2020 Spring LOC Coaching
During Spring 2020 LOC put on a series of training sessions with a coach, planned and organised by Carol McNeill, almost every Saturday morning from now until April. This series is a chance to be introduced to new techniques and practice those which have become rusty which will contribute to improving your results and enjoying.
It covers Urban, Terrain and Relay styles using specially prepared training maps.
There are also 2 'Come and Try it' events where some Compass and contour methods are integrated into those sessions.
The details of each session will be on the Events page and which will be updated as each session approaches.
The overall schedule is attached here.
Introduction to forest training
The first few sessions will each be divided into a few short exercises, each planned with a particular technique in mind. These will not be timed – the idea is to practice techniques in your own time. You can run all or some of each exercise. There will be the option of running on a map with the line features removed.
You can view the maps here.
The first two Saturdays have the same format – line, compass and ‘putting it together’ exercises. These are aimed at fine-o skills. The third at Bishop Woods is aimed at rough-o skills.
‘Fine-o’ is used when accuracy is required, for example on the short legs of a middle distance course or when approaching the control at the end of a longer leg. It involves accurate compass, reading everything on the map (continuous-contact) and forming a mental picture of the features in the control circle.
‘Rough-o’ skills are used to cover the ground as quickly as possible. You still need to be able to follow the compass in a straight line, but fitter orienteers should aim to look at the compass whilst running. You don’t need to follow all the map detail (you can simplify your mental picture of the terrain ahead) but you need to see enough features to keep track of where you are.
Some orienteers choose an ‘attack point’ – an easily located point where they make the transition from rough-o to fine-o. In practice the transition may be more gradual. Some especially hard legs may require fine-o all the way, others may be easy all the way.
- 15/2/20 Rusland Beeches - 3 fine-o exercises
- 22/2/20 Stony Hazel - 3 fine-o exercises
- 29/2/20 Bishop Woods - rough-o theme
- 14/3/20 Dale Park - fine-o in changing terrain types
- Bethecar Moor – rough-o – course permanently open
Members may also be able to use the areas and the planned courses independently of the coaching days, maybe for reinforcement, but if you plan to go out and use any of these exercises outside the club coaching days then check with Carol to find out which have open access and which are private land.