Are our Elite spoiled brats or prima donnas?

[Mrs H]

A
I thought Mharky was one of the EUOC guys though so was wrong there.

[Rockaldo]

Are our Elite spoiled brats or prima donnas?

ERROR.

[graeme]

My fatherly advise is to get out and enjoy your orienteering week to week and month to month

I really wish someone had given me that advice in my 20s, when I was busy structuring and periodizationing my training to peak for "big" races. Total waste of time for someone with my level of talent. Should have raced week-in week-out like rocky does.

[housewife]

I might be tempted to take a trip to the NE if I had actually heard of Ray Demense, but I haven't, so assume it is the default N.E. type area, i.e. grotty guff. Prove me wrong. If you think it is a good area, why not put the map on the website. I am going to the southern champs, even though it is miles away, as I have run there loads, and think there is a pretty high chance of it being fun.

I run elite, but hopefully am not a primadonna. I certainly don't necessarily agree that elite should have separate drinks points (surely everyone needs a drink if it is hot), and the warm up map is usually a waste of time, and I HATE gettign a 1:15 regardless of whether it is the appropriate scale...

[AndyC]

Just for you, housewife, here is the map from the only previous event at Ray Demensehttp://www.nato.routegadget.co.uk/cgi-bin/reitti.cgi?act=map&id=7&kieli= nothing to hide it is a mix of moorland woodland and fields. Map has been updated and I understand the runnability of some of the woodland has improved.
Freefall has made comments about how nice it was during planning on another thread and I have fond memories of a challenging run there at the above event.

[smf]

If you think it is a good area, why not put the map on the website.

http://www.nato.routegadget.co.uk/cgi-bin/reitti.cgi?act=map&id=7&kieli=

[awk]

Just for you, housewife, here is the map from the only previous event at Ray Demense...nothing to hide it is a mix of moorland woodland and fields.

Which means that, from the maps, the most technical Area Champs in England this year could turn out to be the one in East Anglia. Not often that is even a possibility!

[Freefall]

So Andy we expect an error free run from you as it is not as technical as East Anglia (Colin, ex WAOC)?

[AndyC]

Awk.
Pardon? Have you looked at the NE & NW of the map? And I know the revision has identified more features in the woods -with Colin planning it will be a challenge technically and physically appropriate to a level A event.

[Muddy Boots]

Which means that, from the maps, the most technical Area Champs in England this year could turn out to be the one in East Anglia. Not often that is even a possibility!

Come on, it is grossly unfair to all those involved to make comparisons. The very varied and complex nature of the geology of the British isles, means all our Associations individual areas contain differing types of terrain which in some way is the beauty of competing around the country.

When the dust settles at the end of the year no doubt the current format of all the Area Championships will be reviewed and maybe changes introduced. I see the maps for the Northern are to be litho printed. This method was discarded by NOR for this year's Midland as being too expensive. The many course maps cost £100's extra to produce when compared with digital printing. Is the clarity difference that much different to warrant the Map Group preferring litho print? This could mean an event loss if event numbers continue to fall. The Map Group should consider if their preferred requirement is wise when we now have to use approved printers?

[mharky]

Litho printing is a great idea. Personally I find the laser printed water-proof maps are just not as clear, and on closed inspection you can see the pixelation.

[AndyC]

Muddy Boots,
I quote BOF Rules for Area Championships
"2.4 Map Printing
2.4.1 All maps shall be offset litho printed unless agreed otherwise with Map Group.
2.4.2 The map shall be printed by an accredited printer.."

presumably the map group agreed in your case?

[awk]

Interesting Freefall and Muddy Boots that you take that as disparagement. Is that because you immediately assume that East Anglia is 'easy' (even you Colin as ex-EAOA)? As you will see from my posts on the Midlands Champs thread, I thought that the Midlands was an excellent event, but then I have always thoroughly enjoyed the variety of British orienteering, and have never deemed conventional 'technical' challenge as being the sole criteria for an excellent race.

Freefall, I was certainly not error-free at the Midlands, and, given my recent races, I don't expect to be error free at the Northerns. But then, you will know from earlier in this thread what it's like to have your words taken as meaning something different to what you meant won't you? .

I'm looking forward to the Northerns weekend. Indeed, we've gone to a fair amount of trouble and expense shifting other demands around to be able to get to both days. If the championships match or exceed the enjoyment we got from the Midlands, then it will have been worth it.

[Freefall]

To quote Mharky from his run at last year's October Odyssey in the NE (on Beanley):

"The Saturday that I did go to was a really enjoyable event. Great area with some nice technical sections. The black seemed to miss the deep bits of heather that my passengers on the brown talked about. And we got near enough 12km in without ever covering the same ground. Certainly worth the drive down".

Praise indeed. I am sure you will enjoy Ray Demesne!

[graeme]

[quote="Muddy Boots"]Is the clarity difference that much different to warrant the Map Group preferring litho print?/quote]
Yes. If your intention is to put on the race at the highest level. There are all sorts of reasons why you might choose to compromise what you're offering, but if you're not going make the map as good as it could be, don't be surprised when the elites don't come.
The poorer quality of printing is a significant contributor to the clamour for ever larger map scales. Which means bigger maps, and higher costs.
You might get away with it at Sheringham, a map with fewer details and mainly white background, but a Brown-on-beige map like Ray Demesne will definitely benefit.
It also shows they're taking it seriously, and maybe tackling their reputation for poor maps and "grotty guff".
So after freefall's impressive publicity, the only remaining unanswered question is how to get a late entry.