I just looked through next winter's O calendar and came out of it feeling very unexcited.
Now, I live in London and have for 10+ years, so that doesn't help. But still previously there were always enough fun events to look forward to.
But this winter it really just feels like groundhog day: Winterfold, Burnham Beeches, Christmas Common, Hindleap, Blackheath etc are all very nice, but I can't get excited about them. Also because none of them will really have a "race feel" as you never know who and how many people will turn up
Further afield the British at Brown Clee is mildly exciting in a predictable sort of way. The JK will no doubt be good but the distances are huge and Wass doesn't get the pulses racing. Best I could find was the British Sprints, hopefully at the Olympic Park.
Is it just me having a mid life crisis?
Am I missing some really cool races?
Do I need to travel more?
Bored with orienteering
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Re: Bored with orienteering
Arnold, travel if you can as further North and West there is too much to chose from.
Soon the Welsh Champs is taking place on Llynnoedd Teifi (Teifi Pools) a great fairly runnable open area in Mid Wales. A week later the UK urban league goes back to Chester where last time I got to run along the city walls. In November there is a weekend in the Lake District, got to be worth a visit to Simpson Ground if only to remind you that there are nicer areas in the North West.
These are just a few of the O events I am looking forward to in the next few weeks. But have you forgotten the London City Race? I recall last year coming across one person who was doing the four city races so you could try that for a challenge.
Soon the Welsh Champs is taking place on Llynnoedd Teifi (Teifi Pools) a great fairly runnable open area in Mid Wales. A week later the UK urban league goes back to Chester where last time I got to run along the city walls. In November there is a weekend in the Lake District, got to be worth a visit to Simpson Ground if only to remind you that there are nicer areas in the North West.
These are just a few of the O events I am looking forward to in the next few weeks. But have you forgotten the London City Race? I recall last year coming across one person who was doing the four city races so you could try that for a challenge.
- canol
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Re: Bored with orienteering
So what you're looking for is a series highly technical, well attended, major events within easy travelling distance of London.?
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mharky - team nopesport
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Re: Bored with orienteering
Plane to Rygge, Blodslitet just down the road. 17th October.
I would if it wasn't the FRA relay/CSC final weekend, and the OMM a weekend after.
I would if it wasn't the FRA relay/CSC final weekend, and the OMM a weekend after.
M21-Lairy
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Re: Bored with orienteering
Sprint Scotland (http://sprintscotland.co.uk/)
- gg
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Re: Bored with orienteering
As a fellow Londoner I know the feeling but, not wishing to be trite, I've decided to find pleasure in small things.
I did the Park Series this summer which got me out to bits of London I wouldn't go to otherwise.
I'm off to the night event at Imperial College on Friday which is a small detour on the cycle home (and what other event could you pop into a restaurant down the road (Exhibition Road) which has a vodka menu and sells it in 1/2 litre carafes).
And mixing it up a bit I'm doing the London Duathlon in a few weeks in (a closed) Richmond Park.
I'm looking forward to revisiting Ash Ranges for December's SN Trophy and there's always the November Classic and the New Forest that isn't too far away.
I agree decent terrain is too far away and when you do get there you are ill equipped to deal with it mentally and physically but you must be in London for some good reason (else you’re mad), if not, move to the Lakes.
I did the Park Series this summer which got me out to bits of London I wouldn't go to otherwise.
I'm off to the night event at Imperial College on Friday which is a small detour on the cycle home (and what other event could you pop into a restaurant down the road (Exhibition Road) which has a vodka menu and sells it in 1/2 litre carafes).
And mixing it up a bit I'm doing the London Duathlon in a few weeks in (a closed) Richmond Park.
I'm looking forward to revisiting Ash Ranges for December's SN Trophy and there's always the November Classic and the New Forest that isn't too far away.
I agree decent terrain is too far away and when you do get there you are ill equipped to deal with it mentally and physically but you must be in London for some good reason (else you’re mad), if not, move to the Lakes.
- Tim
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Re: Bored with orienteering
There is a rather nice urban event in the historic City of Canterbury on Sunday 27th September - an easy train journey down from London.
See http://www.saxons-oc.org
See http://www.saxons-oc.org
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DaveK - green
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Re: Bored with orienteering
Night O...
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ifor - brown
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Re: Bored with orienteering
I think it's unrealistic to expect traditional forest orienteering in the South East to give you the "race feel" plus new areas after 10 years living down here (if that's what you meant Arnold).
But surely you get the race feel from the local SLOW (and LOK/CHIG) street events. OK it's technically simple, but picking randomly on the event on Feb 10th at Shoreditch, 100 people all running the same course, plenty of high ranking orienteers, results are in the pub after the event aren't they?
I heard SLOW are doing more midweek night wood/park events now to give a more technical challenge. Maybe SLOW and some of the London clubs could combine to do a London Night Cup this winter, with a mixture of the existing street and more park/forest events? SAXONS, DFOK, MV* and SO manage 26 events from Sept to March, so probably SLOW, LOK and CHIG could manage that (maybe with some overlap of DFOK and MV KNC events)?
* new this year, MV are doing a Kent Night Cup event, though it will probably be in Surrey
But surely you get the race feel from the local SLOW (and LOK/CHIG) street events. OK it's technically simple, but picking randomly on the event on Feb 10th at Shoreditch, 100 people all running the same course, plenty of high ranking orienteers, results are in the pub after the event aren't they?
I heard SLOW are doing more midweek night wood/park events now to give a more technical challenge. Maybe SLOW and some of the London clubs could combine to do a London Night Cup this winter, with a mixture of the existing street and more park/forest events? SAXONS, DFOK, MV* and SO manage 26 events from Sept to March, so probably SLOW, LOK and CHIG could manage that (maybe with some overlap of DFOK and MV KNC events)?
* new this year, MV are doing a Kent Night Cup event, though it will probably be in Surrey
- SeanC
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Re: Bored with orienteering
Arnold wrote:The JK will no doubt be good but the distances are huge and Wass doesn't get the pulses racing.
If you mean, the distances travelling to and between events, then you are talking Yorkshire, not the far north of Scotland, and, from where I sit, the longest day is barely an hour away - so you must have a different perspective on 'huge' to me.
On the other hand, enter the M21E, and you could get over 20k of superfast terrain (and not as flat as a pancake!), so maybe that's what you mean? (Is this the first JK or even Level A over 20k? Not sure about the likes of Clumber etc). And even if Wass doesn't get your pulse racing, the weekend will certainly be very varied, and Leeds Uni is a brilliant sprint venue.
Best I could find was the British Sprints, hopefully at the Olympic Park.
I do agree - very enticing!
Is it just me having a mid life crisis?
Absolutely, even if a bit early - join the club!
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awk - god
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Re: Bored with orienteering
British 97 at Clumber, 19.83km.
Amazingly, the webpage is still up!!!
http://www.noc-uk.org/BOC97/prog_ind.htm#h
Amazingly, the webpage is still up!!!
http://www.noc-uk.org/BOC97/prog_ind.htm#h
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mharky - team nopesport
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Re: Bored with orienteering
mharky wrote:British 97 at Clumber, 19.83km.
Amazingly, the webpage is still up!!!
http://www.noc-uk.org/BOC97/prog_ind.htm#h
Any results???
- Big Jon
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Re: Bored with orienteering
ifor wrote:Night O...
I totally agree - doing it at night makes the easy well known local areas into a different sort of beast!
- Big Jon
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Re: Bored with orienteering
Big Jon wrote:mharky wrote:British 97 at Clumber, 19.83km.
Amazingly, the webpage is still up!!!
http://www.noc-uk.org/BOC97/prog_ind.htm#h
Any results???
http://www.noc-uk.org/BOC97/r970517.asp
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