okansas.blogspot.com Occassional thoughts about orienteering
Sunday, July 15, 2007
New way to train concentration and O' technique
Start with an O' course in technically and physically demanding terrain (Surebridge is perfect).
Before you begin, step into a swarm of angry wasps. Spend some time swatting at them as you run away.
Now, begin the course. Try to ignore the stinging and pay attention to the orienteering. If you can keep spiking controls, you're in control and concentrating well.
I couldn't. I boomed control after control, stopped a couple of times and planned to just call it a day, and finally ran two legs reasonably well, brining me to the finish. That was enough.
While I've discovered a new way to train concentration and O' technique, I wouldn't recommend it.
Sounds like a recent evening meet here in Seattle!
When the course-setter went to hang the course, he discovered a beehive where he wanted to put the #2 flag.
He decided not to set that control. But the starters didn't know this, and they started to send out runners before the setter came back to tell everyone.
Everyone who went to find #2 didn't get to punch anything... it was the other way around.
(I got to run after I knew about #2, so I got off easy)
