Personal lessons from nationals

Jamie Posted: 28 March 2008, 5:34 AM   (since that other thread is getting focused on other stuff). Me: 1)compass technique: made a couple of errors early in the weekend on the compass and realised that my technique was shot. Wasn't getting my compass flat on the map and getting the map out in front of me enough to take quality bearings....just a little tech thing that slipped in when I wasn't watching. 2)multiple beeps: dsqed in the relay whne punching 1st control (different box) at same time as someone else and heard their beep, need to look for light in these situations. Michael: I always feel I haven't read the map enough. I've started writing on the back of my map hand with the pen in the map box RTFM. Next event I'm going to write on the non-map hand RTOH I'm always interested in the trigger factor(s) for irrational behaviour. Had one in the sprint, failed to RTFM OR the compass after coming through dense line of trees and headed off in crazy direction. Maybe not tiredness in this case. Which was the thesis that Martin Sellens was trying to test on the treadmill at Otago Uni many years ago. (He couldn't reliably generate a fall-off in answers to orienteering-type questions with tiredness, so therefore couldn't investigate the triggers.) Best I can come up with on this occasion was that I had caught a rival. Nick: not so much a lesson as a continuing to grapple with the same problem having done the physical preparation... finding the right headspace to: RTFM; identify control/ attackpoint/route/exit with instinctive urgency and aggression; intuitively select and execute O technique; plan ahead ...all whilst running hard. i know there is a place in my mind where I can do all of this... but how i get there? one thing that brings me nearer the right headspace is doing alot of orienteering racing... i don't think i was mentally ready for Nationals until they were already over. What other revelations did people have that they would like to share?   Paul I Posted: 28 March 2008, 8:42 AM   In the relays I relied too much on memory to enable a faster running speed, rather than more accurate map contact. I discovered that the memory wasn't what it used to be, consequently eroding any speed gains that I'd made. The only time the flatout technique worked was when I remembered the route to the finish (following streamers)when my spint finish resulted in a dead heat with my opposition.   onemanfanclub Posted: 28 March 2008, 9:37 AM   Here's a positive lesson: I concentrated on SELF-DISCIPLINE in the middle distance, instead of going hard and fast (ok, ok, "nic-hard and fast"). Thought the biggest test would be ignoring when the 2 elite starters after me came past, but it was probably when I caught a few glimpses of Rhys (started 4 or 6 mins? ahead) but didn't take the bait. While it wasn't a perfect race, there were none of the big blow-outs that have marred other races that I've been fired up about (which have usually happened, ...or started, in the first few controls), and was my best result since "stepping up"   Tane Cambridge Posted: 28 March 2008, 10:02 AM   Speed control for me...as always! Seems I orienteered a bit like Brendon McCullum's favorite saying/ethos "Aim big, Miss big." Noticed I wasnt picking out attackpoints very well either. Also needed to be more self confident in my own orienteering ability which is another big issue I tended to have. That little voice in my head (sounds a bit like Greg!) that tells me I cant really orienteer! Need have more of a mentality like Tom and Chris   pete s Posted: 28 March 2008, 1:31 PM   sorry guys - probably being a bit thick here but RTFM? RTOH???   o'man Posted: 28 March 2008, 1:44 PM   Correct me if you had meant something else Michael... From computer speak RTFM means "Read The F***ing Manual", translated into O speak to mean "Read the F***ing Map". And RTOH = "Read The Other Hand"!   pete s Posted: 28 March 2008, 1:54 PM   Ha! Nice one! thx O man   onemanfanclub Posted: 29 March 2008, 3:28 AM   Aspin and Middleton no doubt are currently trying to think up ways to get RTOH written on BOTH of Michael's hands....   Jenni Posted: 29 March 2008, 8:26 AM   Mostly for Nick: My theory is that lots of the orienteering technique stuff has to be instinctive because if you have to think about all of the different things it's too much. The way to make it instinctive is to practise it over and over (like if you've ever played a ball sport the way you hit a tennis ball or hockey ball over and over the same way so you don't have to think about what your hands are doing - and in hockey, which I know best, the way you repeatedly practise dodges so that you do the body feint and your wrists twist and move the ball as you come up to the opposition and it's like you don't even know you've done it but suddenly you're on the other side of the opposition). It's harder in orienteering because it's harder to break it down to skills that really are repeated almost exactly the same way each time but I think that's what's happening for you when you've done lots of races, more stuff is becoming automatic. Like Carsten will say he doesn't use all the list of skills but then when you ask him about a leg, he has done trafficlighting, found attack points, aimed off etc ect but it all happened with his subconscious rather than his conscious. I find when I'm stressed about something else or tired from work, I can actually orienteer pretty well unless I have to use my conscious because most of what I'm doing is happening in my subconscious. So it doesn't matter that I'm tired but as soon as I have to actually think then I haven't got the mind energy for it. Doing training where you actually practise a particular skill rather than just running around like normal is probably the best way to get skills to become automatic.   nick Posted: 30 March 2008, 3:31 AM   thanks jenni