Nillumbik Emus Orienteering Club  StreetO Training Nights - Results

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Where's the other half of my map?

For a moment there I thought it was going to be a really short event....and then Adam mentioned that there was a second map behind the bench at the coloured circle... way out on the Western side of the map. As we studied the maps while Adam ran inside to print more, Barry Giles mentioned to me that 6, 17, 23 . . .and then 4, 16 etc would be a good way to go and this seemed likely if the missing portion of the map was at the Northern end. By doing 16, 19, 10, 13 and then the hidden map it was very likely that one would have to run back past 8/1/22/12 later in the event. As it turned out, I lost my nerve and just ran with the pack...across to #1, up the hill to #22, then 12/8 etc...but can someone with a recent electronic Melways check out what 23-4-16 etc and later 3-8-1-22-12 on the way back does to the course lengths.

Georgie the dog entertained everybody (except Bryan) this evening - by stopping and sitting down every 100m or so. Very cute...and well worth the 3 dog biscuits we promised her to do this...payment next week.

It was a superb night for a run - and I was stunned as to how many turned up. While we endeavour to keep the events reasonably central (ie near my place), it's only fair that we stretch out every now and then and visit the "nether regions" (although I'm unsure if this describes a suburb or a body part...). Adam seemed to fall into an OCAD trap - where colours that appear very distinct on a colour map (ie purple control circles and numbers) come out grey when printed in black and white. Ian (did you see my score last Saturday) Greenwood had left his dog and white cane at home and kept shouting "what are you all stopping for" and "was that a control back there" and "Hey...it was a control...what number was it?". This provided such good entertainment for the group that the first 6-8 runners stuck together for the first 3-4 Km to listen to the witty banter.

All that is except for David Blom - a football umpire trying to keep fit during the off-season, hurtled off in the distance only to appear 500-800m down the road checking out each street light on the off-chance that that's the one he needed. It was suggested that he had carried over several footy techniques into street-O and recognising that there was no send-off rule in our sport either, was seen several times deliberately shepherding light poles thereby preventing other runners from getting close enough to record the number. It's also suggested that at a later control-site he was seen shaking the light-pole as other runners tried to record the number. If people think it serious enough they can of course raise the matter with the Park-Street committee who will "time-box" the discussion, decide it's all too hard without supporting evidence from sideline umpires and video evidence and then carry-over the item to be discussed at a future meeting - an administrative ground-hog day experience if you get the idea. Either way, keep shepherding David - you're in no danger of suspension - and this is probably the only way the rest of us are going to have any chance of keeping up with you (although I will note that shepherding in the Eastern Series - with 250 runners - could be life threatening if you did it at the first 1 or two controls...so please be careful).

Stop Press - I just saw Adam's comment on the bottom of my mini-map. I'm not sure if it was a typo or not, but it was funny. The late penalties were particularly severe this week...."Lose 3 fingers per minute late".....that means Keith loses 8 x 3 = 24....

Comments from Participants

Ian Greenwood's - Tonight's run was very enjoyable for those who ventured out that far! It was very social for the first half, then very serious for the second! A good concept in a difficult area to set a course. Can you please tell everybody about the event this Saturday - for those of us not going to the Bush Championships.

Warm-up event for the Summer Saturday Training O (commences 27 October). Saturday 20 October, 10am, Car Park at corner of Mt Dandenong Rd and Civic Square, Croydon, Melway 50 K4. A 25 control, 100 point score event (60min runners, 65 minutes walkers) followed by morning coffee at the world famous Arndale Cafe (in shops next to Safeway). The course is set on the map that covers Eastfield Park and definitely NOT the area up the big hill over the train line!

Results