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Occassional thoughts about orienteering


Monday, December 02, 2002

A few thoughts on drawing routes

 

There is some discussion at Attackpoint about drawing your route on your map. The discussion inspired tonight's entry...

It can't make much difference The person who started the discussion wrote:

After an event do you mark your route on your map? If so, doesn't this make it difficult to use the map for study at a later date? Your eye will always be drawn to your old route....


I can't imagine it makes a difference either way. If you spend say 30 minutes a day studying maps, it can't make much difference whether you're looking at maps with routes or without. But, if you spend 30 minutes a day studying maps instead of no time studying maps, you'll probably do yourself some good.

Lots of orienteers draw their routes wrong I've noticed that a lot of orienteers draw where they think they went rather than where they went. I've noticed this at training camps where I've shadowed runners and then sat down afterwards and talked about the run. I suspect all of us make some mistakes when we draw our routes. I'd bet that better orienteers do a better job of drawing their routes (but I'm not sure how to know if that's true or not).

Runoway If you like looking at routes on maps (or even just courses) Runoway is a great place. Runoway is an internet site where orienteers can draw their routes on maps from selected races. Viewers can then look at the routes and splits (even play an animation of the routes). You have to register. Runoway is a Swedish site, but there is an English version.

The best pen? Staedtler Lumocolor JJ tipped me off to the best pen for drawing routes on O' maps -- the Staedtler Lumocolor. My preference is for the non-permanent red fine. It draws a good line and is a bit transparent. They run about $1.75.

The route is the story I like to look at routes. I like to look at my routes. I like to look at other people's routes. To me, looking at routes is more interesting that looking at courses without routes. To me a course without a route is a bit like a crossword puzzle. But, a course with a route is like a good book -- there is a story that you can follow as you follow the route.

Memory from the WOC At the WOC in Finland, runners were asked to draw their routes when they finished. One of my memories from the classic race is watching the big video screen as the classic men's race unfolded. Jorgen Rostrup was in the lead and was sitting in the tent at the finish drawing his routes. The camera was switching between a picture of Rostrup calmly drawing his route and the Finnish runner Jani Lakanen in the forest. Lakanen's times were good and it looked like he had a shot to win. The camera focused on Lakanen as he raced to the finish. But, his time ran out and he crossed the finish line 34 seconds behind Rostrup. The camera switched back to Rostrup who was still sitting there calmly drawing his route! Someone congratulated Rostrup. He looked up -- without even a smile -- he shook hands and went back to drawing his route.

You'll hear football coaches talk about a player not celebrating in the endzone -- act like you've been there before. But, Rostrup looked almost too calm. Of course, he had been there before -- he won a world championship in 1999 in Scotland.

posted by Michael | 7:32 PM

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