Training Log Archive: cmorseIn the 1 days ending Jul 11, 2008:
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Friday Jul 11, 2008 #
Orienteering (FRC Day Camp) 3:00:00 [0]
shoes: Adidas Response Trail 14
'Race Day' at camp. Put out the 530m, 9 control, e-punching course along with 30+ other bogus controls in an area behind the school. Enough controls scattered around so that you couldn't just go running around hunting for the correct control. Some controls were visible, others were hidden behind their respective features to add a little challenge to the mix. All controls except the start were visible from the finish (so I could keep an eye on everyone) and the course crossed over itself a couple times. A camp staffer started the kids at intervals from behind a wing of the school before starting themselves. Kept it interesting and kids were running in every conceivable direction...
Some kids did surprisingly well, visibly studying their map and the terrain before heading off to accurately spike the next control while others ran off in the general direction of the next control and prayed, and even others ran off in totally different directions. But everyone eventually found all the controls (some with a little assistance) and the faster kids were in the 7-8 minute range while others were in the 15 minute range.
With the younger groups (K-2 plus a few learning disabilities) we reviewed the entire course on the map (but out of sight of the course itself) then sent them out in pairs. A handful of the older kids who had already done their course volunteered to chaperone each younger group and keep everyone focused. Worked out pretty well. Again, all groups finished the courses, though many with quite a few extra bogus punches on their epunch.
4 of the kids enjoyed it enough that they decided to re-run the course for speed so that they could compare splits with their earlier run. Course times ran from 3:20 to about 4:45 for the repeat runners... (benchmark - I ran it in 2:20 waking up controls)
Take home course maps had USOF, WCOC & NEOC web addresses and I think there were at least a couple kids who might show up at a future local meet - one girl even commented to me that she was going to make a map of her house and set a course for her family...
The schools PE teacher who was helping out a couple of the days said he was planning on writing a grant so that they could get some orienteering gear and integrate some O in the curriculum. He had done some orienteering in college, but had never really been exposed to it as a 'running sport' and said that it put quite a different perspective on it and that it would make a good addition to his program. The O.mov video and epunching helped reinforce that as well.
A fun week, though a little stressful at times since I kind of winged the curriculum but it ended up adapting to the range of ages and abilities quite well. Good weather all 5 days didn't hurt either.
And a big thanks to WCOC for allowing me to use a full meet kit for the week - I'll be sending a portion of my compensation along as a donation to the junior team....
I'm on vacation for another week or so - but when I get back to my webserver, I'll post up maps and photos if anyone is interested in checking back...
Some kids did surprisingly well, visibly studying their map and the terrain before heading off to accurately spike the next control while others ran off in the general direction of the next control and prayed, and even others ran off in totally different directions. But everyone eventually found all the controls (some with a little assistance) and the faster kids were in the 7-8 minute range while others were in the 15 minute range.
With the younger groups (K-2 plus a few learning disabilities) we reviewed the entire course on the map (but out of sight of the course itself) then sent them out in pairs. A handful of the older kids who had already done their course volunteered to chaperone each younger group and keep everyone focused. Worked out pretty well. Again, all groups finished the courses, though many with quite a few extra bogus punches on their epunch.
4 of the kids enjoyed it enough that they decided to re-run the course for speed so that they could compare splits with their earlier run. Course times ran from 3:20 to about 4:45 for the repeat runners... (benchmark - I ran it in 2:20 waking up controls)
Take home course maps had USOF, WCOC & NEOC web addresses and I think there were at least a couple kids who might show up at a future local meet - one girl even commented to me that she was going to make a map of her house and set a course for her family...
The schools PE teacher who was helping out a couple of the days said he was planning on writing a grant so that they could get some orienteering gear and integrate some O in the curriculum. He had done some orienteering in college, but had never really been exposed to it as a 'running sport' and said that it put quite a different perspective on it and that it would make a good addition to his program. The O.mov video and epunching helped reinforce that as well.
A fun week, though a little stressful at times since I kind of winged the curriculum but it ended up adapting to the range of ages and abilities quite well. Good weather all 5 days didn't hurt either.
And a big thanks to WCOC for allowing me to use a full meet kit for the week - I'll be sending a portion of my compensation along as a donation to the junior team....
I'm on vacation for another week or so - but when I get back to my webserver, I'll post up maps and photos if anyone is interested in checking back...