Come back soon for the full report - have to work this evening...so just the
highlights now:
I'm struggling to think of anything that was wrong with the course - but
we need something to make sure that David doesn't get too smug. Everybody else
has taken a beating over something (even if we had to make it up). Help me out
here....
Peter Maloney engaged Mark Besley in a philosophical discussion (never a
wise idea as many have found out...Mark is never short of strange insights and
sufficiently erudite to provide a seemingly informed opinion on most subjects)
early in the event asking Mark "What's it all about....what's the point?" Mark
pondered before answering (and if Peter had been smart he would have taken
this opportunity to make a break for it by running the other way...but too
late) - and then launched into a prolonged diatribe about the works of the
economic and moral philosopher Adam Smith and the "needs of man". "No, no"
said Peter as they passed by yet another control - "...the event, tonight's
street run what about it?" "I suppose it's about fitness, running with friends
and good company" said Mark at which point Peter gave up and decided to record
pole numbers and enquire about strategy later.
Not many people ran over the bridge to the South side of the map - but
while still deep in an inward philosophical debate with himself, Mark was one
of them. It was only as he reached controls 9 and 4 in the SE corner that he
realised that there was nowhere to go - well nowhere on the map anyway. His
solution of running off the map, along Doncaster Road and then back onto the
map to get #12 was hotly debated after the event and we agreed that the action
was probably justified for a number of reasons:
The area wasn't printed in grey, so it's not private property
The map could have been cropped inadvertently during the photocopying
operation. Mark gave a long explanation of the technology used in
photocopiers and how easily this such a device could be misaligned by an
Economics Lecturer - and that David had probably planned to print that area
but had missed it inadvertently. Assuming that no sane person would go that
way and not wanting to waste paper he left it as it was. Simple!
The final theory put forward was that there was nothing actually wrong
with the map - it was just printed on the wrong size of paper. Everybody
present agreed that if the map had been printed on A3, then Mark's route
choice would certainly have been there. So we left it at that.
Jun Okabe was seen running over the bridge only 1-2 minutes before time
was up. The magnificent score of 95 took quite a beating when we deducted the
48 penalty points. Ouch!!
Ian Greenwood was approached for a report...but refused to comment...as he
objected to the computer calling him Tubby Greenwood (an observation of recent
lunch with him where he ate two of the largest serves of chocolate mousse that
I've ever seen. Two mousse Greenwood (variation on Thomas?) was later heard to
comment "I did my 11.1km but got back nearly two minutes late. Made a critical
error at 24, went to 7 then 15-22-19-21-home. Should have left out 7 (the
extra distance was 650m) and got back on time with a net 3 point higher score.
My GPS route is attached - looks awesome on Google! A very good course tonight
with nice variety through the middle and some tempting controls over the
freeway.
Marta's feedback...."Noting your discussion
about Mark's route choice, I should also mention that Bruce and I ran off the
OTHER side of the map, near #8, crossing the freeway and running back along
the freeway reserve to get to the southern side. It was rather a long way...
After 15 minutes, we had picked up about 2 controls! It was even more
disconcerting to see Suzanne and assorted Panter children reaching #14 at
about the same time as we did, but with at least one high pointer safely under
their belt - all we had to show for our troubles was one 3-pointer!"
