Training Log Archive: Mr Wonderful

Drive vs. fly for NAOC?

After my trip to Atlanta, I was wondering what was better, since yes I saved time, but then I locked myself out of extreme o long.

NAOC does feature super cheap flights from the D to the Boston. But then it's a ~2.5 hour drive up.

So...30 minute drive to DTW, to arrive ~2 hrs early for flight (park & check in with sufficient allowance - I don't like to cut it close), then 2 hr flight, then 1 hr disembark and car pickup, then 2.5 hour drive = 8 hrs travel time

Drive is ~11 hours.

700 miles * 2 = 1400 / 20 mpg = $200 gas. (My cars are all old so they don't depreciate.)

Flight is $100. Rental cars are not as cheap at ATL (no Mustang this go around!), so another $200-300, plus local gas, plus $50 to park at DTW...

Now driving can get old at that range. The chunky nature of flying is certainly easy to tolerate and the end of flight driving is easy enough. Not sure what the premium is for not having stiff legs from a long haul!

But cheap flight is Spirit, which means a pair of shoes and a compass as total luggage. Driving permits full flexibility.

Interesting thought experiment anyway.

C • if there is some training o... 6

Opted for Extreme O short. Long was 10km + challenges, start times yet TBD, so the 6 km version may work better for traveling back stress free (shower, return car, etc.).

Super fun extreme o short B. I definitely got what I wanted without having to do the long. Was running strong though the canoe, not sure if water slosh penalty will ruin me or not.

So many different Nav types. Normal o at large scale, by ground level photos, corridor map (oops on me wrong reentrant), missing terrain on beeline o, water carting for time and maximum quantity , aerial. Culvert crawl, park map (panel running with Mintos we all didn't see it 10 degrees off our shut line!! So sad!), aerial, plotted usgs, no trail no roads regular o, memory o, canoe o, rope crossing, maze o, spell an o word with tiles (apparently after 90 minutes reentrant makes sense as reenttant to me, incorrectly ).

Drank some chocolate milk I carried in a pocket. Took off hat and gloves by first third.

C • Great seeing you this weekend. . . 2

Not sure you could safely call what I did from 1-6 orienteering, but I rallied back and think the latter 2/3rds was alright. Still a lot of work to get to 60 pt runs like my benchmark.

Lots of route choice today; coupled with open woods I enjoyed myself.

10:40/km or so.

C • my goal for the past five a... 3

Red - Splits

Event: Georgia Navigator Cup 2016
 

The walk to the start was sufficiently uphill to count.

I made one tactical error on this walk. We'll get to that in a minute.

GNC 2016 Red, 8.5 km 25c.

Right out of the gate, #1 was harder than it looked. It was easy to overshoot in eagerness, so I turned back and made sure to follow the creek.

Then things went smoothly, other than a general lack of oomph.

I was surprised to see Waller @ 4 - I wondered if I had skipped a control. He started ~six minutes earlier, so if I were to catch him, I was guessing more like #20 than en route to #5.

Everything went more or less well until #14. Sure, some hesitations to check up on things - some of the spur/gully combos look similar.

But #14, I made several blunders. I was tired from the climb to #12, then did not exit #13 strongly. I didn't have a great route plan, and then I didn't even tick that off. So I ended up on the hill NE of it. Cursing ensued, but I tried to blow it off and just get back on track. ~six minutes?? Ouch.

Then I think I missed the best route to #16 - I went more or less straight and had an okay split among the post race discussion, but I think an immediate reversal to the road (the tricky "head back the way you came in the wrong direction" route choice!), then up to some trails along the bigger creek would have been easier and faster with less thinking.

To #18 I made a mistake I don't usually do - I set my compass to go from nearby #1 to #18 instead of #17 to #18. I was confused when I hit the road. Then there was a better way from that, but I went back to my original plan and executed sluggishly.

I wonder if the flatter way to #19 was faster, either through the light green or down and around than my up and over.

A kid tried to get me to confirm his black circle near #20 but ignored him for his edification.

Then my goofiest blunder of the day? I lost 28 seconds...in the finish chute! Map says, 60 m flagged. So I hit the go and ran to the scoring table. No finish punches. "WHERE ARE THEY?" "Back up there." But back up there is go. Is the finish numbered? No, there was a second set of flags very near the go. 31 seconds to go about 6 m. I have to work on my tunnel vision in the chute. I really wanted to crush it. It's not likely to affect M35 placing, since the QOC guy is like 15 minutes ahead.

Note to self: scout the finish if you can!!

Very fun running - woods were open, weather was great. I really enjoyed it. And driving the Mustang back was icing.

10:35/km is about the fastest I've ever gone. Imagine if I were slim and in shape!

C • so the tactical error was n... 7

Red - Splits

I flew to Atlanta for the Navigator Cup. My greatest challenge was pairing my load down into one Spirit size "personal item". There was a lot of triage late last night! And souvenir shopping is very difficult.

I splurged to get a Mustang. I expected a V6 auto, but got a much cooler V8 manual! I was elated.



Then, since it was practically on the way, I stopped at the Aquarium. My favorite was either the otter that was hoarding shells or the whale shark that passed overhead while I was in the underwater tunnel.





Then away from Atlanta and up to the start to sample the model in Gainsville, GA.

Coincidental timing! I parked and minutes later Al and Roddy pulled up. They soon headed onto the model.



Then onto the small sample course.



It rained heavily this morning, so I think many fast routes could be wet. The trails were often soggy.



And I think the water level was up a bit. Reentrants and gullies had water a way up in them - expect wet crossings or more detour.

Sample rootstock:



My nemesis on this course will be dot ditches.





SMOC size ones don't quite make the cut, but very slightly bigger does, so counting them off will not be reliable. Perhaps use other keys to get close and then brute force across them a bit. Some of the dots would qualify as erosion gullies on SMOC, so a bit more range than we usually get.

Is this AR country?



This isn't shown immediately on the shoreline, but it's there now!



Everyone runs away too fast for pics. Mike and MJ head out.



I tried a few orienteering moves and I can contain them within my ailments, I think, if I pay enough attention.

And a little downtime before dinner and a movie.

C • Cool car! Oh, and good lu... 5