RAB mini MM

[Darth domain]

i'm running the december one, and although my navigation is ok, i'm reading up on "finer" navigation etc. I'm a little nervous about the navigation at this event due to the working under pressure, i.e when i usually run i prepare well with regards to map reading, usually the night before. However, it thrills me a little to know that i wont know where controls are ,and which ones i will be visiting until i get that map. what strategy to use i have no idea, and i want to visit at least one remote high score control
I just wanted to know, is 5 minutes too long to stand and look at the map to work out a rough strategy (bearing in mind only three hours to get points). Or do most tend to plan the first couple of controls then plan further while running?

[DazTheSlug]

Hi Darth - DanAzz and myself did last weekend's Mini-MM as our first ever

we spent about 3 1/2 mins "route planning" before we set off running
in hindsight we would've benefitted from spending slightly longer, so 5 mins is probably about right

in terms of overall route, the main determining factor is roughly how many miles you think you'll be able to cover in 3 hours (over the average terrain of the area, and with a few stops for navigational um-ing and ah-ing)

then pick a loop which is a bit less distance than that, but which has a few extra CP's towards the end that you could "swing out" to if you're going well

that's what we did anyway, and it seemed to work quite well

[DanAzz]

Don't relax and start chatting towards the end and miss the checkpoint

[Headless]

Darth,

You can still do some preparation the night before even though you do not know your route.

Have a look at the map of the area that you will be running in and try to get a general feel for it. Also have a look at how you can best move around the area eg if there is a big river that runs through it where are all the crossing points or if you want to get from one hillside to another which are the easiest routes to take between them.

That can save you from missing a useful feature or route during the heat of competition.

[AJF]

5 mins? 3 1/2 mins What are you going to do during that time? Have a cup of tea? bit of a chin wag?

I am about 1 minute?

All the events are in a loop, the choice really is clockwise or anti-clockwise. I tend to look at the area map at registration.

Look at hills and terrain then when I see the map I have an idea of the way I would prefer to go. Hilly rough terrain first so I can enjoy it. Then pick a route for the first 2 or 3 checkpoints and pick the rest of the route en-route depending on how close you think you are to finishing.

I could possibly benefit from slightly longer but the urge to get running just gets the better of me every time.

[Darth domain]

cheers folks, think i need to focus on distance i think i can cover bearing on mind terrain, then go from there. I have a weird method in my mind of going anticlockwise from start to a far (ish) high score checkpoint ,picking up some checkpoints on the way (hopefully), then zig zagging back down to finish. Of Course, the position of the checks will probably throw this out the window on the day

[AJF]

cheers folks, think i need to focus on distance i think i can cover bearing on mind terrain, then go from there. I have a weird method in my mind of going anticlockwise from start to a far (ish) high score checkpoint ,picking up some checkpoints on the way (hopefully), then zig zagging back down to finish. Of Course, the position of the checks will probably throw this out the window on the day

Honestly don't plan that much as otherwise all of them well planned routes and what you are going to do on the day will go out of the window as soon as you are handed a map. Then you are stuck with a map in your hand and no idea what to do.

Usually a route sticks sticks out at you. If not then do what I used to do which is go for the nearest one and see where that leads you. The amount of different route choices that people take shows that it is not that critical unless you are in it to win it.

Even then only 2 of the top 7 in under 40's category went the same way for the first 5 CP's everyone else went different ways completely.

[DazTheSlug]

a route did "stick out" at us
that didn't make it the optimum route though
if we'd had an extra 3 1/2 mins anywhere on the way round, we could probably have reached 1 more CP
if we'd spent 5 mins at the start, our route would've been better, and we probably could've reached 3 or 4 more CP's...

[MarkA]

Golden rule though is DON'T BE LATE, there's nothing more frustrating than seeing your hard earned points disappear as you desperately sprint towards the finish. I generally work out a rough route that's going to see me clock in at least 15 minutes before the max time and look to get a cheeky couple of controls on the way back in.

A piece of string with knots in it at e.g. 4 km (according to the map) intervals can be a quick way to route plan.

[wheezing donkey]

I can fully go with your sentiments, Mark A. It is an issue that I have fallen foul of in the local winter night street league ( urban orienteering).
Another tactic, which perhaps contradicts an earlier post, if you are going for a distant high scoring C.P. then leave a couple of low scoring one's that are handy to the event centre. If you are heading back with a few minutes to spare, these low scores can be picked up as bonus points.