Training Log Archive: evancuster

Actual distance ran 8.6 km

Stanford long orange. Blew first control. Did a 180 right from the start, and went a couple hundred of meters before I figured it out. then overan the control. Wasn't really in the mood to be orienteering at that time, and had debated about going or not. Since I wanted to do a run anyway, a run with a map would be better, even though it meant 1:20 drive each way to Stanford. After that, it got much better.

Really just guessing on the distance and time, but know I jogged 1:20 for 7.5 km in the morning hanging the controls, and basically did the whole course at least 3 times.

Put on an orienteering event for 80 7th graders at Mississippi Bar. This was a complete disaster from my point of view. (I think the kids on the whole enjoyed themselves, however.) We had 4 search efforts, one after each course (a white course followed by a score-O, both in the am and the afternoon). It was mainly my fault. I set the courses too hard. I had thought that if you could see the control flag of the next control from the one you were at, it probably would be OK, even though there was not a connecting trail. Wrong. It didn't help that in the morning I had a score O control that was not on the white course visible, so everybody ran to it, found it was the wrong code, and then got totally confused. As far as the score O, I set too many controls (32) for a 30 min event, and some of them were quite a ways away, so naturally the kids, who didn't wear any watches (another error on my part) came in late, up to 45 minutes late each session. I was walking around the course blowing my whistle and yelling trying to find them. Eventually they all showed up, but since people were waiting to take them to the lake for swimming or to go home, it was a lot of pressure to find them. Also, someone from the first group removed one of the controls and tossed it in the bushes about 100 meters away, which caused a lot of problems for those who followed. Heard about it and managed to find it and reposition it before most of the 2nd group got there.

I was totally exhausted, having to get up at 5:45, and then run around hanging the 32 controls before 8:30, give 2 beginner's sessions, go out on 4 search parties, pick up the controls and then drive the 2 hours facing the sun coming home.

Certainly won't do that again.

Placed stakes and streamers for all 32 controls for the Mississippi Bar event tomorrow.

Slow walk with Jill north at Sea Ranch.