Discussion: minimal navigation intervals

reading you log brought back training stas would have us do in north chagrin. he picked and area where we started at the same spot ran as fast as we could through the woods attempting to come out at a trail junction with very minimal navigation (i don't know if we even carried map/compass), but the object was to run as fast as you could and you'd hit the trail at some point no matter how bad navigation was, i think the times were 4-5 min-ish. terrain was flat. at kendall you could pick an area to run through the woods and hit a trail no matter how the navigation ends up, like maybe that main train, except its tough to get flat w/o on of the big reentrants. it taught picking targets while running fast and hopefully running straight. dk (ps he always kicked my ass, cause i can't run straight....i can go forward but never straight!)

Good idea, although a bit more advanced than the babysteps I may need. I might try that at oak hill trailhead, which has some nice and extensive flattish areas, even there is no map.
That suggestion sounds like how stas responded when II once asked him about running bearings. He pretty much said 'just do it', which sounds like the viking swimming school. Still, he did suggest some ways to learn from mistakes - start at a trail junction or other landmark, and aim for a trail junction or other clear landmark, so you'd know just how far off you were. For what it's worth, I've been trying that 'elbow lock to waist' idea you suggested to keep the compass steady, and it helps a bit, but something is still off. I think it's me.

ah- I just saw your training log - it looks like you use oak hill too! I keep finding myself thinking that a map of that area would be a nice addition to our portfolio. A bit more flattness than many places, so it would add some variety as well as another place. Likewise for riding run (but that's summit metroparks, which won't work with us).