Training Log Archive: barb

Ran with David around Fresh Pond. Fast at the end.

Event: Hudson Highlander
 

Hudson Highlander, avec Dave.



Ce sont les français. François m'a expliqué qu'ils ont fait l'acquisition des chapeaux apres avoir être arrêter par la police pour un certain excès de vitesse. Et depuis qu'ils ont commencés à porter ces chapeaux, ils n'avaient pas être arrêter, pas une fois.

Ils ont an air assez "Village People", vous ne croyez pas?

C • hmmm 3

Highlander - Splits

Watched Cyrano de Bergerac in french last night with the kids. David was really really disappointed at first: another foreign film, and we had to read the subtitles. I loved it. (1)

On 9/25/09 I took 80 junior high and 20 1st & 2nd grade students on a team orienteering field trip. Teams of 4 planned their routes and how to work together over the course of 2 weeks. On the day of the field trip, they first did a white-level orienteering course to a transition area, and from there a score-O with shared "landmark" controls on trail intersections and off-trail "team" controls that were specific to each team. Finding controls (and picking up trash) translated into tickets that were exchanged for prizes at the end.

Below is a summary of the responses in the reflections the junior high students wrote.
The response was overall very positive. The negative aspects include some things that we can address with changes to the program.

Things that seem to work well, based on the responses below:

• The overall format of teams finding controls, followed by ticket exchange for prizes works. Kids had fun; they worked together well in teams; they loved finding team controls; they loved the tickets & prizes.
  
• Preparation in class ahead of time is seen by the students as useful.
  

Things we can do to improve:

• In the classroom work before the trip, talk more about what to do if you get "lost"
  
• I think the start (after getting off the bus) was much better than last year, and might be further improved by being clear the kids need to send one representative of their team to check in before starting - and maybe multiple check-in spots.
  
• The transition area needs work; Leah had the good suggestion of having several check-in stations. (E.g., 7th grade & 8th grade)
  
• Talk more about what to do if you can't find a team control. (1) try again, more carefully, from an attackpoint, (2) call Barb (sometimes I can get there and determine whether it is missing).
  

What was the high point of the trip for you?

Many students felt the high point was finishing: with a feeling of success (5), relief (9), or anticipation of snacks, tickets or prizes (11).

13 responses mentioned navigating well; 10 of these focused on the student's own ability to navigate, and often to explain to the team where they were.

Many responses mentioned finding controls (29). 8 of these indicated that it was a high point to find a control after a struggle. 14 responses mentioned team controls, and 6 of those refer to finding the first team control.

Teamwork was mentioned a number of times (working together well, and getting positive feedback from team members).

Additional responses include:

• Not being pressed for time
  
• Being able to hang out with others on the team
  
• Being able to transform the experience of being lost and mad to talking and singing
  
• Resting; eating lunch at a scenic spot
  
• Getting praise, help, or not needing help from adult chaperones
  
• Receiving the compass
  

One respondent said there was no high point.

What was the low point of the trip for you?

Being lost or confused about location was the most frequent response (25). 4 students reported feeling they'd gotten the team lost as a low point.

Physical difficulty (climbing, being tired, minor injury, or feeling sick) was reported in 19 responses.

Running out of time (5)

Problems with teammates: stopping (1), screaming (1), yelling at each other (2) grabbing (1)

Missing team controls (3).

5 people said there was no low point.

Other responses:

• Transition area was slow and confusing (1)
  
• Adults were bossy and obnoxious (1)
  
• Came in last (1)
  
• Having to use the bathroom (1)
  
• Losing punch card (1)
  
• Broken compass (1)
  
• Separated from group (1)
  
• Didn't know how to orienteer (1)
  
• Good prizes gone (1)
  

Useful preparation

Most responses mentioned planning the route (34), including using the strategy of following trails (1), knowing they didn't have to get all the controls (1), and planning for what to do if they ran out of time (1).

Practicing teamwork was mentioned in 13 answers, including roles (3), bonding (2), and rules (2).

Learning how to read the map and navigate appeared in 8 answers (map reading 3, learning contours 1, checking features 2, orienting the map 2)

The test (5), homework (1) and worksheets (1) were useful.

Additional responses:

• Gear: water/food (2), maps & compasses (1)
  
• Feeling mentally prepared (3)
  
• Having lots of time to prepare (1)
  
• There was too much planning (1)
  
• Safety (2)
  
• Nothing / don't know (3)
  

What weren't you prepared for?

Nothing (12)

Being lost or making a navigation error (22). How teams dealt with it: backtrack (1), go back to landmark control (2), changed route (1), oriented the map (1), found a route (1), looked around (1), wandered randomly until found a trail (2), cooperated and stayed together (1), followed the road (1)

Couldn't find a team control (7). How dealt with it: moved on (1), Barb helped (1)

Other responses:

• picking up trash
  
• Gear problem
  
• Tired (1), tripping (1)
  
• running out of time (2)
  
• having to make quick decisions as opposed to the classroom where we had as much time as we needed (1)
  
• slow teammates (solution: have patience) (1)
  
• deciding when we'd eat lunch
  

Teamwork

Overall, 41 responses said their team worked well; 4 said their team did not work well.

What worked:

• Finding controls, good navigation, good route decisions (17)
  
• It was fun (17)
  
• Finishing; prizes, tickets (12)
  
• working together, getting along, agreeing, listening to each other, resolving disagreements (20)
  
• Followed the rules we made (1)
  
• Roles (1)
  

What didn't work:

• Being lost (5)
  
• Wanting to go different speeds (4)
  
• People threw rocks (1)
  
• Adults were terrible (1)
  
• I don't like orienteering (1)
  
• Teammates argued (3)
  
• Teammates didn't listen (1)
  
• Teammates walked ahead with other team (1)
  

C • other resppnses 2

To Leah's house at 7 am to prep for today's 5th grade orienteering field trip, then hanging controls, then riding around solving certain map issues, then picking up controls, then school - home - school (meeting with principal) - home.

Work commute...

Harvested some veggies from the garden to roast tonight: red peppers, butternut squash, tomatoes, green beans, eggplant.

Feeling stiff from the rogaine, and feet a little sore. Didn't get any big blisters. Had been quite worried about the left big toe which was suffering from what felt like a blister deep under the nail, after the 50k. The night before the rogaine I punctured the nail with a hot needle and let it drain some. It still hurt a lot. But after the rogaine, it was fine! Weird.

My feet were wet most of the rogaine, and I think I need to waterproof my shoes (grey light hikers), which used to stand up to the wet much better. It didn't rain too much at all, but there was a really fine snowfall up as we approached one of the highest points. I have a photo I need to suck off the camera.

Brought too much food, but the homemade bread worked great. It was yummy and kept my tummy settled and happy, throughout the race. Ingredients:
1 fresh egg
1/2 C water
5/8 C buttermilk
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp molasses
2 1/2 C bread flour
1/2 C wheat flour
1/2 C oatmeal
1/2 C bulgur wheat
1/4 C quinoa
1/2 C sunflower seeds
1/4 C finely chopped walnuts
2 Tbsp gluten
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp SAF yeast

On the drive back to Seattle there was a fine view of Mt Rainier from several angles.