SSS02 - Kahibah
 leepback | Posted: 29 October 2009, 10:19 AM [NZ Time] 
Kahibah - Event2
My 6:20 pm start time is an ‘elite’ group that consists of myself, Ian Dempsey and the mercurial and as usual superbly attired Russell Blatchford. Nervous tension fills the air. Map handout time and I’m talking so lose a few vital seconds. I then struggle to get my map in the bag, another 5-10 seconds expire. Finally I start planning. Crap…it’s a big map and the course is quite expansive.
Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beeeeeeeeeeeep. We’re off! Well let's rephrase that, Russell and Ian are. My newish $400 Garmin watch has failed to commence and I proceed a mere few metres as I try and fathom out the problem (I might read the manual one day). Earlier I had switched the GPS on, gone into “Training” mode, watched as it acquired satellites and then waited for that sixth beep. That’s where my day started going wrong, that is if you don’t count all the red lights and excessive traffic I caught getting here.
When I pressed the start button the Garmin just bleeped and displayed the word “TIME” on it’s screen. WTF? Press it again same result. I moved a few steps further on, confused and disappointed as my two fellow starters move ever increasingly away from me along my and now obviously apparent their predetermined initial routes.
I switch back to standard time display and then back again to training. Finally it seems to be working but I figure I’ve lost nearly a minute and will have to remember to add it to my calculations along the way. Ian is now at least 100m ahead of me and Russell is even further in the distance.
First control 1T. I read the wrong clue and lose more time, frustration starting to develop. Next up 3G and Ian is having trouble. I’ve heard this might be a problem and advise him not to waste too much time. He goes on and I stop to indicate on my clue sheet that I have been here and once again give him his 100m advantage. This has just as much to do with wanting to rest already as it has to do with fair play.
From here on it’s plain sailing but I do struggle as I continually swap from clue sheet to map and back again as they are as usual back to back. I decide I will get to 3B then make a run for home. It’s hiily and I struggle and when I finally get to the tower the numbers seem all wrong. It’s one number out but in my fatigue riddled brain I have not read the map correctly and have pulled up short at the first tower and haven’t gone to the correct one. A costly mistake as I really needed these three points.
The rest is a hazy blur, induced by lack of fitness rather than any visual impairments generated by pure speed, as I head home as quick as possible. It’s a forlorn hope as I calculate the distance versus time remaining sums and realise I need the speed of Usain Bolt to go close.
I’m sprinting now with only a few hundred to go and Russell Blatchford flies past me. Fortunately I’m sucked along in his draught as another 2 seconds would have seen me lose another penalty point and I’ve already lost 3.
Geoff Todkill try’s to ping me for an extra penalty anyway by adding another minute to my time but I’m a wake up to his tactics. He claims it was an honest mistake, but I’ve noted it.
My final score is a meagre 22 points (25-3) in 47:58.
The Garmin suggests 7.2 km so that’s a paltry 3.06 points/km or alternately 327 metres per point. I’d be interested in what other peoples points to km ratios were.
Instead of listing my route here I have drawn it in Routegadget and urge others to go there have a look and do likewise. It’s great to “see” where everybody went and the choices they made. Very enlightening.
Thanks to Steven and the other Todkills for the courses, although I made a complete balls up of it. Hopefully this is one of mine that wont count in my final pointscore.
This message was edited by leepback on 29 October 2009, 6:41 PM |
| Mess Engineer | Posted: 29 October 2009, 10:53 AM [NZ Time]
A challenging run where realised at the start time management and not overextending myself out too far was going to be of prime importance. This was reflected in 63/109 (57.8%) of competitors coming back late compared to last weeks 17/99 (17.2%). I could easily have been one of them and started turning back at 2F 25 minutes in.
Thanks Steve for the day. Also thanks to the amazing efforts from others in getting routegadget and the results up overnight!
My route 1R-3F-2J-2K-3D-2H-1H-2F-2G-1L-2N-3E-1Q for 25 Points in 44:37. I note multiple people already in routegadget! Came home thinking I had gone terribly but was happily surprised with my relative standing. Read wrong clue for 2J and wasted time. Found tracks confusing 1L to 2N so came out at Southern Road T Intersection to check where I was. Thought about 1T upon return but bailed on way back. Although I managed I learnt Bush tracks (without a compass) on Street Events made me very uncertain I was heading the right way and in judging distance.
Looking forward to new map (although Kahibah was new to me as well) next week. |
| Mess Engineer | Posted: 29 October 2009, 9:19 PM [NZ Time]
To answer your question re "points to km" Leepback (despite the fact I don't have a fancy watch as yet) my 25 points required 7.0 km according to http://www.geodistance.com/?id=42863.
So given the inaccuracy of my "straight line" geodistance approximation we probably covered identical distances for identical points (excluding penalties).
Also I was wondering how you and Russell get text additions (+21 sec etc) to your routegadget lines. Not explained in "Help" but was this covered off in a prior Maptalk ... I will have to read back and check ? SORRY DIDN'T LOOK HARD ENOUGH ... THATS WHAT THE +3 SEC BUTTON AT THE TOP DOES
This message was edited by Mess Engineer on 29 October 2009, 9:28 PM |
| hindsight | Posted: 29 October 2009, 11:38 PM [NZ Time]
Leepback, mine was 31pts gross for 8.66km +/- finger trouble with GPS (forgot to start till nearly acorss netball court to 1S) = 3.57/km however was 3:50 overdue. Pressing for 2J with 4mins to spare was a big mistake and probably cost me 2 points nett.
Course was 1S, 3H, 2M, 1P, 2K, 3D ... theory was to getthat run out of the road early to leave me options later depending how far north I managed in first 15 minutes. 2M to 1P was uneconomical and track from 1P west seemed to take longer than map indicated (fallen branches, narrow, rutted). Claimed 12 points in 14 minutes so mood was OK but was all downhill from there. Abandoned 1H when i saw the gully. 1L to 2N was a dogs breakfast and incorrectly exited on road to south at track junctions. I had painted myself into a corner so committed to 2N and extended to 3E knowing I was going to have to reverse my track and the point score was slowing and rapidly concluding this would be a right-off if I can muster enough other events. A grim outlook for 1st run of season.
Recovered 1M and 3F quicly and presumed I would get 2J without losing more than a minute. In hindsight, hunting for the track into the bush I should have got wiser there and then. Got 2J and knew I was in trouble, budgetting energy on hill on way past 1R watching the clock gaining on 47 minutes.
I was surpised on my return (6:30pm) that few were in front of me (i'm not elite enough to start after 6:15pm). A 77pt result was better than I thought I'd score and that was a relief.
I recall the Steve K run found me wanting last year also. In a depraved way I look forward to conquering the challenge next time round. thanks Steve & Co.
Maptalk is a great learnign tool and Routegadget is better again. Although it appears hectic to view the animation I have noticed that it is informative to watch runners accumulating points on outbound legs and to watch them coming home. For example Andrew H left 2C with the same time to run as I left 3E.
Cheers
Hindsight (I look like being in Adelaide next Wednesday - bugger) |
| leepback | Posted: 30 October 2009, 1:01 AM [NZ Time]
OK who's the wiseguy that fiddled with my routegadget entry.
How come my icon stays still in the mass start and doesn't go anywhere.
Is this some sort of bad joke.
Russell????? |
| colbee | Posted: 30 October 2009, 8:39 AM [NZ Time]
Have never enjoyed running on this map as I don't feel like I'm getting anywhere, and its hilly. distance slightly down from last week. early into the course I realised that it would be important to watch the time as it would be very easy to go over time.
The orange and pick controls up the east side looked good so went there first, decided I could not get to the other end of the map so crossed the map climbing up to probably the highest point, (3B) then working my way back. was 31 mins at 3C and decided to head back down the middle rather than to the east (bypassing 3E and 2N). Had expected someone to win in 39-40 pts.
So my course: 1R 3F 2J 2K 3D 2H 1H 2F 1D 3B 2C 3C 1K 2G 1L 1M = 30 pts in 44:54 min |
| footprints | Posted: 30 October 2009, 1:59 PM [NZ Time]
leepback,
your icon probably doesn't appear to go anywhere because it is going direct line start to finish in 48 minutes (+/- 2 seconds). When you drew your route you must have snapped to the finish as you left the start, and then drawn the rest of your route. The route as drawn is saved, but the animation is based on the speed over the 20m from the start to the finish - 20m in 48min = even slower than usual!
After the mix-up with the WMOC Final on RG I know how to edit the route file but don't have enough privilege on the RG site to save the revised file.
Draw your course again (turn <Snap> off until you have passed the finish the first time) and I will delete the ultra slow-version.
This message was edited by footprints on 30 October 2009, 2:01 PM |
| cariar | Posted: 30 October 2009, 5:21 PM [NZ Time]
Buoyed by last week's result and run I was looking forward to this week - and unlike some I don't hold grudges with Street maps. I was pleased with route taken initially - 1R,3F,2J,1L,2N,3E,1N,2L, then had hoped to be able to pick up 1Q, G and maybe 1T on way back. But a horror experience and a little bad luck in the last section of bush track between 1L and 2N (similar experience to hindsight?) saw time lost, a long way round to 2N and disappointment. Still pleased that what I had planned would have been good for me. Well below the average 4 -5 mins late so happyish. Glad though that I didn't get caught up in the 3G problem. Win some, lose lots!
This message was edited by cariar on 31 October 2009, 9:19 PM |
| footprints | Posted: 30 October 2009, 8:46 PM [NZ Time]
leepback, your slow dawdle route has been deleted |
| o_grub | Posted: 2 November 2009, 11:41 AM [NZ Time]
Got caught up in the 3G problem. Enough said.
NOTE TO SETTERS. There is an OCAD function called "Measure". Please utilise it. Any St-O course longer than 12km is using part of a map that could be saved fresh for next time and you will be making unnecessary work for yourself setting controls that the majority of people will not visit. |
| Mess Engineer | Posted: 2 November 2009, 12:59 PM [NZ Time]
O_grub I found "Measure" under the Edit Menu in OCAD. I assume I draw a route choice line between controls and then select "Measure" ? I have been using geo-distance to work out potential route lengths for my upcoming course as I did't know any other way but have now tried this approach in OCAD now I know its there.
Using leepbacks measuring method I get an average of 270 m per point, or 3.7 pts per km, based on this measure for my planned event. Would need to travel 13 km to get 48 of 53 available points.
This message was edited by Mess Engineer on 2 November 2009, 5:03 PM |
| o_grub | Posted: 2 November 2009, 5:56 PM [NZ Time]
Yes Mess. Simply draw a line with any line feature (my map file had a dedicated thick pink line) using the straight line mode. Click on Edit/Measure and it will tell you in kilometeres the length of that line. (eg. 11.65km) Close the "Measure" dialog box and hit Delete to delete the line. Very handy. |
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