Mapping Clinic

Interested in learning how to make an orienteering map? Nick Duca is hosting a mapping clinic in Waterloo this Sunday. There is also an orienteering training and non-Waterloo Stars runners are welcome, but check the Stars' web site for information regarding when, where, how much, etc.

Around the Bay 2007

New course record and new participant record for this year's Around the Bay. A few of the regulars ran, but unfortunately, both Wes Roberts (2.20.20) and Paul Trebilcock (2.25.31) were suffering from colds and couldn't do as well as they had hoped and were expected to do. However, Wes' goal this spring is to qualify for Boston Marathon and Paul is keen on taking home the OUSer, so they will bounce back. Hans Fransson, being Scott Ford for a day, had a great day and finished 40th with the time 1.56.59.

US Orienteering Team Trials, A Meet, and World Ranking Event, 04 May 2007–06 May 2007

Southern Michigan OC is hosting a three day A-meet in early May and since Michigan is just around the cornern the drive is not that long. If you are interested in going and would like to either share a ride and/or perhaps we can co-ordinate the accommodation, post a comment to this blog piece and, hopefully, will we(?) manage to make sure we all will stay at the same place. Last day for registration with normal fees is April 4th. Race web site.
If you are interested and would like to post a comment, but don't know how or would like me to do it - send me an e-mail.
/Hans

Orienteering at Hilton Falls

The March training of the interclub program is now available; Waterloo Stars have set up a couple of training exercises at the west end of the Hilton Falls map including novice courses. The Stars will do this training March 25th, but the ribbons will remain in the woods for another few weeks. E-mail hans dot fransson at cogeco dot ca if you would like a copy of the map(s).
/Hans
PS. This will be great preparation for all raid runners since this will be the typ of terrain that the raid will go through.

Flying Pig Report

As customary, the OCIN put on an excellent season opening A meet in the Cincinnati area, this year with the short and long Pig at Miami Whitewater State Park and 2 Saturday sprints at French Park and Brunet Woods in urban Cincinnati. The weather was a brisk 2 to 10°C but the snow was gone and the creeks low after major run off earlier in the week.

Trudy represented GHO well taking silver in both the Short Pig and Accumulated Sprint results. Ian was solid but made errors ending 6th in both early races. Both members struggled in the classic event making flawed route choices and mistakes, meaning lower finishes. As newer orienteers though, results have improved. Ian found a football on the Long Pig in the woods between controls 5 & 6 and carried it to the finish as a consolation prize. There was an American sporting Canadian and GHO O apparel, likely known to others and adding to the black, gold and white presence.

Canadians as a whole did well. Raymond won 3 gold in M35 though the field was sparse. Eugene achieved 1 gold and 2 silvers in a competitve M40 field. Don provided interesting route alternatives on the Green course. Jon Torrance won the M21 sprint and maybe more. Katarina and Will Smith, splitting parenting duties, did well in the elite fields. There are likely others when the results are published

Part of the fun of the Flying Pig is the social aspects and this was the case again. The GTA club members checked out Peruvian dishes and one of the local top 25 ranked restaurants. The combined experience makes the Flying Pig an excellent road trip after Canadian winter.

GHO Sweep at Thomass Hilton Falls

As winter approaches its end, so does the 2006/07 Thomass winter orienteering series. Sunday's race, hosted by the Waterloo Stars, was held on GHO's Hilton Falls West map - the same area used for the North American Champs training last fall. Participants enjoyed sunshine, open forest, and a crusty snow surface that made running off-trail easier than usual in this area.

After an 800 m hike to the start location, the race began with a small map that had a Waterloo star-shaped race course. Participants fanned out from a central point to do several 1- or 2-control butterfly loops based on their handicaps, visiting a maximum of 7 controls. After completing that, they were handed a second map with the rest of the race course. There was a 7-control Thomass Box, then several controls leading racers back to the finish line at the road. Conditions were fast, and most participants chose routes that involved a lot of trail running, so it wasn't a race that provided many places to rest.

GHO swept the podium, with Barb Campbell squeaking into 1st place at about 38 minutes, just ahead of Mark Adams, with a body check between the two runners near the finish control as they ran around a car in opposite directions! Hans Fransson arrived shortly afterward to claim 3rd place in less dramatic fashion.

The Waterloo Stars provided refreshments of apples and drinks. Thanks to Axis Gear, who supplied prizes for the event.

The final Thomass event of the season will be held this Saturday, March 24 at Mt. Nemo, and will be followed by the Orienteering Ontario Annual General Meeting at Brookville.

26.13

26 minutes and 13 seconds - that is the new Winter Rally record. After a few days of spring weather, winter returned and made the golf course more winter like again. The course was still fast though, at least before the snow really started to fall. But both the Nancy Green hill and the Ron Lowry hill were (and will be for some time) more like ice rinks, and anything but orienteering shoes or ice bugs would have made it very difficult to climb those hills. With 26.13, Hans beat the old record with about 30 seconds. There is probably "time" for one more rally before golf season starts, and the focus will shift to the Escarpment Rally.

GIANT´S RIB RAID UPDATE

INFORMATION GIANT'S RIB RAID - UPDATE #1 (March 10)

Mark Adams, 2-time North American Orienteering Champion, will once again be course planner for this spring's Giant's Rib Raid Adventure Run. Christiaan Piller, avid AR enthusiast and alternate on the Canadian National Team at last year’s World Orienteering Championships, will act as course consultant. (Someone’s gotta keep Adams in line. For those that remember the infamous ‘pieces of map’ that characterized the 2004 GRR, Adams appears to have softened his course setting approach, even admitting that “this time, I think I’ll give them whole maps. Or is that being too generous?”)

We caught up with Adams recently and asked him for the early scoop on this year’s event. “Gnarly but nice” was the initial response. As with the 2004 GRR, the event centre will be Halton County Inn off Sixth Line. But, says Adams “the course will be very different from 2004 – more terrain variety, a nice balance of trail, woods and even some very scenic road running. And great views all the way…. I can guarantee I’ll take competitors to places in Hilton Falls, Kelso and Rattlesnake they haven’t been before – oh wait a minute, did I just say too much?”

Asked what competitors can expect in the way of stages and challenges, Adams was coy, obviously not wanting to give too much away. But with tongue loosened by a couple of pulls from a keg of the best Faroe Islands brew (inside joke), he relented, offering this: “Well, I always steal Waddington’s best ideas, so sure ‘nuff there’s gotta be a Walk the Line. And of course there’s a Matrix. Oh and then there’s the IOU – Into, Over, Under – and that’s completely new. And the MicrObe – that’s new too, and it’s really cool, and…”. But at this point Adams clammed up, only muttering under his breath something obscure Easter Eggs (“don’t drop the egg?!”), so I guess we’ll have to wait until the next race update to get all the details.

Golden Horseshoe Orienteering will once again use the Sport Ident timing system (Electronic Passports) providing team's split times between every checkpoint within a minute of finishing the race.

Early sponsorship news: Golden Horseshoe Orienteering is pleased announce that this year’s Giant’s Rib Raid will be blessed with strong sponsor support. At this time confirmed sponsors include Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Winery, Adventure Attic, Axis Gear, and of course Backwoods Adventures.

Stay tuned for more race updates!

2007 Flying Pig

Less then two weeks to go to this year's Flying Pig hosted by OCIN. This year's series consists of a middle distance Friday, 2 sprints in suburban Cincinnati Saturday and the Classic Pig Sunday. I am a little late getting this out as early registration has closed but I am driving down Thursday if anyone is looking for a ride. I can take 1 or 2 and am staying at the event hotel. If interested please contact me at"isidders at ca dot inter dot net"

Good training,

Ian

GHO Members at the Chilly Half Marathon

The Chilly Half Marathon in Burlington is one of the first major road races of the year in Southern Ontario. Lots of local runners use it as a spring tune up, a measure of fitness and a long, fast training run for other spring races such as Hamilton’s Around the Bay.

GHO members Hans Fransson and Wes Roberts lined up with some 2200 other half marathoners on what was a colder than expected – even chilly – morning. It was, nonetheless, a good day to run. Hans placed 16th overall and Wes was 41st. Other significant digits related to this event include Hans’ and Wes’ paces per k – 3:57 and 4:10, respectively, Hans and Wes’ overall times – 1:23:09 and 1:28:16, again respectively and last, but certainly not least – Hans’ bib number…..666. Hans, you’re a beast!