Horses for courses

[awk]

Don't disagree with anything you say there Graeme, but at least all those runners could get experience in racing at the distance they finally won in. Not so much an issue of specialisation, more one of being able to build up sufficient experience and practice.

[229]

.

[andypat]

[ This year (for men) the sprint team was all but pre-selected, GG & SF also wanted middle.

Really appreciate the elites getting involved in this discussion - gives us onlookers a better persepctive of what goes through your mind. Its easy for us to forget that simply taking part in WOC is probably the pinnacle of most elite orienteers career - only a very select few will actually medal.

Your point 229 above is interesting on two counts - I know from a brief discusison with Murray that he certainly didnt consider himself nailed on for the 3rd spot in the sprint this year and felt he needed a good Nord to take it (he may have simply been being modest though as he's damn good)

Also you suggest that GG and SF wanted middle. If thats the case and their views were taken into account - presumably allowing them to "focus" on this then thats clearly a good thing. And it pretty much asnwers the question I posed at the start cheers!

[Kitch]

Now when anyone asks about PBs, it's just woulda coulda shoulda, which, frankly, is crap.

Its not crap, Its a different discipline.
Why do we have to apologise for not having PBs in athletiscs disciplines ? Why should road / track races be the defining standard ? If other people are ignorant then its their problem.
If people don't focus on being good at something then they will be good at nothing.
The more you focus the better you will be.

In the end though it is a choice for people to make:
generalist vs specialist
mediocre journeyman vs one great achievement to be proud of ?

I know what I advocate

[graeme]

I know what I advocate

With hindsight, so do I
I woulda coulda shoulda been a mediocre journeyman athlete, with a string of local race wins and sub 16/32/71 times, but trying too hard for one great achievement that never came meant I wasn't even that, and have only one of each.

What's your one great achievement?

[Kitch]

I don't have one

[Tatty]

BGR?

[AndyO]

A twist in the topic (sorry, Kitch), but do the Selectors ever contact Planners to ask for specific ingredients in courses to assist preparation for upcoming WOC or similar tours? Can they feed into long term planning for allocation of BOC, JK etc and choice of areas to suit the type of terrain that will be expected at the next WOC or JWOC? Would this help athletes if it were possible, or is terrain-specific preparation covered adequately in pre-WOC/JWOC training tours?

If there is a perceived shortage of Sprint races, or of practice for route choicey Longs or technical Middle races, could a little co-ordination between Selectors and Clubs/Planners help to maximise the opportunities - at least for home-based athletes?

[graeme]

Yup, Scotland just got allocated British "short and middle" for 2014 with a request to use "WOC-like terrain". We had some discussion with Gareth about areas for the Scottish 2012 to be appropriate for selection races.

[EddieH]

In historical answer to AndyO I once planned JWOC selection races in Lossie Forest for a JWOC in simpler Belgian dunes. I was asked not to place the controls in the most complex areas close to clear features to be more relevant for Belgium.

[AndyO]

Thanks Graeme and EddieH

[LostAgain]

I don't have one

You've reached God status on Nopesport. Lifes looking up