Training Log Archive: Mr Wonderful

Some comments from one of our newer participants, Melissa, on how to make it more accessible. Her background was her boss (Shane) got her to Get Your Bearings and she was interested in getting better at navigation sports. She approached it as, what do I not know that would maybe not tip the odds of her attendance.

Event itself - How does it work? What is success? (eg., point versus score)
Map - how does it work? How do I use it to do the event?
Compass - how do I use it? Should I buy or rent?
Clothing - what should I wear?
Start - exactly where is it, and how do I get there?
Cost - what is it?
Distance, and over what terrain, with what vegetation
How do you sign up?
Symbol meaning

Then as far as, how does one market an event and get more attention:

social [was much more important to her - after a point to point event, she finished and no one was around]
cheap/cost
clear location
clear directions
goal (finish first, most points)
stated obstacles (hills, swamp, logs)
time
cartoons/colors [verbal comment was something that would get attention if she shared it]
any free stuff/prizes/snacks

It made me think a bit. We have a wonderful product for indoctrinated, jargon-speaking introverts who've been around awhile. What could I/should I do during the off season to improve this? I have wanted to do a video that would be like "attending an o meet", so you briefly show the signs to the start, then what the start would look like, what to wear, getting a map, navigating to a white control, then a yellow control, then an orange control, then a red control, with either chase or helmet cam, or chasing headcam, etc. That would not be hard to do at say, Huron Meadows.

C • video is hard 6

C • Great feedback 1

Got some great marketing / general orienteering promotion feedback from one of the younger, newer participants who happens to work on the other side of the building. Also increasingly suspect we have two email lists, and newer folks are not automatically added to the yahoo group list.

Based on the feedback....

an event guide for the 12/6 event.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1U8o0P5oW4Iemmq...

comments welcome. Target audience is: People who've never done this before. Discussing with Melissa, it is clear that we use a lot of short hand once we are indoctrinated. Even regarding start locations.

C • wat 2

I dressed perfectly...for the last two days. For today, a wee bit warm.

Hopefully I get out and around each lake once per week, and then do something speedier or hillier or orienteeringer on the weekends and all of that is good enough for winter base....

C • Good job! 3

Meet Hosting 101 class approved. Look for it in Jan/Feb. Target audience is intermediate level folks (solid Orange / Green or Red survivor) to do something like a 60 minute score o. More meets = more fun. I love my point to point, but if I can race 2x as often doing some score, I'm fine with that. Our MD pool was looking a bit thin going into fall 2014, maybe this will help.

With the missus out to the township office for sewer bill drop off, then a tiny extra loop to make it four. Wife targets 29:59 for turkey day 5k next week.