You can check out my routes from the WOC short qualifying race. Go to:

http://photos.yahoo.com/okansas.geo

Click on the link to "short qualifying" and you'll see photos of my map and routes.

Any comments or questions are welcome.

-- Michael (meglin@juno.com), August 13, 2001

Answers

Good grief! I guess that this is the sort of course that one could lose a fair bit of time on, but might just be Spike's cup of tea.

It looks to me like the first two controls are the most "dangerous" in terms of possibly losing contact with the map and then finding it quite difficult to relocate. You'd have to get "into" the map as early as possible. I suspect that Spike was going pretty carefully here, and slowly.

It looks like 75% of the way to the third control isn't so difficult and it will be a good place to pick up the speed again. It is difficult to see the image in the circle (is it a digital photo or a scanned image?). I'm a bit curious about Spike's choice to go to the road. It wouldn't have been my first instinct.

The 5th, 6th, and 7th controls look more like standard Scandinavian terrain, if a bit greenish. I think Spike's routes look quite preferable.

To number 8, is Spike on a trail?

Number 9 is back to the really technical stuff. Did Spike weigh the upper and lower sides of the line? The big cliff downhill from the control might help, but if the cluesheet says 'top of cliff' or top of something, approaching from up above can be advantageous too. How does the vegetation in the marshes and vegetation on the hilltops generally compare?

Number 10 looks like the stuff CNYO used for the US classic champs this spring. Did it help to go there? Was it at all applicable? It does look like Spike had a small "bobble on the landing" here. He ran over a small knoll perhaps 150m from the control, but there was another knoll to its right. The displacement between these knolls is approximately the distance Spike was off from the control when he got in the area.

Number 11 doesn't look too hard. On number 12 was there anyone who ran a substantially different route than Spike? Could you have gone way around to the left of the line using the trails?

It would be interesting to hear Spike's blow-by-blow account.

-- Mook (everett@psi.edu), August 14, 2001.

For some interesting splits and analysis, check out:

http://www.nivut.org.il/WOC2001/

Look at the results for the "men short 2" course for my results.

I'll add some comments about the first few controls (I'll add notes about the rest of the course some other time).

When I turned over the map I was a bit worried. The first bit of the course looked difficult. Even though the visibility was good -- it'd be easy to blow time. I also figured there would be a bunch of controls in the general area. For the qualifying race, they started four runners at the same time -- all four on different, but generally parallel, courses.

To 1 I took it slow and easy. I used my magnifying glass to read the details (even though the map was at 1:10,000). I was able to read the contours and saw the small cliffs that are just right of my route about half way to the marker. I found the control without much trouble. The eventual winner had 1:25 to the first control. I had 1:44. So, I lost a good bit of time, but I didn't have a disaster. Wil Smith, the Canadian running this course, missed the first control. His time was 3:45. It must not feel good to lose two minutes (or more) at the first control.

I drifted a bit off the line to 2. I saw the large boulders, but was not absolutely sure they were the large boulders -- they weren't really huge. So, I stopped, double checked the features and turned and ran to the control. My bobble probably cost me 30 seconds. I was glad that I recognized the feeling of uncertainty and acted on it (i.e. stopped and made sure I didn't make a big error). It didn't really feel like I lost time even though I did.

Three looked a little scary -- not that it is an especially difficult control, but the green area could pose a problem (it is easy to drift and lose time in a green area). I threaded my way -- more or less avoiding the green -- and used the big knoll as a way to lead me in to the control.

In general, the running at the WOC was easiest on top of the knolls. Green areas and felled areas were rough. The narrow rides could often be rough, too. For the most part, the marshes were ok -- not great, but not terrible either.

To 4 I took the road. This probably cost me 30 seconds. Wil Smith ran this leg nearly almost a minute faster than me (it was one of his stronger legs). I don't know his route, but I'd guess he went straight. I suspect if I'd gone straight, it'd have saved me 30 seconds. I wouldn't really consider my time loss a "mistake" -- part of my plan/strategy was to take the opportunity to use any roads or trails. I was one of the early starters, so the straight route wouldn't have had any elephant paths. Still, a straight route would have been quicker.

Time for me to go out and do some running. I'll add to my commentary later.

-- Michael (meglinski@yahoo.com), August 14, 2001.

Spike had to have lost time on #4 by not going straight or very slightly left of the line.

-- Swampfox (wmikell@earthlink.net), August 14, 2001.

To #1 - seeing this for the first time, I'd walk. But the time the team and Spike spent on model maps should have helped. 3-4 - My question has been answered - straight was faster, but a Spike route map would look right with his signature runs on a trail. 5-6 - were the big boulders on the map noticeably visible and different from the smaller boulders on the map? 6-7 - I wondered why not go west of the green stuff to #7, but by extending the control from 7 you see distinct veg lines and an open area that leads you into the control. Was that akey reason to go this route? 9-10 - 150m from 9 was a huge boulder (check?), then another 100m a dot knoll (the right one?). Mike, your comments... Thanks for sharing your routes. See you at the amazing maze, Sunday.

-- mean gene (gmw@ku.edu), August 14, 2001.

Continuing from the fourth control...

To 5, I saw a route that touched a trail for a bit, then used the edge of the felled area. So, I took it. I think it is a good route. The control looked like it could be a risk -- there is a good bit of green (and vertical green) around it. So, I was careful going in. I basically went easy and read all the contours from the point I left the felled area.

The next leg looked like it could lead to trouble. There is a good bit of green and, if you missed the control, relocating could take a bit of time. But, if you used the contours it would be no problem. So, I used the contours. I went around some thick stuff just as I left 5, then made sure I got back on track by taking a good look at my compass. I went between the two large hills, then followed the large spur toward the control. I stopped in the circle when I saw the funny shaped hook of the contour line that is just next to the control, but I didn't see the control. I double checked the map, couldn't see where else I could be and then caught sight of a bit of the flag. Looking at the split times, this was one of my better legs on the course.

The control at 7 didn't look too tough, but going straight or to the left of the line didn't look good. The route I took made use of a bit of indistinct trail and a small open area. The key to doing this leg well was to thread your way through the green areas without getting stuck in the roughest/slowest stuff. I took it easy to make sure I'd use the best running areas and managed to have a decent split time. This was a leg where a late starter would have an advantage because of the elephant tracks.

That's all for now...I'll try to finish up later today or tomorrow.

-- Michael (meglinski@yahoo.com), August 15, 2001.

To 8 was quite simple. A trail runs most of the way to the control. The challenge is to keep up the pace.

At first glance there seem to be two options to go to 9. You could take my route, or you could go through the marsh, below the cliffs, and then climb to the control. The hill tops -- especially when mapped as gray areas -- were good running. So, I didn't even consider going below the cliffs. The control was in a small reentrant.

I boomed the next control. My plan was to go straight, but I drifted a bit left. I saw the big boulder and recognized I was off. I should have come to a complete stop at that point -- take another look at my compass, and attack the control. But, I just kept going and tried to adjust my line as I ran. I tried to straighten my line on the move. But, I didn't manage to do that (and I didn't yet realize I didn't manage to do that). When I reached the ring -- I came to a low knoll. You can't see the knoll on the photo (and you can barely see it on the map becuase it is under the control circle). I thought I must be to the right of the marker -- small knoll with a higher area to my left. So, I turned left. I quickly recognized that something was wrong -- I could see the rocky area that is just north of the "0" in the "10" printed next to the control. I relocated quickly and went back to the control. I think I lost about a minute.

To 11, I went straight and tried to push hard. The woods were a bit rough (lots of vertical green lines) but the visibility near the control was quite good.

To the last control I went along a bit of a small ride (hidden by the line I drew on the map) and through the felled area. I knew the felled area would have some elephant tracks because we'd run through it on the relay the day before.

I lost a few seconds on the run in! Leaving 12 I ran straight at the TV camera -- but the route to the finish was a bit off to the right. I got on the wrong side of the finish chute and had to get back on the chute -- it probably cost me a second or two.

The mistake at 10 was not good. I didn't lose a huge amount of time. But, when I came to the big boulder I should have stopped and corrected my route. I didn't have the guts to come to a stop at that point. I just tried to correct my route on the run.

-- Michael (meglinski@yahoo.com), August 15, 2001.