Training Log Archive: jtorranc

Picking up the bags from the previous days clinic. Also, what appeared to be a bag left over from the meet I course set here last fall. It was the go control on a few courses, I believe, so I think whoever organised pickup in my absence must have decided they could just walk out and get it any old time, not included it when they divied up the map and then forgot about it. Good in a way since I managed to lose a control somewhere in the woods while I was hanging the bags on Saturday - at least I brought back the same number of bags I borrowed even if the one that's been hanging there for a year isn't quite as pretty as the one I lost.

Green course at Lake Accotink. Most small difficulties due to low visibility in the vegetation. I also wasn't at my most disciplined about doing everything properly - a careless attack on the first control is my only excuse for losing that split and I had a few other lapses. The newly added area east of the dam was fairly bewildering - reading all the details through the undergrowth screen that covered much of that section was hard. Also, I think 13 was mishung slightly south of the end of the ditch in question. Though it wasn't far off and it shouldn't have taken me so long to spot if I'd been scanning in all directions inside the circle as I ought.

After running at Lake Accotink, I headed back to Fountainhead and quickly mapped some bits of the Bull Run Occoquan trail that have never made it onto our Fountainhead West map (from slightly before the trail reaches Wolf Run Shoal Road to just past the first major stream west of there). Not quite to orienteering standards but the pressing need is to get a map stretching from Fountainhead to Hemlock in shape for Venture Quest so that shouldn't matter for the moment.

Green - Splits

Hanging 31 controls for a navigation clinic I put on at Fountainhead aimed at adventure racers preparing for next weekend's Venture Quest sprint race. A holdup in permitting meant this wasn't publicised until 8 days in advance; ended up with 11 participants. Gave then a not-overlong lecture then they had a short yellow/orange course to warm up on, a line-O focusing on reading and following contour handrails, a control picking course, a course with longer legs emphasising route choice and, in case some navigational genius showed up, a memory-O. Let them all work through as much of it as they could or wished to manage in six hours. Just about everyone got through the line-O with one significant parallel error somewhere during it. Most then did part of either the route choice course or the control picking exercise or hybridised the two of them. I believe it was very useful for the adventure racers who had little nav experience but I don't think it was so useful for the one relatively long-time QOC member who registered. Think I'll do this again next year with a longer planning runup and, anticipating higher participation given that, at least one or two QOC members enlisted to help.

C • Cool 11

Commute in then dropping my bicycle off at the shop so many vital transplant operations can be performed. Obtaining the required parts in time for me to have a usable bike in time for Venture Quest may be a bit sketchy.

Commute, trip to watch DC Library Board of Trustees meeting and buying, among other things, some plastic bags to use as map cases for the nav clinic I'm giving for adventure racers on Saturday.

Cycling home with grocery shopping on the way. Somewhat stiff and sore from the weekend with my rib cage being a surprise member of the complaining crew.

Commute in. Left bike at work and walked to Bethesda to see "2046" - just as mesmerising as anticipated, the futuristic scenes being particularly flat-out gorgeous if you like that sort of thing. Presumably boring as hell if you don't.