10 for each map printed.
-I'd be able to train myself on great maps that would prepare me physically and mentally. Seeing as I'm still on the team and hoping to perform, this is important.
-This would be a relatively cheap elite training center.
Why I'd like to do this:
-This would also help to me spend significant amounts of time abroad (1 month+, specifically, the coldest part of winter in Peekskill is a great time to be in Spain).
-I could help the US team by providing a stable, consistent place to have cheap training camps.
-I could help foreign athletes explore the US, improving our relations with the rest of the world.
-I'd get a cheaper place to live in the US.
-I'd get to spend time doing what I love with people I enjoy and have a training group.
Like I said, probably needs massive tweaking. OUSA may not even be allowed to provide that aid, but it's an idea and I'd be willing to implement it.
Core O'Clock 30:00 [2]
120 pushups (60x2), 20 x pedestal, 15 minute plank (10+5), 35 pullups (20+15)
Sunday Jan 8, 2017 #
Running warm up/down 20:00 [2] 4.0 km (5:00 / km)
11 AM
Orienteering 1:08:15 [3] *** 7.16 km (9:32 / km) +337m 7:43 / km
12c
Another tough "middle". My body was about done before starting this. So, it's been a good training camp. The snow was about ankle deep which made running somewhat more difficult and seeing some features tougher.
On the long leg I decided to take the trails since I wasn't moving too quickly in the terrain and some of the downhills were pretty tough (not seeing the rocks underfoot mainly). Unfortunately the trails were essentially invisible also. I tried catching two trails and missed them both and didn't read the features accurately enough to realize I went past them. So I ended up way past my goal. Took a bearing to the nearest trail and kept going.
I had to cut this short since I had a flight to catch. Really beautiful there though.
https://goo.gl/photos/dY7b7Hz271K7LqRE8
On the long leg I decided to take the trails since I wasn't moving too quickly in the terrain and some of the downhills were pretty tough (not seeing the rocks underfoot mainly). Unfortunately the trails were essentially invisible also. I tried catching two trails and missed them both and didn't read the features accurately enough to realize I went past them. So I ended up way past my goal. Took a bearing to the nearest trail and kept going.
I had to cut this short since I had a flight to catch. Really beautiful there though.
https://goo.gl/photos/dY7b7Hz271K7LqRE8
Saturday Jan 7, 2017 #
10 AM
Orienteering 53:00 [4] *** 6.0 km (8:50 / km) +200m 7:34 / km
17c
A "middle" set in Polebrook by Richi. I had great company for this course: Kswede, KPop, Iansmith, and Peter and Albina Zakrevsky. The mountain laurel was thicker than expected which slowed things down considerably. It also stopped my watch on the way to #6. So I used that wonderful image editing software known as Paint to draw the missing parts.
A few flurries started falling as we started and more snow kept falling until we were running in a few centimeters of snow. Didn't slow things down too much. It did make for some beautiful orienteering though.
https://goo.gl/photos/k9ipg1Vyxsr4Um5w6
A few flurries started falling as we started and more snow kept falling until we were running in a few centimeters of snow. Didn't slow things down too much. It did make for some beautiful orienteering though.
https://goo.gl/photos/k9ipg1Vyxsr4Um5w6
Running warm up/down 20:00 [2] 4.0 km (5:00 / km)
4 PM
Running 40:00 [3] 6.0 km (6:40 / km)
Snowy road run with Ian replacing the O-intervals since the roads weren't in good shape.
Friday Jan 6, 2017 #
Running warm up/down 30:00 [2] 5.0 km (6:00 / km) +120m 5:21 / km
11 AM
Orienteering 2:18:40 [3] **** 16.85 km (8:14 / km) +900m 6:30 / km
18c
WOC Long
Not sure what to write about this one. I had hoped to run sub-2 hours, but I didn't manage it today. The blueberries were thicker than I expected and the ice made running down the cliffs treacherous. But overall this was a reminder that I currently don't have the fitness to attack and perform in a WOC long.
Some things to take away from this course:
-Harriman is beautiful. It's everything you'd want in great orienteering terrain (including the hills). This area is such a beneficial resource that the US orienteering community has. Not to be taken for granted.
-I need to smooth my routes. The GPS track shows too much time and distance wasted while moving forward. Assertiveness needed in the woods.
-It was surprising how well I was reading the map. For most of my orienteering life, it's been my navigational ability that's held me back, but today it was physical fitness.
-I'm even more convinced that, whenever I move to back to the states, I'll need to live in this area.
Part 1:
https://goo.gl/photos/2QtZhSYetitQWKdH6
Part 2:
https://goo.gl/photos/DCr14H5dgaPN9BiH9
Not sure what to write about this one. I had hoped to run sub-2 hours, but I didn't manage it today. The blueberries were thicker than I expected and the ice made running down the cliffs treacherous. But overall this was a reminder that I currently don't have the fitness to attack and perform in a WOC long.
Some things to take away from this course:
-Harriman is beautiful. It's everything you'd want in great orienteering terrain (including the hills). This area is such a beneficial resource that the US orienteering community has. Not to be taken for granted.
-I need to smooth my routes. The GPS track shows too much time and distance wasted while moving forward. Assertiveness needed in the woods.
-It was surprising how well I was reading the map. For most of my orienteering life, it's been my navigational ability that's held me back, but today it was physical fitness.
-I'm even more convinced that, whenever I move to back to the states, I'll need to live in this area.
Part 1:
https://goo.gl/photos/2QtZhSYetitQWKdH6
Part 2:
https://goo.gl/photos/DCr14H5dgaPN9BiH9
Thursday Jan 5, 2017 #
11 AM
Running warm up/down 30:00 [3] 5.0 km (6:00 / km)
Orienteering 33:01 [4] *** 5.33 km (6:12 / km) +196m 5:14 / km
14c
WOC '93 Short Distance
Absolutely beautiful woods. Really fun orienteering.
I ran 33 minutes, which would have put me in last in the final. :( I got a little screwed up because there was a streamer at #1. I thought that someone may have left streamers out on the rest of the course. At 5, I thought I saw the orange streamer went towards it and realized it was an orange bunch of leaves. Turned around and realized the two boulders were behind me. Not a bad day, but still have to move faster.
https://goo.gl/photos/k8capv8QgN5obSw47
Absolutely beautiful woods. Really fun orienteering.
I ran 33 minutes, which would have put me in last in the final. :( I got a little screwed up because there was a streamer at #1. I thought that someone may have left streamers out on the rest of the course. At 5, I thought I saw the orange streamer went towards it and realized it was an orange bunch of leaves. Turned around and realized the two boulders were behind me. Not a bad day, but still have to move faster.
https://goo.gl/photos/k8capv8QgN5obSw47
3 PM
Orienteering 40:05 [4] **** 5.35 km (7:30 / km) +231m 6:10 / km
14c
2011 Team Trials middle at Blue Mountain
Decent race. Got screwed up on #2 because I didn't understand how the cliffs were mapped. I found it, checked another cliff, and went back to where I was before. The whole thing cost me two minutes. After that I was able to flow quite well through the course until #13 when I thought I was crossing the trail further down and went in too early. Overall, I was quite happy with how well I was reading the map. Really great map of a tough area.
https://goo.gl/photos/javqprEihjhPrpq97
Decent race. Got screwed up on #2 because I didn't understand how the cliffs were mapped. I found it, checked another cliff, and went back to where I was before. The whole thing cost me two minutes. After that I was able to flow quite well through the course until #13 when I thought I was crossing the trail further down and went in too early. Overall, I was quite happy with how well I was reading the map. Really great map of a tough area.
https://goo.gl/photos/javqprEihjhPrpq97
Running warm up/down 20:00 [2] 4.0 km (5:00 / km)
Wednesday Jan 4, 2017 #
Supplementary Jog 30:00 [3] 5.0 km (6:00 / km)
Easy morning jog with Kswede. I've taken two rest days these past two days to give my ankles and achille's some recovery time. Better to take two rest days now than several weeks later. Plus now I have more time to get life stuff done!