Training Log Archive: barb

Walked around the Fells with Dave

Lots of dreams last night. Two involving Trump. In one I had made it into the inner circle. One other in which a huge explosion took out a lot of our city and our neighborhood was not at the epicenter but still took a lot of damage.

C • Inner circle 1

Permanent course at bald and wood hills. With CSUS team.

Check out our Navigation Games holiday tree

If anyone would like to donate to Navigation Games, we could use the cash. It will help support Ethan's time as Assistant Director - he's taught a lot of kids, and learned a lot, and really contributed to the growth of school orienteering in the area.

Checks made out to Navigation Games can be sent to 116 Henry Street, Cambridge MA 02139.

Ok. Heading to the gym.

Made a donation to OUSA, unrestricted, last night. As soon as we audit the team funds and fix the accounting for teams I will make a donation to teams as well.

Lunges, knee hugs, ankles front, ankles back and lean forward.
outer thighs with strap; arms straight out front, pull apart with strap.
squats with weight and push ups.
lunges with weight and row motion with weight.

Right shoulder, the semi-frozen one, is a little annoyed. Or perhaps just non-plussed.

C • Personal trainer 4

Cold out, but properly dressed.

Ethan took 4 8th graders to the woods yesterday for training. They got a little cold, particularly fingers and toes. The girls are quite new to orienteering, and did a white course, and had some trouble with some trails where the map is old/confusing. The boys did a harder course and also had some learning moments.

After the Board call last night, Ethan and I met with 3 boys plus one parent who may create a high school team - actually we discussed two ideas: (1) possible IS Champs or West Point trip with training leading up to it, and (2) a regular high school club with a teacher sponsor. I need to write to the parent with more specific ideas about what the club would do.

I should mention that Ethan found the Catching Features session with one of the girls very interesting; he was super encouraged at how she recovered from error, and avoided straying too far from the course.

Cold again. Had to go back in the house for a warmer coat. Wish I'd also gotten my mittens and scarf.
Today is the first day of the CSUS training; Ethan is taking the kids to the woods.

Ethan and I put on a local orienteering introduction for kids at Dana Park.
We had about 6 kids, which gave us time to work with each one in-depth at an appropriate level. We now have a pretty nice progression from animal score-O to animal point-to-point to a regular (little) O course with the map. All use the same controls. The animal version does not use a map. It works out pretty well for kids doing it for the first time, or who are pretty young. You get the idea of epunching, as well as a feeling of looking for controls throughout the park - keeping your head up and looking.
Then you do the animal point-to-point (in order), again without a map - and now you're working on remembering where the animals were, and becoming more familiar with the control locations. And you are getting used to the idea of doing a regular course in order.
By the time you move on to the map, because you know where the controls are, it's a lot easier to interpret the map.
Adi (member of our 2017 CSUS team) did the one-way street-O.

Today I signed up a 3-person junior high team for Interscholastic Championships. They are being coached by Ethan Childs, who will be taking them to the woods twice a week, providing armchair training, and otherwise supporting them. Navigation Games is paying for Ethan's salary as well as the team costs.

Which brings me to:

We are seeking donations to cover $5500 in 2016 expenses and aim at raising $20,000 for 2017 expenses. The money will be used to pay staff, buy orienteering equipment, make maps, and support team travel. Some of you have indicated previously that you would be willing to help if we have a need - and we have a need.

Navigation Games is a 501(c)3 non-profit, so any donations you make are tax-deductible.

What we have been doing in 2016, all of which we will continue in 2017:
* taught after school classes to grades K-5
* brought kids to three national meets: IS Champs, NEOC A meet and Boston Sprint Camp
* put on a number of small local events open to the public to raise awareness
* implemented in-school programs at 4 schools (VLUS, Morse, NCDS, Cambridgeport)
* developed Ethan as a teacher and coach, with mentoring from Erin
* put on a 6-week half-time program for about 10 teens who learned orienteering, developed lesson plans, and taught younger children
* made progress on our website thanks to Cristina

New things in 2017:
* Collaboration with NEOC and CSU to create family-friendly components of regular local meets
* Try to get orienteering as a sport in the middle schools
* Reach out to a couple more schools
* Start chasing grant money

Financial summary:

We are reimbursed for some but not all of the work we do (after-school classes, Mayor's Program, some but not all of the school programs).
Starting this summer, we hired Ethan Childs; his time teaching 3 classes/week is reimbursed, but his other work is not. We also pay teens to help with the programs.
We put in a lot of volunteer hours (all of my time for example, and quite a few others).
We own our own small electronic punching kit, and borrow additional equipment from CSU and NEOC.
We use CSU and NEOC maps, but we do need some money for additional mapping.

We are very grateful to the donors who helped us get the teams to the IS Champs this spring, as well as participating in the Boston Sprint Camp.

Donations can be sent to Navigation Games, 116 Henry Street, Cambridge MA 02139.

Why we exist as a separate organization from NEOC & CSU:

I should point out that we collaborate extensively with our local O clubs. However, neither NEOC nor CSU was really set up to focus on youth orienteering, particularly an intensive effort that will require paid staff. NEOC focuses on putting on regular orienteering meets, and CSU focuses on support for more elite athletes.
I did approach NEOC with a proposal a few years ago, where we'd get support from another existing program, but NEOC board felt this was not in alignment with what they were doing in a number of ways.
I would be perfectly happy if we someday mature to a sustainable program where we can fold back into one of those organizations.
But for now, we are doing everything we can to grow awareness and experience amongst young people and families in the local area, through paid and volunteer staff and regular programs as opportunities arise.

C • NG donations 1

Well, I finally went to the gym. Having joined it 3 months ago...
I will meet with a personal trainer on Tuesday.
Hopefully this is the beginning of some change.
A few last days of junk food, soda, not getting enough sleep.

C • personal trainer 4

Final project/exam time for me. I'm taking two classes: Accounting for Non-Profits, and Cloud Computing.

Today I'm working on using Azure API Management to publish an API that I got from Dark Sky (great weather data), and used it to write an application telling me the weather on any given day (past, present or future) in 7 cities that I have family in. You can check it out at https://barb.shinyapps.io/weather/, and the API is here: https://cloudharvard.portal.azure-api.net

OK, here's what I did all day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkIVdKc50QA&t=615s

C • project 3

I met in person with OUSA insurance agent, AIG underwriter, and AIG salesperson this morning.
Had a good call with Robin Shannonhouse.
Had an Executive Committee meeting.

A photo I took has been used by its subject (Anton) as his FB profile pic! Now I know how Dave feels when people really like his pictures...

I'm surprised at the radio silence.

C • Me, too! 1