Category: Orienteering

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Event Report – Jan Kjellström Orienteering Festival

The Jan Kjellström International Orienteering Festival is held each Easter weekend in a different region of the UK. This year the North East hosted the event, which consists of a sprint on the Friday, two classic distance races over the weekend and a relay on Easter Monday.

As Cath’s sister lives just outside Newcastle, we thought we would combine the orienteering with a family holiday in the NE, so we decided to run in the sprint and relay, & give the classic races a miss.

The sprints were staged in and around the University and Civic Centre in Newcastle. There was a good atmosphere with commentary and and good visible run in. Although I have used sprint specification maps a couple of times before, this was was first taste of a proper sprint race. It definitely lived up to expectations being exciting and requiring intense concentration for the whole race. With legs as short as 17 secs and only 6 legs taking more than 1 minute, the 24 controls flew by and I managed to keep in ‘the zone’ and only made one small error, running the wrong way round a planter, perhaps losing 4 or 5 secs.

The sportident wireless results service kept me hanging for 2 hours as I slipped to 3rd, and then the last finisher of the course pushed me off the podium to 4th on M35. I was very pleased with the result, especially to just pip fellow MTBOer Liam Corner by 14 secs 🙂

After two days sampling the tourist delights of Newcastle and the coast to the north it was time for the JK relays. Other than a problem with the bussing, the event was first class, again with an excellent atmosphere. Walton Chasers teams entered two Mens Short relay teams, with selection for the two teams only being done the night before. Luckily I was put out first in the A team (perhaps my fresh legs after two days just doing a little cycling giving me edge on the others). Lining up in a field of 53 teams for the mass start there was lots of banter, and then on the horn we all sprinted for the gate out into the forest. I had a wobble on the way to the first control ,not seeing a track on the map out from the gate, dropping about 20-30 secs on the main pack, but with good control flow I managed to haul them back in and fight my way towards the front of it by the time a gaffle split us ready for the turn for home. I dropped 3 or 4 places on the final tough climb up to the finish field but handing over to Adam I knew we were not too far behind being in about 11th or so as the main pack streamed through. My result for the leg shows up 13th as I had a ‘little rest’ after handing over, before punching the finish box.

Adam had a stonking run putting down the fastest time for the middle leg before handing over to Rob Little in 3rd place. Rob’s solid performance (fastest on his gaffle!) brought us up one place to silver but not quite close enough to the leader. We knew that if it came to a sprint finish there is no-one that could stay with him up the run in.
Elsewhere the vet women also bagged a silver so it was a good day out for Walton Chasers.

Full results available here.

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Event Report – Hendesford Camp District Event – (Foot O)

I was very tired on the Sunday following organising theTrailquest, but was determined to get a run on an area that although I know well I had never competed on. The day started with bright sunshine and a stiff wind, the later making life uncomfortable at sportident download which I had to set up before racing.
The map I knew was A3, 1:10,000 which was a bit of a tablecloth to carry and fold. I think we should have offered a 1:15,000 option on the Brown and Blue, something to think about for the next event.
As I walked to the start I wondered if I should have put on another layer, as I was just wearing a thin club short sleeve racing top, but decided I would soon warm up once I got started.
The course was good, with lots of turning and varying leg lengths, including one huge leg straight across the area. I made a couple of daft route choice errors towards the end of the course which lost me a couple of minutes but kept up the effort till the end, however with 5 controls to go the wind picked up, the sky went dark and it started to snow / hail. Even running hard I became extremely cold and wished that I had put that extra layer on and probably would have retired if I had been near the beginning of the course.
I finished and found a download tent in crisis as the main server had failed. It was entirely my fault as I had forgotten to plug it in to the power 🙁 Adrenaline took over and I got everything working again (thank goodness Autodownload uses a proper database so no results were lost) however I got even colder in the process and started shivering uncontrollably. I ended up in the car for the next 1/2 hour heaters on full trying to warm up. Lesson for the future listen to the weather forecast.
I was pleased with the result and for the first hour I was running well, although I spotted from routegadget that I lost quite a bit of time on #11 and #13 with my daft route choices. Results and Routegadget available here…

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Busy Weekend !

The last couple of weeks have seen me busily preparing for the National League Trailquest I organised this weekend. The specialist 1:30 thousand map of the Chase, originally developed by Peel Land Surveys needed extending into some new areas and lots of updating as the foresters have been busy doing what they do best: making lots of mess!

We had a major setback with our club laser printer on Friday whilst printing maps. A huge yellow stripe appeared on everything, so we made a decision to dive up to Altrincham to pick up the new laser we are purchasing off my employer. Unfortunately, this put me really behind with my control putting out. Holly and Cath kindly put out a few controls for me (Holly on her new Isla Bike, telling me the next day she pulled her first air on a rooty section), as did Neil (putting out controls, not pulling air), but this help still left me with 21 to put out. I ended up buying a weedy torch from a garage and took till 10pm to get them all into the forest.

Maps printed, everything in the car & it was a late night. Next morning I was at the Pine Cafe bright and early, the photographer was sorted, and competitors rolled up and started at minute intervals on their 3 or 2 hour challenge. I knew that we had 3 or 4 uber-fit individuals riding so designed the course as perhaps just clearable in good weather for the very best of them, however when the Whyte works rider Steve Heading turned up on a bike having ridden from home I realised it was unlikely he would do it. Steve is not really local, he lives in Matlock, and he rode home afterwards on a fully suspended knobbly tyred mountain bike: at least 45 miles each way plus the event – huge respect due!

The day was spoilt somewhat by one of the controls being vandalised and a couple of the older sportident boxes (used in case they went walkies) failing to register, but everyone seemed happy and I had some kind comments about the planning.  Controls in (thanks to those who helped), Cath had to put up with me & Jimmy Taylor (Whyte rider) talking bikes and geeky tech toys whilst we ate our well deserved curry before loading up the car ready to run the timing at Sundays foot orienteering event.

I managed to get a brown course run on Sunday (see event report) after setting up download, though returned to find I had forgotten to plug in the power for the server laptop, which had caused a few issues – whoops – but sorting it out got me so cold I had to sit shivering in Cath’s car for 30 mins until I warmed up enough to be a useful help again.

So overall a great weekend, and very rewarding to see people enjooying the fruits of the past few weeks work, but now I’m a little tired – early night tonight!

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Event Report – Dark & White #6 – Bakewell

An early start for me today as I had to be back to supervise fourteen six year olds at Holly’s birthday swim party this afternoon (more tiring than a 3hr trailquest I think). Bakewell was very quiet for this tourist hot spot at 9.15 as I set off on the 3 hour score.  The map looked to cover a large area so knew I would be missing out a few and decided a downhill finish would be good, as would getting the big climbs out of the way early on.

I made a silly mistake at the start not noticing a road route to #4 losing me a couple of minutes but I made the larger error of climbing to # 8 and then trying to get #11 and #12 before getting into the area with the bulk of the controls. Evening binning #15 I knew I was going to be very late.

Im not sure why I went up to #8 as it is always a mud bath up there and I have avoided it in the past. I also know from experience the steepness of the climbs around Birchover which should have set alarm bells ringing. I think it must be that I am trying not to let past experiences when I was not so fit cloud my views on potential route choices, however this time I should have listened to the demons.

Committed to my route I had little option but to continue or come back early with a low score and ended up just over 13 mins late back and even made a silly mistake in Bakewell, flustered on the way in. (you haemorrhage points in lateness penalties once over 10 mins)
Looking at the distance covered I think if I had left #8 I would have had time to get #15 and probably not been late as it took me 25 mins to bag.
So down in 10th place, not a good result but taking positives it was a glourious day in loveley Peak District scenery and I feel pleased with the ride covering a good distance and climb in the time, even if I could have got the same points with less effort and not been late back 🙁
Stats – 60.5km – 1400m climb – 3hours 13mins
Results available here…

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Event Report – National Trailquest League #1

Endurance Life Coastal Trailquest – South Devon

South West based commercial organisation Endurance Life have been organising Trailquests for less than a year having made their reputation in organising adventure races and off road trail runs. Finding the £35 entry a little on the steep side, I had not yet competed in one of their 5 hour Trailquests, however the lure of the national trailquest league pulled me down to Torcross (the site of the tragic American WW2 ill-fated excercise tiger) for the weekend.

The first challenge after spending the night at my parents in Taunton was navigating through the dense network of narrow lanes on the way to the event by car on my own, a taste of things to come perhaps. Arriving a little behind schedule and slightly flustered I was a little miffed that they were giving out the full competition map and points values at registration, contrary to what was indicated on their event details. Although this seems a slightly odd picky complaint it allows those travelling short distances or prepared to get up at the crack of dawn the chance to totally prepare their route before they start, taking away much of the skill involved in route planning on the course. The map was 1:50 thousand OS, which does not have the fence/hedge lines of its 1:25 thousand cousin.  I have often seen competitors at other events busily scribbling on their competition maps using the 1:25 to add the extra detail with which to help navigation on potentially tricky routes. With the launch of the iphone and google earth it is also possible to get a quick look-see at all the control sites before you start, all in the comfort of the car.

Otherwise, the organisation was very slick and it was good to see them checking that all the novices knew exactly what they were or weren’t allowed to ride on, the map was clear and waterproof and the controls mostly well placed and described with lots of route choice options. Sportident timing was of course also used.

The event area was simply stunning, not a huge amount of off road but the intricate network of very narrow lanes hemmed in by huge earth banks was extremely challenging to navigate through accurately and safely at speed. Of course, there was also a hideous number of short steep climbs, particularly if you got it wrong.
During my pre event route planning I had decided on a clockwise route, hopefully avoiding any westerly head winds on the higher slopes, and leaving me with a loop to miss at the end if things went pear-shaped but I went out intending to try and clear the course. I immediately thought I had forgotten spring was on its way getting completely overheated on the first climb in my winter boots, bib tights and fleece but there was a stiff breeze on the cliffs which made me glad of the protection later on.

The views from the headlands down to the crashing sea 120 metres below were fantastic, well they were fantastic till you realised you had to get down there pick up a control and perhaps climb back out again, we even had a control on a waterfall pooring out onto the yellow sandy beach, although the lack of any map detail at this point had many hunting around like headless chickens.

Later in the course we had a route choice which included a ‘green lane’ that used a set of stepping stones only accessible at low tide accross a creek in the estuary, again simply stunning scenery.

Although I was going well, my legs started to get very tired after 4 hours in the saddle, my only stop being to wash some particularly sticky red mud from the bike outside some public toilets in Portlemouth using my water bottle as a high pressure hose! Then riding inland the climbs got longer and more undulating and I had to resort to pushing or carrying several times as I fought of cramps after I ran out of liquid.

A mistake in finding a track down to a carpark at the northern end of Slapton Sands lost me about 7 mins and I knew then I was on a mission to try and get back within the 5 hour limit and would have to miss out 1 control on the way in. The ‘sprint’ along the 4km straight road that atops the shingle bank that forms Slapton Ley and subsequent climb backover to Beesands was covered in a painful blur but I managed to end up only being 4.01 mins late, pushing me into 2nd place by 3 mins, as both myself and the winner gained the same number of points.

I visited some really idyllic rural locations, far away from the tourist beaten areas one normally finds in Devon and Cornwall, with chickens racing across the roads from small holdings unchanged for many years.
I will definitely be returning with the family to enjoy the beautiful vistas and atmosphere of this little known unspoilt corner of South Devon, but at a slightly more leisurely pace.

Stats : 5 hours 4 mins, 71.5km, 2000metres climb
Full results available here.

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Event Report – Lickey Hills Orienteering Event (running)

My original intention had been to race a Dark and White Trailquest this Sunday (canceled due to snow), but thought that rather than 3 hours out in the cold on the road bike some technical training might be a good idea, hence the short trip down the M5 to Bromsgrove with the family.

Unlike most West Midland Orienteers I don’t know the Lickey Hills at all but was pleasantly surprised by this little wood, with lots of variation of terrain and lots of climb. The planner was from BUOC (Birmingham University) and I felt given the restrictions of the area she did a good job, however the map particularly the vegetation really needs some updating and is inconsistent.

I had a clean run with many fastest splits but my major mistake came at #12 when I came upon the top of a steep bank which I could just not find on the map anywhere, and wondered if I had really lost the plot. After following my mantra of ‘get out get back in again’ after a mistake, I came in again upon the same place, then noticing the bank marked under an out of bounds area, surrounded by a fence (which was missing on the ground) I quickly found the control –  3 mins lost….

I was fairly happy with the result of 7th particularly against some good competition but frustrated with my error, although the splits show that it is really my running speed on the hills that is losing me time.
Results here

Mark Stodgell (stodge)
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A Crash Course on Sportident for COBOC…..

UK orienteering clubs use 2 types of electronic punching and timing systems, Sportident and Emit, with Sportident holding the major share. I have been involved with Sportident systems and kit since 2000 when it was first introduced into the UK. Originally my involvement was just with Chasers, but I have also worked for Sportident UK as an event consultant for several years.

Since 2006 several of the smaller West Midlands Orienteering clubs have taken the plunge and invested in their own kit, rather than hiring as they did before. I have therefore been helping Wrekin Orienteers, Potteries Orienteering Club and now City of Birmingham Orienteering Club to get their skills up to scratch to enable them to run events on their own.

So Saturday morning saw me knocking on the Stamp family door at 8.30am (waking them up) trying to retrieve my mobile phone which had the details of where I was supposed to be that morning, having left it at the club dinner the night before (sorry Iain!). I had decided to combine the trip down to Sutton Coldfield with a training ride, so off I went. It was a fairly pleasant ride…until I had a coming together with a car which came straight over a crossroads into my path with no time to take avoiding action.

My GPS plot afterwards showed I was doing 25kph at the time, and the car was accelerating across the main road along which I was travelling. I managed to turn slightly and crashed into her wing mirror and passenger door managing to lean onto her mirror as she slowed and took me round the corner into the side road, before I fell off onto the pavement. I was a little shaken but there was no damage to myself or the bike. A couple of other motorists stopped and ran to help, which was extremely kind, as were their offers to drive me home. The lady was very apologetic, almost in tears, saying she just had not seen me. I didn’t get stroppy or anything, there is just no point, she will be more careful next time so we all went our separate ways. I have posted a little diagram for those that need the full facts 😉

So a little late I arrived at Sutton Parks Outdoor Ed Centre and spent the day bringing a good turnout of COBOC members up to speed with the Sportident hardware and then Autodownload, the event software. After a lengthy explanation of the various components and some classroom practice they put out a small course and ran round deliberately making mistakes so we could practice using all aspects of the software, whilst I stayed in the warm drinking tea and trying to resist the enormous box of biscuits. Back from their run around we downloaded all the Si Cards and practiced the safety checks, query resolution and getting results out ready for the Internet. Job done it was time to get back into smelly cycle gear and ride home without sitting on the floor again.

Mark Stodgell ( stodge )
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After Dinner Speaking !

After the first choice of a local football manager fell through, I became the guest speaker at my orienteering clubs annual dinner and prize giving evening. Invited to talk about my experiences in Lithuania last September, I thought the easiest way was to hit the PowerPoint and show them a few photos & video clips to keep them entertained while I talked.
I started by giving a bit of an explanation about MTBO, Trailquests and a bit of history before getting into the trip to the European Champs. They seemed genuinely interested, and I don’t think I lost anyone to the land of nod, which I was happy with!
I finished with two stories which I will also share on here:

On the way to the sprint event we got stopped for speeding. I’m still not sure what speed we should have been doing as there were very few signs, however the policeman who stopped us seemed to be booking me for doing 83 in a 70 zone. His face, when he realised I was a Brit driving a Latvian car in Lithuania, was a picture. As we were at an event all day I had left all my papers back at the flat so had to pass off my Youth Hostel Association card as my driving license, which, incredibly, worked. He even wrote down the number! Continuing my luck, I then succeeded in negotiating the fine down to about £30, though I’m not sure it ever made it to the Lithuanian Police’s bank accounts. Suffice to say we all drove a little more conservatively for the rest of the week, and we heard of several other teams getting booked, too.

Staying in the same complex as us was the Swiss team. Being very keen, one of them went out one evening for a run. Unfortunately he ended up running into Russia (the border was only about 3km distant) by mistake and got picked up by the border guards. Cutting a long story short it ended with one of his team mates bringing his passport to the border and an exchange took place…..

So my story telling over, it was time to present the trophies, shake lots of hands and kiss a few cheeks!