Great fun today.
43 controls in 7.1k, so plenty of opportunities for getting on the wrong side of the wall or fence (#16 and #31 for me).
Wonder what the tourists in the castle made of it all?
Thanks to all of the organisers.
Warwick today
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Re: Warwick today
Indeed, great event today, but my God my brain hurt by the end I also cocked up 16, but if I'd read the control descriptions I would have got it right. I got 31 OK, but was the wrong side of the wall for 25 instead.
The map was great, the organisation great, great planning, really enjoyed my run despite my errors. My only suggestion for improvement, and I know I won't be the only one, separate control descriptions would have been nice. None of us like having to keep unfolding the map to check them, especially with such complex twisting and turning. I ended up not checking them most of the time, which is a dangerous tactic and cost me a couple of mistakes, but if I'd checked for every control I would have lost even more time over 43 controls.
But this isn't a moan, it was brilliant. Making so much out of the castle was a masterstroke, but I hope I never see another moat again Nice to have several sections in parks too, which meant changing technique many times, a great day
The map was great, the organisation great, great planning, really enjoyed my run despite my errors. My only suggestion for improvement, and I know I won't be the only one, separate control descriptions would have been nice. None of us like having to keep unfolding the map to check them, especially with such complex twisting and turning. I ended up not checking them most of the time, which is a dangerous tactic and cost me a couple of mistakes, but if I'd checked for every control I would have lost even more time over 43 controls.
But this isn't a moan, it was brilliant. Making so much out of the castle was a masterstroke, but I hope I never see another moat again Nice to have several sections in parks too, which meant changing technique many times, a great day
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johnloguk - green
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Re: Warwick today
I'm guessing that your #25 was my #31.
- mikey
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Re: Warwick today
Absolutely brilliant event. Thank you OD, and thank you Ian for the fiendish course. As John says, my brain hurt! I gather a few people landed up on the top of the castle walls!
Pretty clean run, except for a 90 degree error out of 12 that cost me around a minute (ouch!) and going into the wrong cave to start! The route to 10 was tortuous to say the least! Also lost over a minute with my Emit card failing to register at controls and having to go back several times when the scrolling bars failed to appear. Only way I could get it to work was to get it in the slot and leave it there for 1-2 seconds - very awkward in a few places. After previous experiences of Emit I had grown to like it, but this brought back all the doubts. Dying battery was the most likely reason apparently.
But that was nothing to do with the quality of event. Definitely one of the best this year.
I wonder what all the tourists in the castle made of us? Great exposure!
BTW, I was quite happy with the control descriptions only on the map - and don't think I lost any time in reading them, which proved essential. It's the same for all, and has to be easier for the organising team.
Pretty clean run, except for a 90 degree error out of 12 that cost me around a minute (ouch!) and going into the wrong cave to start! The route to 10 was tortuous to say the least! Also lost over a minute with my Emit card failing to register at controls and having to go back several times when the scrolling bars failed to appear. Only way I could get it to work was to get it in the slot and leave it there for 1-2 seconds - very awkward in a few places. After previous experiences of Emit I had grown to like it, but this brought back all the doubts. Dying battery was the most likely reason apparently.
But that was nothing to do with the quality of event. Definitely one of the best this year.
I wonder what all the tourists in the castle made of us? Great exposure!
BTW, I was quite happy with the control descriptions only on the map - and don't think I lost any time in reading them, which proved essential. It's the same for all, and has to be easier for the organising team.
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awk - god
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Re: Warwick today
I spoke to quite a few castle visitors whilst taking photos. They were interested and enjoyed the extra entertainment, particularly the competitors climbing in and out of the moats.
I will post some of the photos when my ISP relents and lets me upload them at http://www.pgopage.btinternet.co.uk
Peter
I will post some of the photos when my ISP relents and lets me upload them at http://www.pgopage.btinternet.co.uk
Peter
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Re: Warwick today
the view was very nice from the top of the castle tower especially of the control 40ft below I enjoyed it even with a mis-punch at the penultimate control at the cafe (as I didn't check the code because it was on the map )
Never mind I will try to put everything I have learned into practise at Oxford
Why didn't more of you picnic - we had a very nice HOC social by the assembly
Never mind I will try to put everything I have learned into practise at Oxford
Why didn't more of you picnic - we had a very nice HOC social by the assembly
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Mrs H - god
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Re: Warwick today
Agreed, the castle section was amazing. Climbing in and out of that moat was a killer. There was some confusion over crossing the main green in the castle - an actress in historical garb was telling racers off for crossing it, even though I believe it was allowed despite the signs, per the final details. I ended up accidently climbing up onto the battlements not once but twice.
I hope we continue to get access to the castle for future Warwick races, it really was something special. I also enjoyed the "traps" in some of the other sections (e.g. #16) that are a feature of these kinds of events.
I hope we continue to get access to the castle for future Warwick races, it really was something special. I also enjoyed the "traps" in some of the other sections (e.g. #16) that are a feature of these kinds of events.
Stop talking, start running.
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Angry Haggis - blue
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Re: Warwick today
Fantastic event, town layout really suited to it, lots of variety in terrain, top-notch planning making you think all the way round, had to keep the eyes open and alert to pick out the small alleys and cut-throughs that were so easy to miss. Was surprised when I saw 43 controls for men's long in the details but after today I can see why! And by the looks of the map, there are areas we didn't get into and hopefully plenty more scope for future races there (dare I say it, with or without access to the castle) - hope it becomes a regular fixture.
As this past year has shown, with Oxford, Lincoln, Glasgow, Kingussie and now Warwick added to the relatively long-running York event, there are plenty of towns out there perfectly suited to this kind of event. My request (and I hope many others agree) is for more of these great urban events - I'm sure every club must have at least one town in there area that will work as a host for this type of race.
Once again, many thanks to all those involved in the organisation and planning!
As this past year has shown, with Oxford, Lincoln, Glasgow, Kingussie and now Warwick added to the relatively long-running York event, there are plenty of towns out there perfectly suited to this kind of event. My request (and I hope many others agree) is for more of these great urban events - I'm sure every club must have at least one town in there area that will work as a host for this type of race.
Once again, many thanks to all those involved in the organisation and planning!
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distracted - addict
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Re: Warwick today
mikey wrote:I'm guessing that your #25 was my #31.
My 25 was control 120, wall inside east corner. I looked inside the castle first (which would have been west inside corner), then was momentarily convinced that it must be on the battlements. Even when I did check my descriptions and worked out where it was I still ran out the wrong castle gate in my haste
Today has set a precedence, so the rest of us with castles might have to make even more use of them in future. How about a "Castles Ultra-Sprint Series"?
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johnloguk - green
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Re: Warwick today
Mrs H wrote:Why didn't more of you picnic
...because we were at the café.
I know a few people had trouble with 109 (my no. 27). I went to the correct place, round the outside of the castle wall, but I was seriously doubting my recall of the new IOF description for 'paved area' -- surely the only paved area that's inside the circle is the one that we'd already had described as 'path junction', inside the wall, at 112 (no. 24)? Or (have just thought) perhaps the floor of the closed gateway (= tunnel) that I glimpsed beyond the flag was paved, but not mapped as such because it was under the castle wall? Anyway, I was mightily relieved to see the flag.
If a control is on a mapped feature (as it must be) and if the description accurately describes what you see when you get to the circle, does it matter that the feature in the description doesn't match what's on the map? I'd say it does, because you use the description to identify the spot on the map that you've got to reach.
This also applies to 113, mapped as steps and accurately described as 'cave S end' (i.e. far end... it was a bit dark in there ). I didn't lose any time here so perhaps this was obvious and therefore OK, and it certainly added to the interest of the course, but it struck an odd note.
I gather too that the multi-storey car park monster claimed another victim. (Hands up -- as controller of the Oxford race last year, I failed to spot a potential problem when the passable route from car park to shopping centre was actually in the bridge above the competitors' heads... while at street level there was an attractive but dead-end loading-bay!) In the Warwick car park, what looked like a nice diagonal route through a rectangular 'passable building' area actually had lots of impassable internal walls, with (I gather) the desired exit being on a different level to the natural entrance.
These three-dimensional problems are really thorny. I did veto one problem area at Oxford, but I think that the answer is to imagine approaching and leaving the area from all possible directions; if the map is ambiguous in any way then either it needs modifying (map the car park as impassable or OOB perhaps?) or the courses should steer well clear.
Having said all that, I thoroughly enjoyed my race. And to to the uncomplaining castle tourist who hadn't seen me coming after all: sorry for invading your personal space. I'd been running hard for 40 minutes; hope that I didn't drip any sweat onto your guidebook.
Thanks to everybody involved.
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Roger - diehard
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Re: Warwick today
Results available at http://www.octavian-droobers.org/result ... /index.htm
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distracted - addict
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Re: Warwick today
Awesome event! Thanks to absolutely everyone involved in any way. I learned the hard lesson about 'inside the wall, outside the wall' at Lincoln and so was relieved to head out through the gate and see my control up above the moat, saw several people heading up the tower and for once ran my own race. I did mess up at the penultimate control down the side of the cafe though, standing for some time at the corner of the carpark convincing myself it had been taken away, before spotting it hiding below the hedge further back.
Muddy two shoes
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Wendles - diehard
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Re: Warwick today
agree with everything said. fab event
thanks OD
thanks OD
- Jenny E
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Re: Warwick today
Totall agree with it being a fantastic event! I was another who took the 'obvious' route to 16 (154) only to be on the wrong side of the fence. I tried sneakily to pass my emit card through, but then dropped it out of reach and had to go all the way round! I then met the friendly house owner ('we gave permission to site it there') who was very intrigued by my beaviour and thought leaving the emit card at the control was part of the game! It occured to me that to stop people like me trying to do that in future, a board or sheet could be placed behind the control so as to effectively make the fence 'solid'.
I'm surprised at those who missed 25 (120), since it was visible when entering the castle en route to 23!
I'm surprised at those who missed 25 (120), since it was visible when entering the castle en route to 23!
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Re: Warwick today
Re. control descriptions, I can understand why there were'nt available separately, but I find with these urban races, it's more important to know what's in column G than anything else, since that oftens tells us which side of a uncrossable feature we should be on. Perhaps we could have loose 'edited' descriptions, ie without column B! Or go on a 'how to improve your memory' course!
- drobin
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