Dunno if my diatribe attached to last month's results was responsible, but we had no search and rescue worries Saturday. Only two groups went over three hours, and no one left without checking-in with Finish.
Lots of DNFs on Green and Red, which usually indicates either a problem with the courses (not a problem Saturday - check the winning time), or people trying an advanced course before they are ready. We try to help everyone choose the right course for the amount of experience they have, but some insist on doing the most difficult course, even if they aren't ready. Our primary concern is someone getting lost or hurt, but we also worry about folks not having a good time.
- Hefe 'O
Rock Springs Run State Reserve - May 4, 2002.
National Orienteering Day it was.
Super and challenging courses they were.
Hotter'n stinkin' Hades it was!
How was it that 245 of you would find the nerve to venture out to RSRSR in the Florida sun when it's 95° F (this is Spring?!!!), and immoderately humid? Apparently we underestimated both the power of our advertising and the level of enthusiasm that the current membership brings to this sport-for-a-lifetime. Our five events for the calendar year of 2002 have now averaged 252 starters each. Congratulations to all for your support and for your ability to bring out new friends, whether the weather is hot or cool (it's never really 'cold' here).
This National Orienteering Day theme prompted lots of you bring along newcomers, and we counted several dozen. The USOF will ask us to estimate the number of first-timers, and I think we'll tell them 25 or so, but as a percentage of our turnout, that seems too small an estimate. We handed out the free compasses, provided by Brunton, by having a drawing at the finish line for all successful finishers. As luck would have it, they went fast. We hope the winners enjoy those compasses for many years of orienteering. RSRSR seems to have become our traditional N.O.D. venue, and I'm sure it will continue. We may even visit RSRSR more often now that the park has installed permanent flush toilets at the Horse Barn - a pleasant surprise after I'd warned everyone beforehand there were still no facilities out there.
The story of the day was half the HOT weather under a brilliant blue sky and the other half was Arild Orsleie designing a fine and seriously challenging set of courses. The combination seems to have yielded an epidemic brain-fade on the green and red courses where only 7 of 23 entries even finished. Note that the Orange course had 35 map entries and a respectable 29 finishers, although Orange course is traditionally the place where most people fail to finish. As Dave Ousley points out in his Event Coordinator's report, the winning time on red indicates a fair 6.4 km course, and all the controls were spot-on. The green course by the way was simply the red course without two controls. So why so many non-finishers? Since there were several veteran FLO names among the DNF's, probably the 95° F heat and bright sun and red/green courses with over half their time spent in the sun rather than in the shady forest, played havoc with clear thinking. Probably also, our repeated urgings to newbies about not tackling red/green until the navigation skills are up to par, continue to fall on deaf ears. Again, Dave Ousley's warning is apropos: Our primary concern is safety, since people are more likely to become lost if they are unprepared for the course difficulty, but we are also concerned that they have a good time. Most of the FLO veterans don't have as much fun if we fail to finish a course, so it's hard to imagine others do.
To be honest, finishers and non-finishers alike always come out of the woods grinning and insisting they've enjoyed themselves. However, we can't help but think they'd enjoy themselves more and have a stronger appetite for the sport, and would be learning more if they actually completed an appropriate course.
Lots of adventure racers in the field this day. Lots of scouts, too. Not many HSJROTC'ers, although Cypress Creek brought 12 and Titusville at least 14. We appreciate them finding time for us, right in the middle of end-of-school-year exams and activities.
Most notably we had some long-distance travelers: the Hawkins from St. Pete, a girl scout troop from St. Mary's Georgia, and adventure racers from Miami. If you're familiar with the northeast US, that's like having an event in New York City and drawing people from Binghampton, Boston, and Washington.
My own run consisted of first underestimating the heat; did not drink enough before starting. Then I overestimated my hot weather ability; tried to run strongly and faded to a walk about half way through the course. I had a minute or two of goofs on several controls and managed to resume a good jog now and then, but a 10 foot high sand bank between 8 and 9 felt like a mountain. I had a blast, I had a real rush of exertion, but I haven't felt that washed out/bushed in a long time. Therefore I didn't have enough steam left to go looking for a Geocache that I had learned was located on our RSRSR map. Maybe next time.
All in all, a fine NOD event, one we can all be proud of. Congratulations to Arild on his terrific courses. Thanks to Bev & Dave Ousley for running the event and to Tami Jicha and Jonathan Linforth for pitching in. Thanks to the family who arrived early, helped all over the place, and set up the String-O for us, although no children actually did the String-O. Thanks to Wekiwa Springs State Park for yet another hospitable day in the Reserve. Next time:
Nearer To The Toilets!
Bob Putnam
Name | Time |
BSA Troop 225 (6) | 43:55 |
BSA Troop 225 (6) | 48:30 |
BSA Troop 225 (6) | 50:45 |
James W. Feudner (6) | 54:57 |
Leon Gariepy (2) | 61:10 |
Troop 214 #1 (6) | 63:03 |
Troop 214 #2 (6) | 86:14 |
Coral Gables Troop 1-2 (6) | 112:10 |
Troop 214 #3 (6) | DNF |
Diana Hodgson (3) | DQ |
Name | Time |
Titusville NJROTC 2 (2) | 32:50 |
Titusville NJROTC 4 (2) | 33:28 |
Titusville NJROTC 5 (2) | 38:05 |
Titusville NJROTC 7 (3) | 39:50 |
Tami Jicha (F-1) | 40:41 |
Titusville NJROTC 3 (2) | 41:25 |
Derek Bohn (2) | 43:25 |
Jane Gallier (F-1) | 43:50 |
Titusville NJROTC 1 (2) | 45:28 |
Rick Holley (2) | 46:30 |
Carla Unkel (3) | 46:33 |
Kim Parent (2) | 51:19 |
Mike Iglesias (3) | 55:58 |
Kat Smith (2) | 56:48 |
Troop 86 (5) | 59:43 |
Greg Filis (2) | 66:35 |
Diane Riesch (2) | 77:45 |
Eric Thorsen (6) | 80:35 |
Titusville NJROTC 6 (M-1) | 80:45 |
St. Paul's Catholic School (4) | 89:55 |
St. Paul's Catholic School (4) | 90:40 |
Name | Time |
Chris Johnson (M-1) | 47:16 |
Walenty Prytulo (M-1) | 49:23 |
Kelly Caldwell (M-1) | 61:31 |
Glen Holman (2) | 65:45 |
Titusville High School (5) | 65:57 |
Jim & Lori Gabbert (2) | 67:29 |
John Hollingsworth (4) | 71:50 |
Mike & Marilu Dempsey (2) | 72:45 |
Kim Heim, Alicia Johnson, Nicodemus Schoenwald (3) | 73:20 |
Michael Pradella (2) | 74:50 |
Yeadon (2) | 80:43 |
Justin Partridge (M-1) | 80:44 |
Jerry Hoover (M-1) | 83:56 |
CCHS NJROTC 1 (2) | 85:14 |
Don & Kara Santi (2) | 87:10 |
Paul Drinkwater (4) | 90:15 |
Lotta Smith (2) | 91:01 |
Gregory Crawford (2) | 91:10 |
David Aaronson (2) | 93:45 |
Dan Bolling (M-1) | 103:55 |
Sandy Wordell (4) | 105:31 |
CCHS NJROTC 4 (4) | 108:30 |
CCHS NJROTC 2 (3) | 111:35 |
Josiah Davis (2) | 115:30 |
Scott Hall (8) | 117:10 |
Chris Bear (3) | 117:40 |
Civil Air Patrol (6) | 142:24 |
Scott Myers (2) | 144:32 |
Hawkins (3) | 146:31 |
GS Troop 610 (7) | DNF |
CCHS NJROTC 3 (3) | DNF |
Rob & Lisa Whyte (2) | DNF |
Charlotte Smith (3) | DNF |
J. Gallier (F-1) | DNF |
Carla Unkel (3) | DNF |
Name | Time |
Bo Peep & P.D. (2) | YBF |
Patrick CAP (6) | DNF |
Jody Burch (2) | DNF |
Stephen Little (2) | DNF |
Ruth Little (2) | DNF |
Turner Matthews (2) | DNF |
Sam Chancellor (M-1) | DNF |
Don Bouvier (2) | DNF |
Kate Putnam (F-1) | DNF |
Paul Drinkwater (4) | DNF |
Jerry Hoover (M-1) | DNF |
Name | Time |
Bob Putnam (M-1) | 73:28 |
Al Hofmann (M-1) | 82:30 |
Jim Hartnett (3) | 107:45 |
Nigel Gallier (M-1) | 110:05 |
Ken Miller (4) | 119:10 |
Alex Jasiukovicz (2) | 166:38 |
Reggie Kornegay (2) | DNF |
Mark Ritchhart (M-1) | DNF |
Coral Gables Troop 1-1 (2) | DNF |
Joe Maliszewski (M-1) | DNF |
Team Sun-Tek Skylights (5) | DNF |
Paulette Burdick (7) | DQ |
DNF | Did Not Finish |
DQ | Disqualified - over 3 hours |