How much do you learn out in the forest or before looking at results, compared to after looking at results of others?
 

I've followed this topic on AP, and I really feel for the guy receiving as much criticism as he's had, because if I were given the chance to run elite in Sweden, I'd probably do it, too, just so see what it was like.

Last summer, I ran blue at US Champs, even though a) I'd never M21 before, b) I'm not in that great of shape, and c) I had a bum knee.

And as a result, I finished 1.8 times slower than the winner. Did I still learn from it? Heck yes.

But after reading the thread about this runner "embarrassing" the US in that race, I can't help but wonder if I "embarrassed" Orienteer Kansas by pretty much doing the same thing, just on a smaller scale.
 

I feel a bit bad that folks have been giving the guy grief, too (one reason I didn't name him).

The idea that a result embarrasses a nation is silly. I don't think anyone really cares.

Embarrass OK? Not a chance. Now when Fritz is running around in his pink and blue tights, orange shoes, and dyed red hair...well, that might be getting close :-)
 

I would say that you learn more being double the winners time than winning a class against weaker competition.
 

Patrick,
I completely understand the desire to run blue at US A-meets to see how you stack up against the best in the US. But I don't see the point of running against the best in the world until you have at least reached the level of being competitive with the top American orienteers. What is the point of starting a race knowing you will be dead last by a huge margin? And, as Spike said, what exactly do you learn from that?
 

Why compare extremes (double the winner vs 1st against weak field)? Can we agree there is a whole world in between that is clearly preferable, and it is not difficult to find?
EricW
 

You wonder whether anything can be learned in a race where the best result is more than double the winning time.

The successive ratios of the runner's times to the winner's times were:

3.28
2.86
2.37
2.25

That looks like a substantial learning experience.
 

This is a somewhat superficial analysis, as
a) He DNF'd day 2
b) The first three days went in much more challenging terrain than the last two, and the last two days had a lot more trail running, as well as few controls that weren't close to trails.
 

You can run in a marathon against the best in the World and be 2-3x their time and feel really good about yourself. It is embarassing to think that some people feel this individual has embarassed the US. I say good for him.

-Mike W.