I enjoyed my run around Moseley Green, despite the fight with the head high bracken and the crazy takeover by brambles. But good courses? Large parts of many courses were run along the exact same controls but backwards. Isn't this against planning regulations? There were only 9 courses, so to be so blatant in using bits backwards was a little cheeky.
Saying that, I think the course experiment thing went pretty well, although a little embarrasing to be so completely thrashed by the chaps I took on tour this year! What's the actual reason behind having these combis other than knowing the rough length of course before you enter?
Good courses at BOK Trot?
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Good courses at BOK Trot?
Will? We've got proper fire now!
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Becks - god
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Re: Good courses at BOK Trot?
Becks wrote:But good courses? Large parts of many courses were run along the exact same controls but backwards. Isn't this against planning regulations?
Also the from the last control it was neither possible to see the finish (being in the bottom of a large depression) nor was the route taped. Quite a few people were ending up too high from the finish and then having to run back into it (i.e. in the opposite direction to the white/yellow finishers).
The area being used for the courses seems to be rather small, with some of the courses being a maze of criss-crossed legs (course 4 being particularly bad). I had a reasonable run, but it seemed to take ages to get anywhere.
Becks wrote:Saying that, I think the course experiment thing went pretty well, although a little embarrasing to be so completely thrashed by the chaps I took on tour this year! What's the actual reason behind having these combis other than knowing the rough length of course before you enter?
Well the badge course combinations are those for a small badge event (as recommended in the latest sets of BOF rules, or an appendix thereof). I am assuming you are referring to course 3 (M21S/W21L/JM5L and some older male groups - M45L/M50L iirc).
Not sure what I feel about the experiment on allowing entries to any courses and then having two sets of results (same experiment as tried out at the White Rose this year) - by course and badge class. However I do feel that the questionnaire was written in such a way to encourage positive results. The way it was written encourage an answering of 'yes' to all/most of the questions, whereas all of my answers would have been better as a 'yes, but ...'.
Does anyone have the info on how to get hold of a questionnaire to return or who to send feedback to? Mine went off with my parents before I had chance to fill it in.
- Bored at work
I enjoyed my outing too - I suspect it might be a while before we see any results after a glitch with the computers tho'. I think the idea is not bad - but some courses get very congested. Mr H. took advantage of the pick your own course system by running something between his long and short course (his long course next year) and Neviile - if he hadn't had a cold. would have run up - but he could have done that anyway. I heard people mumbling about the reverse flow - it doesn't bother me much but I had a couple of controls where I was running in and out the same way - best avoided at all times but particularly when the courses are crowded. I particularly liked the turn up at the start when you're ready set up. Very embarrassed to be spotted by Distracted sliding down a muddy slope on my bum
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Mrs H. - nope godmother
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I enjoyed the courses even though with my glasses steaming up in the heavy rain, and the route crossing itself so often, I ran to the wrong control on one, nearly two, occassions.
We also need a torch to find one control. It was pitch black, particularly for the late runners once the heavens opened. If you hadn't looked at the map befor entering the black hole you would have had no idea which way to go once you had found the control.
Also a bit strange running in the reverse direction along certain vegatation boundaries to get to different controls.
Finally, I had some concerns re the mix of courses. For the first time my daughter JW5S was on the same course as Me (M45S). I thought 5.5km and 220 m climb was a bit too much for a 15 year old. Needn't have worried as she found the extra distance and climb no problem and succeded in thrashing her dad on just about every control.
Didn't notice the computer problems.
We also need a torch to find one control. It was pitch black, particularly for the late runners once the heavens opened. If you hadn't looked at the map befor entering the black hole you would have had no idea which way to go once you had found the control.
Also a bit strange running in the reverse direction along certain vegatation boundaries to get to different controls.
Finally, I had some concerns re the mix of courses. For the first time my daughter JW5S was on the same course as Me (M45S). I thought 5.5km and 220 m climb was a bit too much for a 15 year old. Needn't have worried as she found the extra distance and climb no problem and succeded in thrashing her dad on just about every control.
Didn't notice the computer problems.
- redkite
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There was a problem with the SI database, I believe similar to the problem WCH had at Ansons Bank. It might be related to recent upgrade of SI software. But it means that once the database was corrupted all runners were put in reserve and Id only by SI number. So no courses were linked to download so no mispunches declared etc.
Diets and fitness are no good if you can't read the map.
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HOCOLITE - addict
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results are actually up here, thanks to Piers Angliss and Mike Nelson spending a lot of time getting them together last night. Basically the computer came up with some sort of error message, we don't know why, but the backup files had been corrupted and the whole event files were lost. The download tent was a little chaotic to say the least and Tessa and I ended up writing peoples names down so we knew they werent still out in the forest!
The Holmes' got stuck in a traffic jam after the M5 northbound was closed and never made it to the event. Did many others get affected by this?
The Holmes' got stuck in a traffic jam after the M5 northbound was closed and never made it to the event. Did many others get affected by this?
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helen - junior moderator
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Becks wrote:Oh I wouldn't be embarrased, it was the highlight of his day!
you could've worded that a little better... - the power of [nope] gets you recognised more often now Mrs H.
course wise - the bracken seemed really restricting leading to a few track runs - there was scope for some good legs out there but there was too much undergrowth. There were a few dog-leg controls, of the in off the path, to the control, back out to the path form.
The idea that people can run a course that suits their ability is good, but inevitably will mess up the results. One of the problems lies in the fact that people running up an age group can still gain ranking points, so can be included in the results for the ranking list. I don't know if they've taken this into account on the very provisional results they've released so far. A bit time consuming working out who is/isn't eligible though.
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distracted - addict
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redkite wrote:I thought 5.5km and 220 m climb was a bit too much for a 15 year old. Needn't have worried as she found the extra distance and climb no problem and succeded in thrashing her dad on just about every control.
.
Yes, that is rather overlong for a JM5S/JW5S course; certainly not what was intended or directed at the guidelines, although as an M45S regular myself, have often found combined with the JM/JW5S classes (usually on a shorter course). Glad she found it no problem. And you should worry!! I got stuffed by my 12 year old son on Sunday on the Green at Bingley St Ives having thought I'd had a reasonable trog round (almost beaten by a W10 too - who DID beat 80% of the field). Good to see how good these juniors are getting, even if a little unnerving sometimes!
On the mix of classes on courses in the experiment - I would have thought it would have made sense to list men's and women's results separately. I know this might be regarded as the first step back towards a multitude of classes, but still makes more sense to me than mixing all together. Separate JM/JW certainly seems to work, whilst there is still plenty of cross-comparison at the results lists.
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awk - god
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The area being used for the courses seems to be rather small, with some of the courses being a maze of criss-crossed legs (course 4 being particularly bad).
I agree with the comment on course 4. You physically couldn't have fitted a longer course into a smaller area without having a second map. A 6.2km course at 1:10000 that could have comfortably fitted onto an A5 sized map.
However, that said, I thought course 4 was actually quite a nice course. I ran probably 80% without using the paths. Kept me thinking enough not to notice the abysmal weather until facing the choice of standing in the queue for download and getting hypothermia, or getting changed into something warm and more importantly dry first...
The only negative comment I have is due to one of the criss cross legs. The line from the start triangle to control 1 ran straight past the circle for control 17. Unfortunately the 7 of 17 was obscured (perfectly camoflaged by a track and car park area on the map), so in the rush of running out of the start it looked like control 1. It was only part way to the control that a more detailed look at the map made the mistake apparent, by which time the optimum route choice had been missed... All it would have taken was the 17 being moved 1 or 2 mm to the left and it would have been clear.
We also need a torch to find one control. It was pitch black, particularly for the late runners once the heavens opened. If you hadn't looked at the map befor entering the black hole you would have had no idea which way to go once you had found the control.
As one of the late starters after the heavens opened, I'd agree. First time I've ever found a control by spotting the bright flash of red light from the led on the SI unit as the person ahead of me punched!
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