Sunday Sixes

[Becks]

I've filled in a lot of time on Nope today between experiments and it's all turned a bit nasty hasn't it? One of my other favourite websites does a "friday Fives" section every Friday, where the guy who runs to site poses 5 questions. To post on the thread you have to first post your fives, then you can comment freely on other people's choices. With it being end of year recap time, why don't we give it a go? For the sake of alliteration, here is a Nopesport Sunday Six...

1. What was your favourite classic O' course of the year?

2. What was your favourite urban O' course of the year?

3. What's the furthest you've travelled for the purpose of O' this year?

4. And what's the closest?

5. Where did a planner do an amazing job of polishing a turd of an area?

6. Which black hole of an area will you never be returning to after this year?


Remember - no discussion till you've posted your own six!

[Becks]

1. I might be a little biased, but W21L at Graythwaite was absolutely awesome. Brilliant route choice legs, short technical bit, and a huge variety of terrain. Really, really fun stuff.

2. Graeme Ackland's course round a housing estate I can't remember in south east Edinburgh.

3. Finland for Jukola.

4. Just round the corner for the Edinburgh Street Race.

5. I thought my W21L course on day 3 of the JK was brilliant. But my Mum certainly didn't agree that day...

6. Hmm...I have to say that until my fitness has returned (if it ever does!) I won't be rushing back to the open bit of Loch Vaa in a hurry!

[Scott]

1. My Harvester leg on Merthyr Mawr in the grey dawn light was great fun.

2. Cambridge was awesome - pretty much everything an urban race should be - although I am annoyed that I missed London.

3. The Grim North for the JK.

4. Shotover. And I'm so much happier now that I live much farther away from it.

5. M21E middle on Kyloe. Could have been awful, but the planner made good use of the grot, kept us off the paths and navigating all the way around.

6. The vast, featureless expanse of Epping, at least not until I've learnt to stick to a bearing properly.

[Tatty]

1 Good classic races were a long time ago. BOC perhaps
2 City of London. I still don't get the Barbican
3 Scottish 6 Days - 600miles from Hampshire
4 Blackwood, near Winchester
5 Caddihoe Day 1. Rock, rock everywhere - but we managed to avoid most of it. hubby was not impressed with his course though
6 Fritham if it's rained. I was too much of a wimp to cross the raging stream and had to do a 2.5kms detour

[EddieH]

1. Day 4 of Portugal O Meet in my favourite Alentejo.

2. Edinburgh - I did very few.

3. Australia but I did get 12 quality events for all the distance.

4. No event in walking distance this year - 5 miles down the road at Whiteash.

5. Tinto Twin day event comes to mind - I really enjoyed it despite the area and the weather.

6. Not sure that anywhere has been that bad - I'll not be returning to the Australian sprint champs at Benalla, at least not with an early start

[awk]

1. Day 3 of the Scottish 6-day at Tullochroisk. But not a great year for classic events (at least for me).

2. A vintage year, with 2 of the most enjoyable events I've ever been to (not just urban races): Venice sneaks in at no. 1, with London close behind. Great urban areas, but made really special by some superb planning. But there were a lot of good others too.

3. Venice again.

4. Danefield, Otley. About 3k as the crow flies (and the mountainbike rolls).

5. British Middle-Distance Champs. The area is definitely not a "turd of an area "(not sure I ran on any this year!), but previous events I've been to in that part of the world have been very ordinary. Really good planning and an appropriate format transformed the area.

6. Loch Ordie - boring slogs across horrible heather, but that was as much a planning issue as down to the area. Otherwise, nothing really - although Tentsmuir never quite lives up to expectations.

[Eeyore]

1. Moray mix Saturday at Culbin; quality terrain, excellent course well planned and relaxed atmosphere

2.Scottish Sprint Championship at Lossiemouth, again a Moravian event

3. BOC in New Forest

4. Mary Erskine CATI

5. BOC in New Forest, conversely worst use of great are was INVOC district event day after Scottish Sprints. Same first 7 controls for Green, Blue and Brown

6. Penicuik Estate, muddy grotty hole.

[Knee Deep Mud!]

1. At first I couldn't actually remember running a 'classic' event this year as I've done so few. However on thinking back I did run a few in the spring, and of these, Burnham Beeches & Egypt Woods are always a pleasure to run through.

2. London. Excellent course, excellent organisation, excellent weather. Perfect event!

3. About 150 miles for the British Sprints & Middle Distance Championships in the midlands.

4. About three miles to a summer midweek event at our local country park.

5. Haven't done any events on areas that bad (this year). Liked the planning on the british Middle Distance race, though my execution of the course and the resulting encounter with a large nettle patch wasn't so good.

6. Been selective in my racing this year, avoiding previous year's black holes, and anywhere else that might fall into this category!

[andy]

1. SOL2 @ Ardnaskie, Oban-ish, really good course/area (though not a proper 'classic' but i've only run one of them, the jk)

2. Edinburgh city race, mostly because I had a good run!

3. British Sprint/Middle

4. Mary Erskine CATI probably

5. SOL1 @ Auchingarrich, tough area with lots of grot, really enjoyed my course (apart from losing a contact lens)

6. Dalrulzion

[keever]

1. Barry Buddon - A beautiful day and good chance to stretch my legs out, fast paced but also technical.

2. FwtN #1 Edinburgh Centre - well planned.

3. British Uni's - between Oxford and London, first time I haven't been abroad in a few years.

4. Edinburgh Big weekend city race - I lived pretty much next door to the commonwealth pool.

5. Tinto Day - A lot of distance on the small area to the south, trying to stay ahead of Graeme made it more fun and challenging.

6. Craigmillar - Absolutely covered in nettles, probably didn't help that I was wearing shorts, couldn't get to sleep that night. Although it looks like I'll be going back there this weekend (might go with 2 pairs of full leg cover this time though).

[madmike]

1. Barry Buddon (even though I was rubbish)

2. London

3. Australia (so not as far as last year)

4. Big Wood (1 mile from work)

5. Benalla (Aussie Sprint Champs)

6. Nowhere cos even though I'll whinge immediately afterwards I'll get over myself eventually and I am an addict.

[seabird]

1. Ramsley Moor – only yesterday but a real gem.
2. Newcastle - didn't do many.
3. Devil’s Punchbowl 241 miles (visiting relatives on the S Coast)
4. Northcliffe 400m
5. White Rose Day 1
6. No such place.

[Mrs H]

1 I don't really do what you would call "Classsic" but the best "proper" course this year was at Bentley Wood last spring.
2 London without a doubt.
3 Perth - didn't do the O-ringen this year
4 Wyche Ridge last week - my garden is on the map.
5 Yes the White Rose
6 That first day at the S6D when all the short courses went through those terrible brashings (even tho' it was my best result of the week)

(nice thread Becks)

[brooner]

1. What was your favourite classic O' course of the year?

I don't think I've done any

2. What was your favourite urban O' course of the year?

Sheffield, as much as I enjoyed London the head to head aspect of Sheffield made it the most intense orienteering I've done for some time.

3. What's the furthest you've travelled for the purpose of O' this year?

Sheffield!

4. And what's the closest?

London City Race

5. Where did a planner do an amazing job of polishing a turd of an area?

Don't think I've been to any rubbish areas this year.

6. Which black hole of an area will you never be returning to after this year?

See above...

[harry]

1. Norwegian long distance champs Ålen (rocked it)

2. Trondheim sprint cup 2

3. US Champs Wisconsin (but was really only about 3hrs "for the puropse of O")

4. Training in Bymarka (~10 min jog away)

5. This is hard because I have not orienteering in England much .. Thought the WOC selection races were well planned. (The wording on this one was a bit strong!).

6. An NTNUI night training at the start of October, literally the worst terrain and map I've ever encountered. It was a night sprint race on a 1:15000 map from 1988. wtf!