Event 1 - 30th March 2009 - Glen Iris

Ian Davies - 25 Control Scatter Course with a Bonus Option

What a terrific start for the season! The weather conditions could not have been much better - although some noted that the humidity was perhaps a tad higher than in recent evenings. It was cool and clear - with the controls spread across a gently undulating area about 2km by 2km. The pace seemed faster than normal - possibly because people didn't have to bob down to punch controls - preferring instead to run up to or past the control and pick up the last digit as they passed by.

The idea of the event was pretty straightforward - there were 25 controls and people could do a normal score course if they wished to do so. On the other hand, there was a fixed cost bonus option - that offered 80 points if you got exactly 3 controls on every line. The faster runners clearly chose to do a normal score course - expecting (quite rightly as it turned out) that they would get more than the 80 point bonus score. Some of the slower runners that tried likewise missed out - one of particular interest was Peter Kempster...who got the 80 points, but earned them the hard way with a 4+4+4+4+4 combination - alas, all he needed was one more point to move him up 5-6 places!

Suzanne ran remarkably well this evening - it was good to see her back running and seemingly injury free at the moment. We were also joined this evening by Fiona Park from Tuckonie/Western Suburbs and Stacii Vo - please forgive me if you've joined us before...it's sometimes hard to keep track. The number of GPS units has increased this year and comparing distances run has become par for the course - it's not enough to get back first....doing the shortest course also attracts its share of kudos.

Feedback

Ian Greenwood - sorry for pestering you for directions to the event earlier this evening. I was so stressed out by the need to get there by 6:55 pm (as requested in the email you sent out), that I forgot to put a paper Melways in the car. I had the Melway map reference, but then discovered that my high-tech GPS navigation system didn't speak Melway fluently (ie not at all). I had no idea what the nearby streets were - so thanks!

By the way - if you do decide to put us all under stress by insisting on formal start times and asking us to roll up early, can you give more notice please. This will allow time for Lyn to get my stuff ready for orienteering so I can be there on time.

p.s. Please remove the IBG50 thing from the timing unit - while I'm not especially sensitive about reaching the age that we celebrated last week, I'd rather not publicise it too widely. 

Rules of Engagement

It's the start of a new season - so perhaps it's worth restating some of the guidelines for our series:

• Your job - if you are course-setter - is to entertain the group. Simple, easily explained concepts that require a modicum of walking/running are what is required. Above all, it's got to be fun.
   
• It doesn't need to be perfect - although I note that tonight's event was stunningly well done. If you have a copy of the maps DVD (with lots and lots of previous courses on it), then you can probably arm-chair set most of the course.
   
• If you are out on the course:
   
  • And the pole does not have an obvious number - put an X in that square
  • If there is no pole there - record the number from the nearest light pole - one over, across the road...be inventive!
  • There are NO light poles or power poles in sight - you're probably lost (for guidance here, please read the fine print section labelled Unconditional Guarantee - which describes in painstaking detail how we'll cover you for most conditions - up to and including nothing - and a legalese explanation of the term unconditional guarantee - ie a guarantee that is not honoured under any conditions).
  • If you lose your card - no problem, fill another one in at the finish
  • If you experience catastrophic pen failure - use the pointy bit to poke holes in the appropriate squares