okansas.blogspot.com
Occassional thoughts about orienteering


Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Training the first control

 

One of the sessions at the sprint camp focused on the first leg. We got a stack of little maps (the image shows all of them together, but we got a stack of little maps stapled together rather than one big sheet of paper).

Take a look at the map bit labeled 1. We started in groups of 4 runners. One person would say "start" and we'd all turn over the map, find the triangle, and then head to the control (which was marked by a small flag), then on to the finish circle, then walk to the next start triangle. At the next triangle, we'd start again - turning over map 2, finding the triangle, and heading to the first control and then the finish.

Because we did this in groups, there was some stress. You didn't want to run off in the wrong direction and you didn't want to be the last one to get going.

I ran a bit easier - or at least slower - than the rest of my group. I made a point of reading a lot of features on the way to the first control even if it wasn't actually necessary to find it (my "rule of thumb" for starting a sprint race is to read more than necessary on the way to the first control.

It was a fun session and a good way of using a really small area.

Back to okansas.blogspot.com.

posted by Michael | 8:03 PM

3 comments


Comments:
You could even have a common start and finish with different controls in the middle(and not tell anyone).
 
What Matthew R suggested is my favourite training exercise. Mass starts with or without forking with 1-2 controls and then rest and do it all over again. It trains what I think most North Americans need to improve on to get a good result in a relay or quali. How to use the orienteers in the race yet run your own race.

Wish I was able to go to Vancouver.

MW
 
"Mass starts with or without forking with 1-2 controls and then rest and do it all over again."

Michael hasn't posted that map yet. We did that exact same exercise in downtown Vancouver on Saturday morning (session #3). The map in this post is from session #5, just a few hours later.
 
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