The Australian Orienteer - September 2014

s e pt e m b e r 2 0 14

WOC JWOC AUS MTBO RRP $8.50 inc GST

SILVA National Orienteering League Event Program 2010

Round 1 – Brisbane, Queensland

Sprint Weekend

Saturday February 22 (AM)

Mixed Sprint Relay

Saturday February 22 (PM)

Sprint Qualification

Sunday February 23 (AM)

Sprint Final

Round 2 – Victoria

Middle & Long Weekend

Saturday March 22

Middle Distance (Yackandandah)

Sunday March 23

Long Distance (Kangaroo Crossing)

Round 3 – NSW

AUS 3-Days Carnival

April 18–21

Easter - Sprint, Middle, Long & Relay Distances

Round 4 – NSW

Relay & Long Weekend

Friday April 25

Mixed Sprint Relay

Saturday April 26

NSW Long Distance Championships

Round 5 – Victoria

Ultra-Long (Kooyoora)

August 31

Sun - AUS Ultra-Long Championship

Round 6 – Western Australia

AUS Championships Carnival

September 28 – October 5

Sprint, Middle, Long & Relay Distances

All race details can be found at www.orienteering.asn.au www.silva.se

SILVA is represented in Australia by FISKARS BRANDS. australia@fiskarsbrands.com

ORIENTEERING australia

The President’s Page Blair Trewin

T

he middle of the year is a time which features lots of nice conditions for Orienteering (if you’re in one of the more northern States) and sometimes challenging conditions (if you’re in one of the southern ones). To the best of my knowledge, no event held anywhere in Australia this year has featured epically foul weather of the sort which will be remembered by the old hands who were on the scene for the 1981 Australian Championships at Korweinguboora or the 1993 WOC trials in Armidale – the latter at least turned out to be good preparation for what was destined to happen at WOC itself – and there have been plenty of opportunities to enjoy good Orienteering across the country. I especially enjoyed taking the chance to get back to Dubbo for the NSW Queen’s Birthday events, having forgotten just how gorgeous that piece of terrain was to run on at this time of year. (Those of you who haven’t been there at all, or haven’t been there since Easter in 2008, are definitely missing something). By the time you read this, the first of the State championships will have happened, and we will not be too far away from going back to Western Australia for the Australian Championships “Karrak Karnival”.

While many of you have been enjoying your Orienteering through the Australian winter, this is also the time of year when we see the peak of the competition season in Europe. The World Championships and the Junior World Championships are now behind us. As is always the case with these events, there were both positives and negatives in the results – some of the negatives being the result of illness or injuries at inopportune times – but there were definitely more positives than negatives. It was especially pleasing to see Hanny Allston take another step on the road back to her best with two top-fifteen results, Julian Dent getting a near career-best placing after a lengthy layoff, and a topten result in the inaugural Mixed Sprint Relay at WOC, as well as Brodie Nankervis stringing together three top-20 results at JWOC. It was also pleasing for us to achieve one of our major WOC goals, getting our men promoted from Division 3 to Division 2 which means we’ll get two runners in the Middle and Long Distance events next year in Scotland. In a few weeks times (at the time of writing) it will be the turn of the mountain bikers in Poland.

Something which has been happening for a few years but was particularly notable this year (and especially at JWOC) is the way in which we’re working increasingly closely with New Zealand, to the extent that we were close to operating as a joint team in Bulgaria. We might be fierce rivals on the rugby field (JWOCers are far too young to remember the underarm incident), but in Orienteering it’s definitely a case of the outside Europe countries against the old powers. We’re looking at numerous other ways

to work more closely with New Zealand, not only in taking advantage of the opportunities that each country gives the other for training and competition, but also for each country to learn from what the other does especially well. In particular we look forward to soon being able to make an announcement on an exciting program in New Zealand in 2017, when they will be hosting the World Masters.

Being at a World Championships is a reminder of the scale such events now happen on. In particular, getting broadcast-quality TV pictures (and supporting information, such as GPS tracking) out of the forest and to the outside world is a major challenge, and an expensive one – the figures I’ve heard suggest that the bill in Italy for that alone was a couple of hundred thousand. (I spent a bit of time in the TV truck this year in the process of doing some commentary for a highlights package which went to a US cable channel, which gave me a bit more of a feel for how it’s done).

We did some scoping a couple of years ago as to whether we had any potential to put in a bid to host WOC, and concluded that while we had the technical and organisational expertise, we’d need to find probably somewhere between $500,000 and $1 million in external money, either corporate or government. It’s interesting that there are many more countries keen to host JWOC – three bids this year – suggesting that many see that as an event on a more manageable scale.

The World Championships also means the various IOF meetings.

These may seem rather remote from the concerns of most orienteers in Australia, and a lot of what happens does take a long time to filter down to the grass roots, but a major review of the international competition program is one important thing which will come out of this year. Perhaps of more immediate interest to the broader Orienteering community are some of the ideas presented at venues like the IT Commission’s open meeting – showcasing concepts like events where you don’t have controls out at all and instead carry a mobile app which tells you that you’ve reached the right place. (This, admittedly, comes from Scandinavia where mobile phone coverage is more comprehensive than it is here).

Closer to home, it’s still unclear exactly what direction the Australian Sports Commission is going to take in government support of sport. However, all the signals suggest that their focus will be much more directed at younger participants in general, and schools in particular. We will need to be able to respond quickly to this if we need to, which means finding people who can do things during (or immediately after) school hours to be able to take advantage of the opportunities which may come before us.

SEPTEMBER 2014 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 3

Winning PartnershiP

The Australian Sports Commission proudly supports Orienteering Australia The Australian Sports Commission is the Australian Government agency that develops, manages and invests in sport at all levels in Australia.

Orienteering Australia has worked closely with the Australian Sports Commission to develop orienteering from community participation to high-level performance.

AUSTRALIAN SPORTS COMMISSION 4 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2014

Orienteering Australia is one of many national sporting organisations that has formed a winning partnership with the Australian Sports Commission to develop its sport in Australia.

www.ausport.gov.au

w w w. o r i e n t e e r i n g . a s n . a u Orienteering Australia PO Box 284 Mitchell ACT 2911 President Blair Trewin Director High Performance Lance Read Director Finance Bruce Bowen Director Technical Jenny Casanova Director Special Projects Robert Spry Director Media & Communications Craig Feuerherdt Director International (IOF Council) Mike Dowling Executive Officer John Harding National MTBO Coordinator Kay Haarsma National Head Coach Nick Dent Badge Applications John Oliver

orienteering@netspeed.com.au w: 02 6162 1200 oa_president@netspeed.com.au h: 03 9455 3516 lancer@hillbrook.qld.edu.au orienteering@netspeed.com.au h: 02 6288 8501 orienteering@netspeed.com.au m: 0427 605 167 rbspry@gmail.com craigfeuerherdt@gmail.com 0438 050 074 oa_international@netspeed.com.au orienteering@netspeed.com.au 02 6162 1200 m: 0427 107 033 kayhaarsma@hotmail.com 08 8337 0522 nickdent7@gmail.com 02 4384 3627 68 Amaroo Street, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2650

STATE ASSOCIATIONS Orienteering Queensland: PO Box 114 Spring Hill QLD 4004. Admin Officer: Tim McIntyre admin@oq.asn.au Orienteering NSW: PO Box 3379 North Strathfield NSW 2137. Admin Officer: John Murray, Ph. (02) 8116 9848 admin@onsw.asn.au Orienteering ACT: PO Box 402 Jamison Centre ACT 2614. Secretary: John Scown, Ph. (02) 6162 3422 orienteering.act@webone.com.au Orienteering Victoria: PO Box 1010 Templestowe VIC 3106. Secretary: Ian Dodd, voa@netspace.net.au Orienteering SA: State Association House 105 King William St Kent Town SA 5067. Sec: Erica Diment (08) 8379 2914 secretary@sa.orienteering.asn.au Orienteering Western Australia: PO Box 234 Subiaco WA 6094. Secretary: Ken Post, Ph. (08) 9246 2552 kpost1@bigpond.com Orienteering Tasmania: PO Box 339 Sandy Bay TAS 7005. Secretary: Janet Bush, Ph. 03 6272 0153 secretary@tasorienteering.asn.au Top End Orienteers (Northern Territory): PO Box 39152 Winnellie NT 0821. Secretary: Lana Luders topendorienteersNT@gmail.com

NEXT issue deadline

October 10. Time-sensitive: Oct 17

ISSN 0818-6510 Issue 3/14 (no. 175) SEPTEMBER 2014

The national magazine of Orienteering Australia Inc. ABN 77 406 995 497 Published four times a year: First day of March, June, September, December. Print Post Approved PP 236080/00011 Editor: Michael Hubbert, P.O. Box 165, Warrandyte, Victoria 3113 mikehubbert@ozemail.com.au Phone (03) 9844 4878 Magazine Design & Assembly: Peter Cusworth, Ph. 0409 797 023 pcusworth53@gmail.com Magazine Treasurer: Bruce Bowen Printer: Ferntree Print Centre, 1154 Burwood Hwy Upper Ferntree Gully.

Contribution deadline: October 10; Time-sensitive - October 17.

Deadline dates for contributions are the latest we can accept copy.

Publication is normally planned for the 1st of March, June, September & December. Copies are dispatched in bulk to State associations in the week prior to that date.

Regular Contributors: Competition - Blair Trewin; High Performance - Lance Read; MTBO - Kay Haarsma; Official News - John Harding; Nutrition - Gillian Woodward; Training - Steve Bird; Coaching – Hanny Allston.

Contributions are welcome, either directly or via State editorial contacts.

Prior consultation is suggested before preparing major contributions.

Guidelines for Contributors are available from the editor or from state contacts.

State Editorial Contacts Qld: Liz Bourne – batmaps.liz@gmail.com NSW: Ian Jessup – marketing@onsw.asn.au ACT: John Scown – scown@light.net.au SA: Erica Diment – diment@adam.com.au – tel (ah) 8379 2914 Vic, WA and Tas – vacant Subscriptions: State Association members via State Associations. Contact relevant Association Secretary for details. Other subscribers: Write to The Australian Orienteer, PO‑Box 165, Warrandyte, Vic. 3113. Within Australia: $40 pa. Overseas: Asia/Pacific (inc. NZ) $A49, Rest of World $A58 pa.

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Opinions expressed in The Australian Orienteer are not necessarily those of Orienteering Australia.

contents t h e P r e s i d e n t ’ s p a g e.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 World Orienteering Championships....... 6 junior world championships ............... 9 a u s m t b o c h a m p s i n t h e r e d c e n t r e .. . . . 1 2 aus schools champs preview.............. 17 obituary – Fiona Calabro...................... 25 c o a c h i n g – T r a i n i n g S t r u c t u r e s .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 8 s pa c e r a c i n g u p d at e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 0 s u cc e s s i o n p l a n n i n g P t 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2 s p r i n t- O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 4 training – Glucose.............................. 36 “ B a s e m a p b y c h r i s w i l m o t t ”.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 9 2 0 1 5 a u s c h a m p i o n s h i p s.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 2 L e t t e r s .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 4 c o m m e n ta r y – w h o s e b u s i s i t ? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 6 top events......................................... 47

Cover photo: Oscar McNulty at JWOC 2014. Photo: Erik Borg

SEPTEMBER 2014 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 5

2014 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Aussie BOOMERANGS at WOC 2014 T

he Australian Team came away from WOC 2014 in Italy with some very good performances – so much so that Australia has moved up a rung in the IOF pecking order of nations and will now have at least two runners in both Men’s and Women’s Middle and Long Distance races at WOC 2015 next year.

Mystery of the carnival is how France’s Thierry Gueorgiou managed to completely miss control #6 while leading the Middle Distance race (see map section). He did something similar while leading in the WOC 2010 Relay four years ago, so you might say it’s becoming a habit.

Hanny Allston showed her class with 13th, 15th and 24th in the individual events and some fast last legs in the two Relays, while Rachel Effeney nearly matched Hanny in the sprints and Julian Dent ran a very good Middle Distance race on a physically challenging course to finish in 25th place.

Controversy emerged in the Women’s Long Distance event when the top ten seeded runners started in the middle of the field. Eventual silver and bronze medallists, Tove Alexandersson and Judith Wyder, started just two minutes apart. Given they had won silver and gold in the Sprint just a couple of days earlier the start list seemed strange, if nothing else. Apparently starting the favoured runners close together was done to provide the TV coverage with some images of head-to-head racing by the possible winners. The move backfired big time when one of the early runners, Russian Svetlana Mironova, posted a time which wasn’t beaten by the favourites.

In a sport where an individual’s navigation skills are paramount, surely head-to-head racing is illegal. Certainly Australia’s National Head Coach, Nick Dent, was not impressed. He wrote:

6 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2014

Julian Dent. Photo: Erik Borg.

Julian Dent finishing the Sprint in Venice. Photo: Erik Borg.

“what is the IOF thinking in allowing this to happen? If this is what they want they might as well have just the top 10 or 20 runners in the event and not worry about the rest because the commentary and probably the TV was purely focused on the seeded top 10 runners. No recognition was given to any of the women who started after the seeded group. This is a very elite euro centric view and does nothing to help the growth of the sport beyond the big five countries”.

A major low light at WOC was Switzerland’s Matthias Kyburz knocking over a waitress with a full tray of drinks in the Mixed Sprint Relay. It begs the question how a top orienteer with the innate ability to leap down cliffs and weave at speed through boulder fields could fail to avoid a waitress in an outdoor café.

The upshot could well be that Orienteering is banned from Trento, and perhaps other towns in northern Italy, for some time.

Women’s Sprint medallists: From left; Tove Alexandersson (SWE) Silver, Judith Wyder (SUI) Gold, Maja Moeller Alm (DEN) Bronze.

Photo from World of O.

Women’s Sprint course

SPRINT RESULTS

Hanny Allston. Photo: Erik Borg.

Women 1 Judith Wyder SUI 15:32.0 2 Tove Alexandersson SWE 15:43.9 3 Maja Moeller Alm DEN 15:45.7 4 Nadiya Volynska UKR 15:46.9 5 Lena Eliasson SWE 15:59.1 6 Rahel Friederich SUI 16:06.9 13 Lizzie Ingham NZD 16:52.2 24 Hanny Allston AUS 17:42.3 27 Rachel Effeney AUS 17:52.4 Men 1 Soren Bobach DEN 15:37.2 2 Daniel Hubmann SUI 15:39.3 3 Tue Lassen DEN 15:41.4 4 Jerker Lysell SWE 15:48.1 5 Matthias Kyburz SUI 15:52.4 6 Jonas Leandersson SWE 15:58.0 36 Julian Dent AUS 17:32.7

Rachel Effeney. Photo: Erik Borg.

Simon Uppill. Photo: Erik Borg.

SEPTEMBER 2014 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 7

2014 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

RELAY Results Men 1 Sweden 2 Switzerland 3 France 4 Norway 5 Finland 6 Czech Republic 17 Australia 1 Simon Uppill 2 Lachlan Dow 3 Julian Dent 23 New Zealand 1 Tim Robertson 2 Ross Morrison 3 Matthew Ogden

1:56:49 1:57:58 1:58:03 2:03:48 2:03:49 2:04:35 2:16:42 42:54 (17) 47:15 (22) 46:33 (11) 2:22:20 43:45 (20) 46:20 (20) 52:15 (19)

42:54 (17) 1:30:09 (22) 2:16:42 (17) 43:45 (20) 1:30:05 (21) 2:22:20 (23)

Women 1 Switzerland 1:51:21 2 Denmark 1:51:32 3 Sweden 1:53:56 4 Norway 1:55:45 5 Finland 1:59:03 6 Great Britain 2:06:31 16 Australia 2:19:29 1 Jasmine Neve 42:51 (14) 42:51 (14) 2 Rachel Effeney 55:41 (24) 1:38:32 (23) 3 Hanny Allston 40:57 (5) 2:19:29 (16) 18 New Zealand 2:23:50 1 Greta Knarston 45:29 (20) 45:29 (20) 2 Lizzie Ingham 37:13 (3) 1:22:42 (9) 3 Imogene Scott 1:01:08 (25) 2:23:50 (18)

Mixed SPRINT Relay Results 1 Switzerland 59:04 2 Denmark 59:07 3 Russia 59:15 4 Sweden 59:25 5 Ukraine 1:00:16 6 Great Britain 1:00:24 10 Australia 1:01:45 1 Rachel Effeney 14:46 (6) 14:46 (6) 2 Julian Dent 15:50 (17) 30:36 (10) 3 Simon Uppill 16:24 (18) 47:00 (13) 4 Hanny Allston 14:45 (7) 1:01:45 14 New Zealand 1:02:41 1 Greta Knarston 15:00 (11) 15:00 (11) 2 Tim Robertson 16:28 (23) 31:28 (17) 3 Ross Morrison 15:59 (13) 47:27 (15) 4 Lizzie Ingham 15:14 (10) 1:02:41

Hanny Allston.

Photo: Colin Price.

Start of the Mixed Relay. Photo from World of O.

LONG Results Men 1 Thierry Gueorgiou FRA 1:34:45 2 Daniel Hubmann SUI 1:36:12 3 Olav Lundanes NOR 1:37:09 4 Fabian Hertner SUI 1:38:39 5 Matthias Kyburz SUI 1:40:12 6 Fredrik Johansson SWE 1:40:16 43 Simon Uppill AUS 1:55:35 52 Matthew Ogden NZD 2:08:39 Women 1 Svetlana Mironova RUS 1:19:44 2 Tove Alexandersson SWE 1:20:15 3 Judith Wyder SUI 1:20:34 4 Mari Fasting NOR 1:22:06 5 Goril Ronning Sund NOR 1:22:38 6 Annika Billstam SWE 1:22:40 13 Hanny Allston AUS 1:25:56 37 Greta Knarston NZD 1:35:56 43 Vanessa Round AUS 1:38:23

MIDDLE Results

Even Champions can make mistakes.

Thierry Gueorgiou’s route from the Middle showing that he missed #6 8 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2014

Men 1 Olav Lundanes NOR 2 Fabian Hertner SUI 3 Oleksandr Kratov UKR 4 Baptiste Rollier SUI 5 Andreas Kyburz SUI 6 Lauri Sild EST 25 Julian Dent AUS 58 Ross Morrison NZD

38:12 38:30 38:46 39:45 40:05 40:39 43:54 52:17

Women 1 Annika Billstam SWE 2 Ida Bobach DEN 3 Tove Alexandersson SWE 4 Sara Luescher SUI 5 Mari Fasting NOR 6 Maja Moeller Alm DEN 15 Hanny Allston AUS 20 Lizzie Ingham NZD 55 Jasmine Neve AUS

37:03 37:25 37:27 38:37 38:53 39:00 42:02 43:06 54:45

The Middle finish area. Photo: Colin Price.

2014 Junior WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

JWOC 2014 in Bulgaria Photos by Erik Borg

Brodie Nankervis

T

here were many highlights at JWOC this year. Foremost amongst them for readers in Oceania had to be New Zealander Tim Robertson’s win in the Junior Men’s Sprint by the substantial margin of 6 seconds, where the other five podium finishers were all within another 7 seconds. There were more podium places for the Kiwis when Nick Hann took 5th place in the Long Distance and the Men’s Relay team finished 6th.

The Middle Distance qualification heats proved to be difficult for all nations with only three qualifying a full complement of women or men through to the A Final - Denmark and Sweden in the women’s and Finland in the men’s.

Stand-out Australian performers were Brodie Nankervis (13th in Long Distance; 16th in Middle Distance; and 19th in Sprint), closely followed by Oscar McNulty (17th in Sprint; 19th in Long Distance; and 32nd in Middle Distance).

Congratulations on the Australian team’s efforts.

Uniforms supplied by Trimtex and Aussieogear.com

In fields of 150 or so at a world junior championships, top-20 or top-30 finishes show real class and the Australian Junior Men recorded two top-20 places in both the Sprint and Long Distance, and one in the Middle Distance; with Matt Doyle achieving a top-30 place in the Sprint.

That wicked Witch of the Forest, Miss Punch, claimed the Australia #1 team in the Men’s Relay, preventing them from completing a top-15 finish.

Australia’s Junior Women were unable to match the achievements of the men, but posted some very good performances none the less. No doubt many of the team will be back at JWOC next year in Norway and, with another year of experience, can be expected to record even better results.

New Zealand’s Tim Robertson won Gold in the Sprint.

SEPTEMBER 2014 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 9

2014 Junior WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Asha Steer

Lanita Steer

SPRINT results Women 1 Sara Hagstrom Sweden 2 Heidi Mårtensson Norway 3 Miri Thrane Ødum Denmark 4 Frida Sandberg Sweden 5 Tilda Johansson Sweden 6 Nicoline Friberg Klysner Denmark 6 Runa Fremstad Norway 59 Alice Tilley New Zealand 68 Rebecca Gray New Zealand 79 Asha Steer Australia 79 Sonia Hollands New Zealand 84 Anna Dowling Australia 90 Nicola Blatchford Australia 92 Lanita Steer Australia 98 Sophie Harrison New Zealand 100 Olivia Sprod Australia 113 Michele Dawson Australia

13:15 13:20 13:32 13:38 13:47 13:48 13:48 15:23 15:48 16:06 16:06 16:21 16:33 16:34 16:55 16:57 18:05

Men 1 Tim Robertson New Zealand 2 Piotr Parfianowicz Poland 3 Anton Johansson Sweden 4 Tristan Bloemen Belgium 4 Aleksi Niemi Finland 6 Miika Kirmula Finland 17 Oscar McNulty Australia 19 Brodie Nankervis Australia 21 Nick Hann New Zealand 29 Matthew Doyle Australia 63 Henry McNulty Australia 69 Shamus Morrison New Zealand 76 Oliver Poland Australia 103 Ed Cory-Wright New Zealand 107 Callum Herries New Zealand 110 Ashley Nankervis Australia

14:41 14:47 14:51 14:53 14:53 14:54 15:34 15:35 15:40 15:48 16:20 16:26 16:36 17:37 17:40 17:45

Men’s Sprint Final map – Samokov Scale 1:4000 2m contours

10 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2014

RELAY results Women 1 Sweden #1 2 Norway #1 3 Switzerland #2 4 Ukraine #1 5 Finland #1 6 France #1 19 New Zealand #1 Kayla Fairbairn Rebecca Gray Alice Tilley 23 Australia #1 Lanita Steer Anna Dowling Michele Dawson

1:38:18 1:38:27 1:44:24 1:44:53 1:45:03 1:46:08 2:13:05 41:12 47:25 44:28 2:22:35 49:32 44:02 49:01

Men 1 Sweden #1 2 Czech Republic #1 3 Switzerland #1 4 France #1 5 Latvia #1 6 New Zealand #1 Tim Robertson Shamus Morrison Nick Hann 22 Australia #2 Henry McNulty Ashley Nankervis Matthew Doyle

1:36:30 1:36:40 1:36:43 1:38:30 1:38:42 1:39:05 33:02 33:09 32:54 1:51:09 34:51 42:25 33:53

ORIENTEERING AUSTRALIA MIDDLE DISTANCE results

Women 1 Sina Tommer Switzerland 28:43 1 Sara Hagstrom Sweden 28:43 3 Andrea Svensson Sweden 29:56 4 Tilda Johansson Sweden 30:01 5 Gunvor Hov Høydal Norway 30:13 6 Zoe Harding Great Britain 30:53 52 Alice Tilley New Zealand 46:11 (6 Australians and 5 New Zealanders competed in the B Final) Men 1 Miika Kirmula Finland 28:58 2 Riccardo Scalet Italy 30:19 3 Olli Ojanaho Finland 30:29 4 Xander Berger Austria 30:44 5 Nick Hann New Zealand 30:47 6 Jonas Egger Switzerland 30:50 16 Brodie Nankervis Australia 34:24 32 Oscar McNulty Australia 37:57 34 Oliver Poland Australia 38:18 (3 Australians and 4 New Zealanders competed in the B Final)

Michele Dawson

Brodie Nankervis

LONG DISTANCE results Women 1 Gunvor Hov Høydal Norway 2 Sara Hagstrom Sweden 3 Emmi Jokela Finland 4 Anna Haataja Finland 5 Mathilde Rundhaug Norway 6 Paula Gross Switzerland 58 Michele Dawson Australia 73 Kayla Fairbairn New Zealand 84 Alice Tilley New Zealand 86 Lanita Steer Australia 87 Helena Barnes New Zealand 88 Olivia Sprod Australia 92 Sophie Harrison New Zealand 96 Sonia Hollands New Zealand 97 Asha Steer Australia 103 Anna Dowling Australia 105 Nicola Blatchford Australia

1:08:15 1:08:18 1:09:15 1:11:45 1:11:58 1:13:15 1:34:46 1:41:27 1:46:36 1:48:25 1:48:34 1:48:38 1:53:41 1:57:41 1:58:54 2:06:09 2:13:48

Men 1 Anton Johansson Sweden 2 Assar Hellstrom Sweden 3 Marek Minár Czech Rep 4 Ivan Kuchmenko Russia 5 Olli Ojanaho Finland 6 Miika Kirmula Finland 13 Brodie Nankervis Australia 16 Tim Robertson New Zealand 19 Oscar McNulty Australia 22 Nick Hann New Zealand 24 Shamus Morrison New Zealand 49 Henry McNulty Australia 81 Ed Cory-Wright New Zealand 88 Matthew Doyle Australia 98 Oliver Poland Australia 109 Cameron Tier New Zealand 121 Callum Herries New Zealand 138 Ashley Nankervis Australia

1:15:17 1:16:18 1:18:45 1:19:36 1:19:39 1:19:58 1:23:37 1:24:51 1:25:45 1:26:24 1:26:41 1:32:06 1:39:35 1:41:25 1:46:35 1:52:54 1:57:57 2:12:19

Henry McNulty Nicola Blatchford

Men’s Long Distance – Maliovitsa Scale 1:15000 5m contours

SEPTEMBER 2014 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 11

2014 MTBO AUS AUS MTBO CHAMPIONSHIPS CHAMPIONSHIPS Andrew Power making good progress. Photo: Reid Moran

MTBO in The Alice Carolyn Jackson Bayside Kangaroos, VIC

australian

& o c e an ia

MTBO c ham pio ns hips 20 14

ALICE

T

he temptation of riding in the famous Alice Springs terrain and purpose built single tracks lured over 100 riders from all over Australia and NZ to exciting new MTBO areas. Three new maps created by Andrew Slattery, one of Australia’s most experienced MTBO map makers made the trip well worth while. Over three days, the format was Middle Distance first, then Long Distance followed by the Sprint. They were also Elite World Ranking Events, plus an Australia/NZ Challenge as well as being National ranking events. All maps were easily accessible by bike from Alice Springs central and the official event accommodation, the Chifley resort, making hiring a car unnecessary.

SPRINGS

NT

The Middle Distance was in a great area and very well mapped.

Lots of route choice, and trying to avoid deep sand, were a feature.

The choice was often whether to risk ‘windier’ single track or take a longer route via 4WD tracks, but those were often sandy. One route choice on some courses had the most direct route up a sandy river bed (which looked tempting but this author certainly regretted, as it gradually got deeper and harder to ride). The longer courses went into a very large open area, with an incredibly detailed maze of tracks in which it was very easy to lose a lot of time, and the course setter capitalised with lots of short legs.

Elite class winners were both former Australian reps and champions making a return to MTBO, Julie Quinn (W21) and Paul Darvodelsky

A large number of competitors arrived on Friday, and after unpacking and assembling bikes, most headed out to check out the model map which was right next to town. Rumours were spreading, and it was confirmed once out there, that it wasn’t the greatest place to ride. Broken glass everywhere, and a myriad of deep sandy tracks and river beds populated by groups of Aborigines made for a less than ideal riding experience. Nonetheless, the scenery was lovely and it was a great chance to hone those sand riding skills and check out the mapping.

Luckily, all the competition areas were a little further away from the centre of town, so we all hoped there would be less broken glass!

The first few days were actually quite cold, coming as a surprise to most, so arm warmers and layers were unpacked.

12 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2014

Dry creek beds and Ghost Gums.

Photo: Brett Merchant

Carolyn Jackson leaving the Long start. Photo: Reid Moran

(M21). Unfortunately for Paul, who is an Alice Springs resident these days, it was deemed he had too much local knowledge, so he was declared unofficial, giving Alex Randall the Australian title, but Paul certainly proved that he “still had it”.

The Long Distance was also a cold overcast day, with the clothing return being welcome. Getting to the start featured a ‘ride’ across the Todd river .... no mean feat. Was it worth giving it a go, or starting your race with shoes full of sand??!!

On the very first leg we were all faced with an immediate route choice, as a large rocky hill was straight in front of us. Left or right? Many of the routes featured similar dilemmas, and the Telegraph Station area proved to be ideal for a Long Distance event.

Most courses had many map turnovers, with one very long leg on the longer courses involving changing your map half way through, making

Middle Distance map – Larapinta. Course 2 – W21, M20, M40 Scale 1:10,000 5m contours (map reproduced here at 75%) SEPTEMBER 2014 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 13

AUS MTBO CHAMPIONSHIPS

Left: Julie Quinn, winner of the three W21 titles. Right: Duncan Sullivan and Darryl Smith near the finish of the Long at Telegraph Station. Photos: Brett Merchant

it difficult to plan the whole leg. Much post race discussion ensued about the fairness of having such a long leg with map turnovers.

so-obvious uncrossable fence. The trick was to notice as you left the previous control and approach from behind. Chris Firman and Julie Quinn were the Elite winners.

Again, fantastic single track and beautiful terrain made for a really enjoyable event and the Telegraph Station is a lovely precinct to host the Finish area. Julie Quinn repeated her result, and so did Darvo, but this time it was Chris Firman who stepped up to take his place after being made unofficial.

Only three people managed a trifecta: Nicole Haigh in W40, with some close competition; up and coming Harrison Keeble in M14; and Julie Quinn in W21, although she had some close margins from Carolyn Jackson. In M20, two JWOC team members, Angus Robinson and Timothy Jackson, battled it out, never being much more than a minute apart. Angus came away with two titles and Timothy one.

That night was the event dinner and presentations at the Chifley.

A great feature was a door prize of a 29er bike, very kindly donated by local bike shop Ultimate Ride, who also provided bike servicing throughout the events. All eagerly awaited the draw, and Leigh Privett was a very excited and lucky winner.

The final event, the Sprint, returned to the oval where we finished the Middle Distance. A great little area with clever courses involving lots of direction changes made for an exciting finale.

Some vague track junctions saw some mishaps, and one control was placed in a small suburban park, but on the far side of a not-

An exciting new talent emerged in Jordyn Kindness, winning two titles in W14 and giving experienced Rhiannon Prentice a run for her money. As usual, there was some tight competition in the large fields of M40, M50 and M60. Many familiar names and previous champions shared the titles, including David King (NZ) and Peter Cusworth (two titles each), Craig Steffens, Andrew Haigh, Duncan Sullivan, Neil Kerr and NZ ‘s Michael Wood. In W50 Deb Bain and Sally Dickson showed their class. Kathy Liley and Dale-Anne Gordon took out two titles each in W60 and W70.

The NZ contingent was a little depleted, but they had some great results, particularly in W50 where they were dominant. Australia ended up winning the Challenge, but NZ put up a great battle given their small numbers. Victoria came away with the State Shield, much to the delight of Blake Gordon!

Putting on this event was a fantastic effort by a relatively small group of South Australians. Led by mapper and chief organiser Andrew Slattery, ably backed up by great course setters Steve Sullivan, Lee Merchant and Paul Darvodelsky, and with an incredible band of helpers, the first MTBO Championships in Alice Springs proved to be the big winner.

Full results and photos available at: ausmtbochamps.com David West enjoying the central Australia terrain.

Photo: Brett Merchant

14 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2014

Rob’s rollicking road trip

Ann taking on the Alice

The inside story of the 2014 Australian MTBO Championships Ann Scown Abominable O-men

What better way to get to Alice for the MTBO Champs than a road trip?

There will be more formal reports of the event elsewhere in this magazine, but this is our story. We had three interested parties, myself, John and Rob Jessop. John and I had a plan..................

G

etting Rob interested was not too difficult. The promise of wide plains, flat roads and endless horizons was too much for him to refuse. Convincing him that an excursion to Dubbo for QBIII would be great preparation took a little longer.

Injury had forced Rob out of running for some months and he was only just back into training. Promising some of the best granite terrain in Australia and the adventure of a road trip from Dubbo via Broken Hill, across South Australia and up to Alice was too much to refuse. Work could be put on hold and planning commenced. Note here that it is difficult to get a clear picture of this epic adventure using Google Earth – you need a REAL map!!

Having travelled parts of the proposed route before it was our chance to fill in some gaps. For Rob it was an entirely new adventure.

We left Dubbo immediately after the last event on Monday afternoon, June 9th, heading south-west towards Forbes. Note to self here – must take Rob there one day as he has only seen signposts to the place. Turning north at Tomingley and then finally west, we overnighted at Cobar. No permanent structures were available at the van park so it was out with the “tepees” and we camped. Dinner was prepared in the camp kitchen, followed by a cold, damp night. Very wet tents were packed Tuesday morning and we headed further into the unknown.

How green can Australia get after a bit of rain? Driving from Canberra to Dubbo was green. Heading west through Broken Hill and into South Australia was green. Arriving at Orroroo for night #2 and it was still green. The van park manager said he had not seen it this green for 30 years. A great “Pub” dinner and the discovery of a “big tree” to check out caused some debate. I reckoned The Big Tree we could visit on our way out of town the next morning but the boys thought different. We dropped by the tree in the morning on our way OUT of town!!

Shopping for supplies in Port Augusta was fun. The bakery, however, was a disappointment. John nearly took us to Perth but he managed to correct his route and had us heading safely north. Rob was impressed with the ever changing landscape and some long, straight, flat bits of road. Everywhere was so, so green.

We reached Coober Pedy and decided to take an “underground

experience” for the night.

Imagine our surprise the next morning when John and I found Rob in his tent by the side of the car. He couldn’t hear his iPod music over the snoring of the bikers present in the underground chasm even though we had rented rooms not niches!

Before the snoring.

We had a long pull to the Alice the next day with more impressive landscapes and a detour into Henbury meteorite craters. Rob managed to identify about 15 different plants in the space of a few metres – amazing.

East to the Track.

The Alice – what a mecca for MTBs with over 300km of tracks around the town. There is a fantastic bike path from town out west to Simpsons Gap. There is a reasonable bakery and plenty of cafes in Todd Street Mall. This was the main road the last time John and I were in town last century!

The MTB champs provided varying success for the three of us. Rob narrowly missed a place on the last day when he found himself on the wrong side of an uncrossable fence.

Ann found the challenge of a fit bunch of Kiwis a little too tough to crack a top position and John apparently has a very nice bike for sale.

So, after a day of relaxation and three days of racing we were ready to head home. After our Ride to Simpsons Gap underground experience at Coober Pedy on the way up, we decided on more conventional accommodation on the way back. Another camp kitchen to cook dinner but where were the baked potatoes?

Probably back in the fridge in Alice or most likely in the bin by now. Pasta for dinner again!

SEPTEMBER 2014 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 15

AUS MTBO CHAMPIONSHIPS South Lake Eyre.

at Mildura then pressed on to Balranald. A superb night in a It was essential that Rob “luxury” cabin on the banks of the Murrumbidgee was a great should not repeat too way to spend our last night on the road. much of the outward Our final day gave Rob the long Mound Springs. journey so promised experience of the Hay plain. we decided Yet another long, flat, straight road. And to head east yet again, so green. Not being one for to William main roads, we turned off the highway Creek and the at Narrandera and came into Gundagai Oodnadatta through Junee. Then the boring Hume Track for the return south. Many more flat roads but highway home. now interspersed with red sand dunes, creeks and What did I learn from this trip – wide open plains. Still very green and ever changing *5 ,600km in 14 days is a bit rushed – scenery. We passed by abandoned “Ghan” sidings and no time to play the “coffee” card! railway bridges, mound • You can fit two bikes, two tents, too many clothes and way too springs and amazingly, much food in Rob’s “truck”, with one bike on the back. water in Lake Eyre South.

• Training food does not necessarily include coke, chips and After an ice cream stop in chocolate – but it works!

Leigh Creek, the western edge of the Flinders • Always check you have emptied the fridge in the cabin before Ranges provided some you get to the next town. interest from the flat road • There is so much of OZ and in the evening some still to see and probably Not so flat. fantastic colours as the not enough time to do it. sun set.

• Orienteering has to be Overnight in Hawker the best sport in the and a great pub dinner world if you want to get were followed by an early start heading for the Burra bakery. out there and see it.

What a disappointment when the fare was not as good as Thanks Rob for such a we remembered. Heading east via Morgan and Renmark, we rollicking ride. kept north of the mighty Murray River driving through some cotton fields. Crossing briefly into Victoria we had a late lunch

The Australian WOC JWOC and MTBO teams outfitted by Trimtex

16 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2014

AUS Schools Championships

Preview

T

he Australian Schools Championships will be staged later this month in the rolling farmland and granite detail of Peterdine, south-west of Northam, Western Australia, as part of the AUS Championships “Karrak Karnival”. Teams from all States will compete in senior and junior Individual events and Relays. In past years the competition has been intense right up to the last few metres, particularly in the Relays. Can we expect the same excitement in 2014? Will the Victorians dominate again this year? Or will one of the other States rise to the occasion? Who will come away with the trophies - and who will simply have the performance of their life?

Probably most.

2013 Victorian Schools team

Here we preview the State Teams for you to follow during the events.

Lanita Steer

Winners State Senior Girls Senior Boys Junior Girls Junior Boys Senior Girls Relay Senior Boys Relay Junior Girls Relay Junior Boys Relay

Matt Doyle

2010 Queensland Emily Cantwell (QLD) Ian Lawford (ACT) Anna Dowling (TAS) Max Neumann (QLD) Queensland ACT Queensland Queensland

Asha Steer

2011 Tasmania Heather Muir (QLD) Oliver Poland (ACT) Winnie Oakhill (QLD) Ashley Nankervis (TAS) Queensland ACT Tasmania Tasmania

Simeon Burrill

2012 Tasmania Michele Dawson (NSW) Oliver Poland (ACT) Asha Steer (VIC) Jarrah Day (TAS) South Australia Tasmania Queensland Tasmania

2013 Victoria Lanita Steer (VIC) Matt Doyle (VIC) Asha Steer (VIC) Simeon Burrill (QLD) Victoria NSW Queensland ACT

SEPTEMBER 2014 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 17

AUS Schools Championships

Victorian Schools Team

W

ill Victoria’s juniors repeat last year’s success, when they won the Australian Schools Championship for the first time since 2004? The 2013 Team’s success was a combination of leadership from the front underpinned by consistent performances from the less experienced members who all completed their courses, thus scoring valuable points for the Vics.

While the Boys’ teams are largely intact from last year, several of the senior girls have moved on, and most of the junior girls are new to the Team (but not new to competitive Orienteering).

The strength of the Victorian juniors lies with the kids themselves, who are a cohesive, friendly, resourceful and purposeful bunch. However, it’s also the culmination of a steady push by the junior support crew including numerous parents. The consistent leadership by Manager Nicky Stevens and Coach Stephen Bird, and the support from Carl and Nicola Dalheim and a growing panel of assistant coaches including Roch Prendergast, have instilled aspirations and habits that have seen the VIC juniors reap success.

Captains Lucy Fleming and Matt Doyle will encourage and inspire their team members, both on and off the field of play.

Junior Boys Michael Loughnan Aston Key Glenn James Jimmy Cameron Max Dalheim (Res) Patrick Bradfield-Smith (Res) Michael Loughnan

Aston Key

Glenn James

Jimmy Cameron

Junior Girls Alice Bills Sarah Davies Caitlyn Steer Alicia Ciacic

Alice Bills

Caitlyn Steer

Alicia Ciacic

Nick Collins

Patrick Jaffe

Louis Cameron

Lucy Fleming

Leisha Maggs

Sequoia Weitman

Sarah Davies

Senior Boys Matt Doyle (co-captain) Nick Collins Patrick Jaffe Louis Cameron Peter Collins (Res) Lachlan Cherry (Res) Matt Doyle

Senior Girls Asha Steer Lucy Fleming (co-captain) Leisha Maggs Sequoia Weitman

Asha Steer 18 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2014

WA Schools Team

T

his year the West Australians are on home ground. Jo-Anna Maynard and Oliver Martin showed they could match it with the best schools juniors last year in Canberra. With another year of Orienteering experience behind them we can expect some good performances from them. Michaela Maynard has also shown some great potential in recent local events. Can she and other members of the Team rise to the occasion? Only time will tell.

Junior Boys Oliver Martin Joel McMullen Isaac Ward Ed Finnie

Joel McMullen

Jo-Anna Maynard

Michaela Maynard

Lily McFarlane

Hannah Schnell

Junior Girls Jo-Anna Maynard Michaela Maynard Lily McFarlane Hannah Schnell

Senior Boys Jacob Eves

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Isaac Ward

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SEPTEMBER 2014 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 19

AUS Schools Championships

NSW Schools Team

T

he NSW “Carbines” Schools Team has retained most of those who ran in Canberra last year. Ewan Shingler, Tom Kennedy, Joanna Hill and Claire Burgess are the new faces in the Team. There’s a large proportion of Garingal Orienteers in the Team and, with another year of Orienteering experience behind them, we can expect some good performances from this strong Team – Go Carbines !

Junior Boys Duncan Currie Callum Davis Alastair George Hugh Gingell Tom Kennedy (Res) Ewan Shingler (Res)

Alistair George

Hugh Gingell

Duncan Currie

Joanna Hill

Rebecca Kennedy

Callum Davis

Junior Girls Claire Burgess Joanna Hill Rebecca Kennedy

Claire Burgess

Senior Boys Scott Charlton Aidan Dawson Daniel Hill Toby Wilson Alex Kennedy (Res)

Scott Charlton

Aidan Dawson

Daniel Hill

Toby Wilson

Senior Girls Melissa Annetts Rebecca George Georgia Jones Amylee Robertson Sam Wallace (Res) Kate Kennedy (Res)

Melissa Annetts 20 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2014

Rebecca George

Georgia Jones

Amylee Robertson

Tasmanian Schools Team

A

s we have come to expect over recent years, the Tasmanian Team is a strong one, particularly in the Senior Girls and Boys sections. After holding the winning State title for two years they lost out to Victoria in 2013. Can their returning JWOC Team members help Tasmaina win it back this year? We’ll find out soon in WA.

Junior Boys

Junior Girls Rachel Allen

Josh Allen

Mikayla Cooper

Johann Burgess

Eleanor McLean

Jaidyn Gluskie

Arabella Phillips

Luke West

Rachel Allen

Luke West

Senior Boys Jarrah Day Ashley Nankervis Seb O’Halloran Oisin Stronach Jake West (Res) Andrew Mackay (Res)

Jarrah Day

Ashley Nankervis

Seb O’Halloran

Oisin Stronach

Senior Girls Celsey Adams Anna Dowling Zoe Dowling Hannah Goddard Jacinta Mackay (Res) Ella Johnson (Res)

Celsey Adams

Anna Dowling

Hannah Goddard

Zoe Dowling

SEPTEMBER 2014 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 21

AUS Schools Championships

ACT Schools Team

A

mix of experience and youth makes this year’s ACT Schools Team quite a strong unit and they should provide fierce competition for the other State teams. The ACT Orienteering community offers its support and well-wishes to Team ACT and the best of luck for the races.

Junior Boys Mark Glanville Patrick Miller Tristan Miller Christian Piiroinen Noah Poland Ryan Stocks Ryan Stocks

Patrick Miller

Tristan Miller

Christian Piiroinen

Senior Girls

Junior Girls

Lucy Barton

Ella Cuthbert Heather Lane Tara Melhuish Zoe Melhuish Miho Yamazaki Caitlin Young Heather Lane

Tara Melhuish

Zoe Melhuish

Oliver Mill

Ian de Jongh

Ciaran Lane

Senior Boys Ian de Jongh Ciaran Lane Stephen Melhuish Oliver Mill Jesse Piiroinen

Stephen Melhuish

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22 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2014

SA Schools Team

T

he South Australian Junior Arrows have returned from a 4-day training camp in Burra resulting in significant improvements within the squad. Bridget Anderson is again coach with Simon Uppill as assistant coach. The combination of expertise and experience has ensured individual training programs which are varied and dynamic. VCE studies have robbed the Team of some talented Seniors but high numbers of Juniors has led to strong competition to ensure selection.

Those selected are now focusing on making a strong impression at Nationals. Congratulations to Alyce Heap who will be competing in her first National Schools Orienteering event.

Junior Boys Dante Afnan Angus Haines Lachlan McCarthy Justin Shao Ethan Penck (Res)

Dante Afnan

Lachlan McCarthy

Angus Haines

Justin Shao

Junior Girls Emily Sorensen Sarah Lim Meredith Norman Alyce Heap Joanna George (Res) Abigail George (Res) Talari Frances (Res) Alyce Heap

Sarah Lim

Emily Sorensen

Meredith Norman

Senior Boys Nick Congedi Angus Mills

Nick Congedi

Angus Mills

Senior Girls Charlotte Braider

Charlotte Braider SEPTEMBER 2014 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 23

AUS Schools Championships

Qld Schools Team

T

he QLD Team is strong in the senior classes with Simeon Burrill and Riley deJong from last year’s Junior Boys Australian Honour team joining Jack Neumann and Tom Ronnfeldt; and Winnie Oakhill and Gaby Withers from last year’s winning Queensland Junior Girls team now joining Heather Burridge, back near her best, and a newcomer, Bronte Gannon.

The junior girls will be hard to beat retaining Zazi Brennan and Caroline Piggere from the successful 2013 junior team joined by a much improved Lauren Baade and young Ellen deJong who won the W14 Easter 3 Day this year.

The Junior Boys are less well credentialed though keen to do well with Jack Hill leading the way with excellent improvement this year, Nick Burridge thoroughly earning his place this time with good results, and young Cameron Morrison and Daniel Gray from the Mini Cyclones squad.

Junior Boys Jack Hill Nicholas Burridge Cameron Morrison Daniel Gray Joshua Morrison (Res) Aidan Tay (Res) Jack Hill

Nicholas Burridge

Cameron Morrison

Daniel Gray

Caroline Pigerre

Ellen deJong

Junior Girls Zazi Brennan Lauren Baade Caroline Pigerre Ellen deJong Jessica Rogers (Res)

Lauren Baade

Zazi Brennan

Senior Boys Riley deJong Simeon Burrill Tom Ronnfeldt Jack Neumann

Riley de Jong

Simeon Burrill

Tom Ronnfeldt

Jack Neumann

Senior Girls Heather Burridge Winnie Oakhill Gabrielle Withers Bronte Gannon Sarah Cranney (Res)

Heather Burridge 24 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2014

Winnie Oakhill

Gabrielle Withers

Bronte Gannon

obituary

Fiona Calabro (1952 - 2014)

a special tribute

E

very now and then there is born a person of superb star quality.

Not a celebrity star whose brightness is won through media exposure, but an unassuming star who gives wholeheartedly of herself to the causes and projects she believes in. Fiona Calabro is this latter style of star – devoted, serving, caring – inspirational in her outlook and commitment. We purposefully use the present tense here, for Fiona’s spirit and legacy is continuing on with us.

Having grown up enjoying an outdoor adventure full life on her parent’s farm in the Goomburra Valley just west of the Main Range on the Darling Downs, Fiona found Orienteering when Brisbane Grammar School teacher, Stuart Mead, introduced her son Lorenzo to the sport. As her brother, Jim Dougall, had already been involved with the Toohey Forest club, she signed up her family as well, and soon became hooked.

At her first Queensland Championships at Amiens in 1992, Fiona won the Perseverance Cup, an award set up to recognise the person who spends the longest time out on the course and still finds all the controls. Undeterred by that experience, Fiona went on to develop her skills in the sport, becoming a very competent orienteer. (She won W45A at the Australian Championships in 1998 and represented Australia in the Australia-New Zealand Challenge). Meanwhile her three children all went on to their own successes in the sport, especially Lorenzo who, in 2001, became the first Queenslander to be selected and compete at the World Orienteering Championships.

their time in training activities and find pleasure together while in preparation for competition. The great successes of many Queensland juniors and the Queensland Schools team during the past decade have, in a big way, been the result of Fiona’s coaching and guidance.

Fiona was also heavily involved throughout her Orienteering life with course setting and controlling at local club, State and National events. She was one of the course setters for the 2004 Australian Easter Carnival at Old Hidden Vale, outside Ipswich, and controlled the 2008 Queensland Championships that were held as part of the Australian Championships Carnival at Maryborough.

In more recent times Fiona had a big input in the administration of Orienteering Queensland with stints as administration officer and secretary and working on strategic and operational plans that helped OQ gain considerable amounts of State Government funding. Her passion for our sport and helping it grow in technical excellence and status has been absolutely tremendous.

Fiona received an OA Excellence in Coaching Award in 1998, Life Membership of OQ in 2012 and a SILVA Award for Services to Australian Orienteering and Coaching in 2013.

It was a Thursday morning in May 2012 when Fiona rang Rob Simson to ask would he be at the mid-week event she was setting up at Seven Hills, a small bushland area in suburban Brisbane, as she was not feeling well and needed help. Rob got there to find she had managed somehow to put all the controls out, so he assisted as she struggled with the administration of the Yet it was as a coach that Fiona excelled. Not satisfied with a event. When the last runners returned they left the markers out Level 1 accreditation, she went on to both Level 2 and 3, the so she could seek immediate medical attention. The news a few highest Ausport classification. She developed a special interest days later was shattering – a brain tumour, then an emergency in coaching women, especially in understanding the way their operation and a stroke. From that day on OQ has floundered navigation styles differ from men. In a radio interview on Radio around missing her alert brain, her storehouse of knowledge, and National at Easter 2002 she said: ‘In Orienteering there is the mental her reliable and wise input into a wide range of OQ activities. Of side and the psychology side, it’s a real mind over matter type sport and course, most of all, we have missed her loving and supporting you have to be able to concentrate and work your brain very well all the friendship. way around the course ….. you have to learn to run on the edge, you Though for two decades Orienteering was a major part of her life, have to go as hard as you can without losing your wits so to speak.’

Fiona also had a range of other interests which she shared with In 1993 Fiona took over as the Queensland Junior Squad fellow orienteers. She was a gifted artist, an enthusiastic gardener, Manager, guiding and nourishing the talent of many young an avid reader and lover of good literature being a trained orienteers as they developed their skills and prepared for librarian during her professional career. competition. Some years later, after the departure of Adrian Whatever way you look at it, Fiona’s contribution over two Rowland, with whom she worked closely, Fiona was appointed decades has been huge to junior and school Orienteering, huge Coaching Coordinator in Queensland, organising training days, to Orienteering coaching throughout Australia, huge to the junior coaching camps, coach education courses and corporate Toohey Forest club and Orienteering Queensland and huge in the events; as well as dabbling in mapping and cartography. She friendships and camaraderie she developed and fostered in the coached and toured with the Queensland Schools Orienteering world of Australian orienteering.

Team every year from 1994-2011, and also managed the Australian Team for JWOC in Hungary in 2001 and Spain in How greatly we miss her.

2002.

Rob Simson Fiona embraced the idea that fun should always be a core element of junior Orienteering, that our juniors needed to enjoy SEPTEMBER 2014 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 25

coming events

Prelude to Tasmania On your way to Tasmania for the Oceania Championships and World Cup carnival why not take in one of the post-Christmas series on offer in New South Wales or Victoria. You can orienteer around the magnificent Sydney Harbour, or stretch your legs in gold mining and granite bush terrain in central Victoria.

XMAS 5 DAYS COMES TO SYDNEY

WARM-UP for TASSIE

The XMAS 5 Days will offer four different formats, so there’s something for everyone. The mostly central Sydney locations offer a mix of Sprint, Score and Bush O events. All are easily accessed by public transport and offer visitors plenty of sightseeing opportunities.

For those heading to Tasmania via Melbourne, Victorian orienteers have put together a tempting entree of Bush Orienteering events to help get your head and your legs back in tune for the Oceania Carnival.

Those not going to Tassie are also welcome to grab an unseasonal fix of summer Bush Orienteering. Each event will be set with a view to providing lots of control picking in the detailed parts of the maps. And there’s plenty of touristic opportunities in the area to fill the rest of your day.

Dec 27 (pm): Long Sprint at Georges Heights.

Dec 28 (am): Sprint on Cockatoo Island.

Dec 29 (pm): 45-minute score event at Pyrmont.

Dec 30 (am): Bush O at Lapstone.

Dec 31 (am): Ultra Sprint at Centennial Parklands.

For more information: www.onsw.asn.au/xmas-5-days-2014

S Y D N E Y

A U S T R A L I A

All events are within 90 minutes drive of Melbourne, and even closer to Castlemaine.

Dec 26 (evening): Muckleford – gold mining Sprint (11km from Castlemaine).

Dec 27 (morning): Mt Beckworth - granite Middle Distance (60km from Castlemaine).

Dec 28 (morning): Mt Tarrengower – granite Middle Distance (20km from Castlemaine).

FIREWORKS!

HARBOUR!

Urban orienteering at it’s finest! See the sights and run the sights! An event not to be missed.

XMAS 5 DAYS

December 27 to 31, 2014

See the website for updates www.onsw.asn.au/xmas-5-days-2014

S Y D N E Y

Presented by

A U S T R A L I A

www.onsw.asn.au/xmas-5-days-2014 26 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2014

For more information: www.vicorienteering.asn.au/events/ bush/WUFT/

ENTR OPENY

TASMANIA AU S T R A L I A 2 -1 1 J A N UA RY 2 0 1 5

o c e a n i a 2 015 . c o m Friday January 2

Tuesday January 6

Thursday January 8

World Cup Sprint Prologue

Oceania Middle Distance Championships A/NZ Challenge

Wednesday January 7

World Cup Middle Distance A/NZ Schools Test Match - Individual Public Event

A/NZ Schools Test Match - Relay Public Event

World Cup Long Distance

Saturday January 3 World Cup Sprint Oceania Sprint Distance Championships A/NZ Challenge

SaturdayJanuary 10

Sunday January 4

Sunday January 11

Oceania Relay Championships

Oceania Long Distance Championships A/NZ Challenge

A/NZ Challenge

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coaching

Training Structures: The Find Your Feet Way Hanny Allston

W

hen I returned to the sport of running in 2012 I was adamant that I was going to approach my running differently. No GPS watches to monitor my pace, no overly structured training sessions and certainly no training planners to tell me what to do.

Two years on and I have humbly changed my tack. A number of niggling injuries and moments drifting around the training circles have lead me back to the world of structure. I have come to realize that whilst training should always by playful and exciting, there does need to be an element of commitment and purpose that comes from our old friend… the training planner. In fact, over the last two years I have progressed so far that I now assist runners to develop their personalized training structures.

In this article I will outline the Find Your Feet Way for developing your ‘training structure’.

Theory #1: Training Planners versus Training Structures I begin with a diversion away from common running terminology. The phrase ‘training planner’ is thrown around a lot.

We want training planners and love them until life throws a curve ball and we get knocked off the plan. To me, a training planner focuses on the detail rather than the grander picture, inferring a prescribed set of exercise sessions that lead you to your end goal.

It implies that sessions are highly planned and linked to certain days and times.

Instead I love to create ‘training structures’. In this sense, the training structure may have a high level of detailed planning but the focus is on providing the methodology behind the plan. The training structure helps to guide an athlete through each block of training, periodising the approach and defining when to go hard or when to go easy. By providing a periodised pathway structure, if a planned session or block is disrupted, the athlete should be able to determine an alternative way forward.

Theory #2: Training Structures should be Periodised In Australia there is a multitude of events to choose from. If you were Inspector Gadget you could literally run in up to ten different races in Australia each weekend. In the ultra running world, more and more extreme events are popping up providing a wealth of choice to any eager athlete. The problem with this is that we can easily over-race and under-recover.

Ultimate performance requires a fine balance between training, racing and recovery. To succeed at our highest possible level, we need to apply a level of load to the body so that when it recovers, it recovers stronger and faster than before. Too much load and we quickly wear down our muscles and energy systems, leading to an elevated risk of injury, illness or athlete burnout. Therefore, 28 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2014

creating a training structure will assist an athlete to determine which races are appropriate and how to build up the training in a sustainable fashion to reach the end goal.

Theory #3: Winter and Summer Seasons of Periodization If we delve back into the archives of some of our greatest coaches – Arthur Lydiard, Percy Cerutty, Richard Telford and Max Cherry – we can quickly see a common theme - Winter and Summer running seasons. Each of these coaches recognized that optimal preparation of the body could not be rushed and the foundations of performance lay in a periodised structure. Using the summer athletics season and the winter cross-country season, athletes could develop a profound aerobic base system to support the more degrading anaerobic training. Arthur Lydiard was particularly vocal in describing his belief that an athlete should never enter the anaerobic or speed intensive training until their body had been primed with aerobic fitness that could support a solid 100 miles per week.

Whilst it is not feasible nor desired that we all sprint around the track over summer then gallop across the nation’s cross-country courses in winter, it should be recognized that our chosen events need to be carefully spaced apart and that the Fathers of our sport were preaching six months to fully develop speed and stamina.

Theory #4: Start with the Aerobic Base It is essential to begin with the development of your aerobic base.

During base training, the lipid metabolism system is primed and our bodies develop an increased level of efficiency at lower training speeds. Whilst ultra runners rely heavily on the aerobic system, all athletes require this solid base. The aerobic training period is also an essential time for building the foundations of your strength development. During this part of the training structure runners can focus on strength exercises that enhance glute muscle activation, calf stamina and muscles of the core.

During the later phases of the training structure, this underlying strength will allow an athlete to progress into faster and more powerful running training with reduced injury risks.

Aerobic training should last as long as possible. Arthur Lydiard firmly advocated at least 8-12 weeks of solid aerobic training or until a point where the athlete’s fitness improvements begin to taper off. That is, they are capable of running faster without expending more energy.

Theory #5: End with Anaerobic Training The only form of energy which can be used by muscles is the chemical energy from ATP (adenosine triphosphate) which is provided by sugar and fats in our diet. When muscles contract, they break down ATP stores to perform energy. If oxygen is

present, such as when we are running aerobically, the ATP stores can be restored and reused. However, without oxygen, lactic acid is produced and eventually performance is curbed. Whilst as marathon and ultra runners we only rely on the anaerobic system for about 1% of our race, all runners can benefit from training this system. Anaerobic training makes it considerably easier to run up hills and keep going in the teeth of a strong wind.

Fast interval & powerful strength training improves your anaerobic capacity. However, this form of training can easily degrade the body and should only be conducted once a firm aerobic base has been established. Planning anaerobic training later in your training structure will ensure that your aerobic base and strength activation is not compromised. Around 4 – 6 weeks of anaerobic training is optimal to prepare you for race day.

Theory #6: Bridge the gap with Hill Training Strength training has long been an important component of runners’ training. Iconic coach, Percy Cerutty, strongly advocated the importance of bounding and powering up the Portsea sand hills in order to prime his athletes for faster track or road running.

Similarly, Arthur Lydiard believed that his athletes should only embark on fast track interval training once they had developed their strength on the hills.

Hills should form an important part of the training structure.

During the aerobic phase hills should be plentiful and incorporated into most training runs. Then, before entering the degrading anaerobic training phase, a block of more focused hill intervals should be conducted. This can include hill intervals, hill bounding and downhill strides to prime the running muscles for higher speed training. The other benefit of training on the hills is that it quickly enhances a runner’s economy and technique.

Theory #7: Periodise each block with Wave Training Within each phase of the training structure it is important to progressively load the body before resting. This process of over-reaching then recovery ensures that adaptation occurs. I liken this process to a wave.

Each week the volume or intensity of the wave increases until the most sustainable peak of training is reached, after which rest and recovery is required to rebuild the body for the next wave.

Starting a training week with an achievable volume and intensity is important. Comprise this week with training sessions that you know you can achieve. They may not be easy, but prior experience tells you that you can handle this load of training. In the next week, stretch yourself a little, knowing that in the coming week you will be returning to a recovery level. This three week periodised approach will help to prevent overuse niggles and injuries from setting in.

WEEK 1

WEEK 2

WEEK 3

WEEK 4

WEEK 5

WEEK 6

Moderate

Hard

Easy + Volume

Moderate

Hard

Easy + increase Volume

Theory #8: Periodise each week with Wave Training Day-to-day, training load should occur in ebbs and flows. Easy days are required to prepare the body to train. They should involve activities that gently prime the muscles, removing waste toxins and tightness generated from prior hard training. Nonweight bearing training is excellent on easy days. A moderate day with higher volume should follow your easy days. These moderate days can help to clock up the mileage but should be kept to lower intensity training zones. A classic example of a moderate day is a mid-week longer run. (Ed: we used to call it LSD – Long Slow Distance). The highlights of any training week are the harder days and these should only be conducted once the body has been primed by its easier and moderate days. Harder days either involve high intensity training or longer volume runs.

Thus, training is conducted through a wave of training from easy to moderate to hard. An example of this wave theory is shown below.

MON

TUES

WED

THURS

FRI

SAT

SUN

Rest

Easy

Moderate

Hard

Easy

Moderate

Hard

Theory #9: Hard = Easy As I discussed earlier, the ‘old school’ training planner often prescribed training without highlighting this underlying structure.

Therefore, athletes were often shifted off course if life threw them a curve ball. For example, it is easy to head out with a friend for a so-called ‘Recovery Run’, only to find yourselves overcome by the joy of running and galloping around at great speed. So, under our old training plan, it would be easy to shrug this off and back up the next day with the next prescribed harder session. The problem is that you are now risking injury because your body has not had a chance to repair.

Instead, having a training structure suggests to the athlete that ‘this is your hard day and this is your easy day’ with hard equalling easy. That is, for every amount of hard training you do, you need the same amount of easy. If two hard training days fall together, you are now looking at two easy days for the body to fully recover.

Theory #10: Keep it fun Finally, running is sport. It is what we do for health, recreation and enjoyment. If one establishes an inflexible training plan that prescribes every day as if it has been drawn in concrete, then we can quickly reach a point of athlete burnout. Here I would encourage you to step out into the wild. By all means plan out your important sessions and longer runs. But leave the rest to feel and a love of exercising. Avoid over-prescribing your easy days so that you can listen to what your body is telling you. Do not be tempted to squeeze in those extra sessions under the pretence that you should. Rather, find your feet with a smart training structure, ability to listen to your instincts and a love of exploration.

SEPTEMBER 2014 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 29

DEVELOPMENT

Space racing update Peter J. Creely, Bendigo Orienteers Inc.

When I first offered to write this contribution I was looking forward to a rewarding season of Space Racing in spite of a rather severe drop off in numbers in 2013. Now that the first series for 2014 has finished, I am very concerned that this article may well turn out to be an obituary. But, hope springs eternal, so here goes.

I

’ve just returned from our last Space Race in the first series for 2014. I had woken to a foggy, damp, but relatively dry morning and it remained that way until I fired up the BBQ for the sausage sizzle – when the first heavy shower hit! Oh well – in spite of this it turned out to be a very enjoyable and successful morning.

A couple of memories that will stay with me for a long time: one is looking down on a team of three young girls (the team that won the Series as it turned out) running flat out in the misty rain, towards the last control, set in a wooded paddock; they were wet and they were enjoying themselves immensely – “give them a map and they’re magic!” The other memory is of Michael – Michael, the Mars Bar Kid. He must be all of six years old and enthusiastically turned up for every race in the eight race series and, accompanied by his father, completed the course on every day. Both of these memories gave me a warm feeling that we were doing something positive for our kids and made up to some degree for the time and effort it has taken us to get to this stage.

features are shown on the map: what a gully looks like, a rock face, erosion gullies – all the stuff that equips them to enjoy participation in competitive Bush Orienteering. We follow this up with a series of recommended novice courses at our local Bush Classics – and that’s the start of the climb up the ladder to the top. This progression is all tied together with weekly e-Bulletins and monthly hard copy newsletters to keep them up to date with what is happening elsewhere in Orienteering. We also offer course setting opportunities: three or four of our Bush Classic events are set by JSquad members under the guidance of an experienced orienteer.

Space Racing started in Bendigo in 2008 and now, seven seasons later, as a direct result of our Space Racing program we have Bendigo JSquad members taking up seven places of the twenty in the Victorian Schools Squad chosen to go to Western Australia for the Secondary Schools Orienteering Championships. Five of these Junior Athletes were members of Space Racing teams representing their schools in the early years of the program and the others in the squad were influenced by Space Racers.

Space Racing is only a stage in the production of Champions in Bendigo. It is the first stage of the journey from the schoolyard to the top. After Space Racing we offer a series of accompanied map walking exercises in the forest where kids are taken into remote bushland and get to know the feel of the bush and how 30 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2014

Lachlan and Glenn L to R 3 and 4.

We can do all this here! Bendigo is situated in the centre of forests that give us at least a dozen high class maps within ten to fifteen minutes drive of the city. We have a program of bush events that is made up of nineteen Bush Classics, plus our ‘Specials’ including the Golden Sandshoe, the Mars Bar Cup, Bendigo ToDay, and Skins – different and challenging formats that are taken very seriously by the kids. This program takes up the year so that between March and November we can offer our kids a competitive race every week. Our entry list usually sees an average of fifteen to twenty Sub Junior and Junior athletes out of a total of around seventy participants each week. Our kids, as well as gaining valuable experience, form a ‘critical mass’ of red JSquad tops and new families can be reassured that Orienteering is indeed a sport for young people, as well as for the seemingly endless mass of Seniors limping in from the forest.

Space Racers at the Space Station.

Space Racers in the Bush.

The performance of our JSquad kids over the year is closely documented and at our November Presentations we crown a Sub Junior Girl and Boy Champion, a Junior Girl and Boy Champion, and a Junior Course Setter of the Year. We also formally present official red Bendigo JSquad tops to the kids who have qualified for membership over the year.

So we nurture our kids: we don’t just sell Orienteering to them, and when they decide to give it a go, throw them into the bush and say: “Hope you like it!” and forget them. Most of our Space Racers come from families who, in many cases, didn’t know what the word ‘Orienteering’ meant so, as a club we must provide the ongoing support to those kids that they would otherwise find if they had been born into an Orienteering family. It is interesting to note that in many cases other family members – parent(s), brothers and sisters, have become dedicated participants and find themselves involved in an intra family sub-competition.

Now for the sad bit: a weakness has developed! With any successful program it is overly optimistic to launch it and expect it to gurgle along happily into the future without any adjustment – as it seems we have done! Sadly we have been negligent and the Bendigo Space Racing program, whilst not actually teetering yet, is on the edge and needs urgent attention. The weakness seems to be in how we take it to the schools in this age of many sports clamouring for attention and yes, a certain lack of interest and enthusiasm locally. Yes, in the past we have done the press releases, the letters to schools, but it obviously hasn’t been enough. We will now revise our tactics and try to develop a long term, attractive, stand alone program that we can better sell to selected schools and bring Space Racing back onto the list of desirable activities.

The future for Space Racing in Bendigo?

Time alone will tell!

I personally have grave concerns for the future of Orienteering generally: what are we doing to bring our sport to more Leisha, Jack and Michael. kids? Bendigo Orienteers Inc. leads the State in the promotion of Junior Orienteering – and so it should given its situation! It is a long established, high performing club with a strong membership list and good, hard working people at the top. We are in a city that is surrounded by forests and is situated within an hour’s driving of some of the best Orienteering terrain in Australia, so maybe it’s easier for us.

But junior promotion must be taken more seriously by the sport as a whole!

I see some great programs being run by other clubs in Australia to attract more kids to Orienteering, but there is still so much more that could be done that is being ignored. Are clubs and State Associations not interested in taking our sport to more kids?

Are we too mesmerised by the attraction of seeking big events?

Or are we too ‘me first’ and are loath to put something else in front of our quest for our own enjoyment? Or, is it just too hard?

Whatever, isn’t it about time we started to take seriously the promotion of Orienteering to young kids – our potential future champions? We have a ‘High Performance Program’, why not create a ‘First Performance Program’?

Oh, where are our marketers? Where are the people who brought Orienteering to us those long years ago – and brought WOC to Australia. They’re certainly very few on the ground today when our sport so badly needs them.

In Bendigo a few of us are showing it can be done, how about all of us in our sport taking up the baton, looking at the future, and start doing something positive for our kids?

What about it? luddcreely@impulse.net.au

SEPTEMBER 2014 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 31

administration DEVELOPMENT

Succession Planning

Lee Smith (Enoggeroos, QLD)

What do we fail to look at? – Part 2 We often focus on the sporting and technical aspects of Orienteering. It’s easy to overlook the people, the organisation and the things that make it operate (or not!) It can be good to step back and look at these. Without them running well, the sport does not run well.

These can affect the sport, the organisations, the clubs and most importantly the orienteers - the people and the volunteers that make it run. If we get these things right we end up with a growing sport that is people focussed, enjoyable and challenging. A sport that should be great to be part of. Get it wrong and it’s not hard to lose sight of the main goals and this has adverse effects on Orienteering overall but most importantly its members.

T

he first part of this Orienteering Succession article (The Australian Orienteer – June 2014) focused on Exploring the Review process, Succession issues and the Framework for change .…. Part 1.

This is all about looking at O from a new perspective. It’s a management approach that relates to what is important for orienteers, volunteers & members. It is based on one State, but more than likely many or some of these issues are generic. They will relate to other States, possibly in slightly different ways; or to other Clubs. The article looks at the methods that can be used to get to the bottom of the organisational aspects, the people aspects and look at ways to move O forward.

The findings of a review in Queensland will make interesting reading for all Orienteers interested in where the Sport could be going (or should be going). The second part of this Orienteering Succession article focuses on Volunteer Management, Valuing Volunteers, Codes of Behaviour to care for members, Ethics to underpin organisations, Mentoring and Change stages… Part 2.

Developing a Volunteer Management Policy: Volunteers today function in a dynamic and changing environment. There are increasing expectations of compliance (safety, technical, etc). Having documented policies and procedures can help.

A volunteer management policy recognises, supports and develops volunteers; it should outline ……

(1) Vision for the Sport; (2) Clubs’ Volunteering and Performance Philosophy; (3) W ho can volunteer? - All ages, ‘Blue card holders’, All abilities, Wider community; (4) Volunteer Rights and Responsibilities.

Right

Responsibility

Treated fairly and with respect

Treat others fairly and with respect

Involved in meaningful activities

Perform duties to the best of your ability

Rest break

Be loyal to the goals and vision of the Club

Instruction on how to undertake roles

Act in the best interest of the club, participants and stakeholders

Right to protection, insurance & safety

Be dependable – do what you agree to do

32 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2014

Tools for Valuing Volunteers: Orienteers need to be invited, welcomed and inducted into their roles. Equally, volunteers need to be recognised for the efforts they are contributing and the roles they are playing in the successful delivery of Orienteering to the community. A range of techniques can be employed…

Volunteers need to feel welcome and valued •R ecruiting People to Volunteering… engagement, fun, opportunities, enjoyment & helping out; •O rientation of Volunteers… not all volunteers need to be in the sport. Volunteers may be a parent; a professional seeking some volunteer engagement; school or university student on a work placement.

Orientation of ALL volunteers is important so they are welcome and valued. A proper induction & information process is needed: •C hecklist for Recruiting, Retaining and Managing Volunteers. It covers ....

Need… Why?; Appoint Volunteer Coordinator; Recruitment strategy; Role descriptions; Orientate new people; Training needs; Evaluation; Review.

•R ecognition of Volunteers. This is critical…

Volunteer Coordinator provides encouragement; Training; Informed; Praise; Awards; Reimburses expenses promptly; Discounts; Farewell as people move on; Awards for Service; External awards.

Volunteer Coordinators: Orienteering runs on the support and energies of its volunteers and it needs members who are willing to volunteer. Moreover, it needs to assist those volunteers in their roles. One key technique is the role of Volunteer Coordinators (VC). Orienteering would benefit from Volunteer Coordinators at both Club and State levels.

What is a Volunteer Coordinator (VC)?

Someone who is willing to find out about your volunteers, supports them while they are a volunteer, assists them to find the role(s) that are most relevant to them, and works with other club members to determine where and when volunteers are most needed.

The role of Volunteer Coordinator is substantial and should not be taken on by someone already laden with other responsibilities. The VC will need support, particularly in the

start-up stages, to set policy and practices, and write job/role descriptions.”

Codes of Behaviour: Orienteers should have expectations on how their members, staff, employees behave. A code of conduct provides a reference point (along with Rights and Responsibilities).

These clarify the values and principles of Orienteering about how you wish to treat each other.

A draft Code of Conduct covers your behaviour as an Orienteer. “If you cannot agree with these principles, then volunteering in Orienteering is not for you. They are simple to adhere to ..…

Code of Ethics: Orienteering Queensland will adopt high ethical standards and abide by all applicable legislation. The Code of Ethics applies to any association officer, director, volunteer and employee.

Transferring Knowledge: Succession and transition planning requires the transfer of knowledge ….. Knowledge transfer can relate to getting skills, information, procedures, networks and key personnel. What is also required is a culture that values knowledge sharing to create value and improve Orienteering’s capacities. It aims to meet its governance, human and operational goals.”

Key Considerations in Knowledge Transfer include: • central location for all information;

Succession Readiness Checklist: Succession & Transition Plan: This was a separate document provided by the consultants. It is the next step and provides a framework to implement changes. It focused on four main areas: (1) Good Governance - at State & Club levels; (2) Volunteer Management; (3) Healthy Culture; (4) Enhanced Communications.

Implementation: Succession and Transition Planning for Orienteering begins with a review and plan. Succession needs “wide scale internal buy-in from members and volunteers so these initiatives are accepted, implemented and internalized as the organisational culture.

It recognises … leadership in seeking change; a need to learn lessons from its past; acknowledgement of modern changes in members & society; an ageing O population; increased competition for participants and volunteers from other sport and leisure options; higher expectations in society for quality of service in sport.

The Succession & Transition Plan: The Priorities - it involves setting the goals, identifying relevant strengths, weakness, priorities & initiatives. It outlines factors for success and expected outcomes.

Fundamental Actions - A Snap Shot: These are needed to support Succession & Transition.

Succession Plan: Contains for each key area …. directions, what, how, why, who, when.

• a good website and discussion network;

Conclusion:

•o nline links from Good Practice Website to Orienteering’s ongoing training;

We often focus on the sporting and technical aspects of Orienteering. It’s easy to overlook the people, the organisation and the things that are needed to make it operate. Sports are in a competitive marketplace. We need to understand what attracts people, what makes them volunteers. If we fail, then people move to more attractive sports (or those better organised for participants & volunteers).

• manuals with clear and essential information to communicate key knowledge; • experts in Orienteering share their knowledge through ‘master classes’; •u se experiences to aid learning and the transfer of knowledge.

Mentoring requires good communicators Mentoring: Mentoring is proposed as a tool for succession and transition of knowledge and skills. It should be somewhat formal ….. to ensure the resources needed for success are committed; and to build the mentors and mentees”.

“It requires good communicators, an understanding of what needs to be shared, a willingness to learn, respect, & a commitment to change. It may be an ‘apprenticeship’ relationship, learning networks, training or coaching“.

We need to recognise changes in society – what attracts the new generation? The way we did it in the past is not a good way to head into the future if we want our sport to grow; we need to be at the front of the train looking forward not on the caboose looking back.

It’s about a vision, good governance for our sport, building up volunteers, a healthy culture & good communications. The first stage is often to step back and get outside ‘fresh eyes’ to help us look at ourselves. This includes where we are failing our members as well as positive directions to support new & existing members. Consultants can assist greatly by providing an external perspective.

The first part of this Orienteering Succession article focused on Exploring the Review process, Succession issues and the Framework for change ... Part 1.

“Have a Mentoring Program - formal & structured - overseen by someone who can guide the mentors, and monitor matches to those to be mentored. Optimally, this will be the Volunteer Coordinator (VC).

The second part focused on Volunteer Management, Valuing Volunteers, Codes of Behaviour to care for members, Ethics to underpin organisations, Mentoring and Change stages... Part 2.

Mentoring is most effective where it is intentional, planned, assessed and managed. Build the Structure; Seek compatibility – people; Use different tools; Be accountable; Encourage regular meetings & a system of learning. Allow people to ‘sign up’ for mentoring - not a selected few; Train mentors.

Both parts explore ways for Orienteering at State & Club levels to prosper.

It’s about People First

SEPTEMBER 2014 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 33

SPRINT-O

Sprint format will attract more participants Michael Hubbert

W

orld wide, the Sprint-O version of our sport is growing faster in popularity than any other format – note the recent growth in popularity of Sprint in Europe.

The whole concept of the Sprint format is precise navigation in complex terrain requiring intense concentration. Sprint Orienteering doesn’t allow participants to relax and enjoy the view.

The term “Sprint” conjures up images of fast running but in Sprint Orienteering the need for speed is more in fast decision making and precise navigation. Fast running without accurate navigation can very quickly take you a long way in the wrong direction. It’s a format for good navigators.

In Europe, the up-coming City Race Euro Tour caters for orienteers of all abilities. The marketing information says it all:

Think hard, run fast, feel good!

Orienteering Events in wonderful places of major European Cities, in front of enthusiastic spectators and with a touristic approach. From Under 10s to Over 70s, whether you are one of the world´s best orienteers, experienced athlete, or it’s your first time in Orienteering …...

YOU ARE READY TO ENTER !

34 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2014

Photo: Erik Borg

Here in Australia, we need more Sprint Series during the year so that people can get to understand and appreciate what the Sprint format is all about. For my part, the Sprint format is the growth future for Orienteering.

More Sprint events are appearing on our Orienteering calendar. Earlier this year we saw the Brisbane Sprint Weekend for National Orienteering League competitors and also the Sprint Canberra series.

At the Karrak Karnival later this month in West Australia there will be the AUS Sprint Championships and in the following week the Sprint the South West series of four events held over two days will be staged by the SWOT club.

Then, in January the forthcoming Oceania Championships & World Cup Round to be held in Tasmania will feature Sprint events at Cataract Gorge and UTAS Launceston. And Oceania will be followed by the Hobart Shorts – a series of six events over four days. The Hobart Shorts may well turn into Bombay Bloomers (or is that Bloopers?) for those of us who lose concentration or relax a bit out on the course.

It’s as much a challenge for the mind as a challenge for the body.

Closely following these will be a repeat in Victoria of the Sprint into Spring series. The 2013 Series was highly successful and it’s expected that even more orienteers will be taking part this year. It’s simply a case of getting the message out that this is a really fun format, and they will come.

There is no time at all to relax and draw a breath, or to ease into the terrain as many orienteers try to do on longer distance courses. The intensity is on for young and old right from the start and, with so many controls close by, it’s important to check every control code. That wicked witch, Miss Punch, can catch out more in Sprint events than she usually does in other formats.

SEPTEMBER 2014 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 35

training

Glucose:

an ergogenic when used with care Stephen Bird – Bayside Kangaroos, VIC Professor Stephen Bird is at RMIT University, Melbourne. Stephen worked with the Great Britain National Orienteering Squad for over 10 years and is now assisting the Victorian Junior Squad

Introduction

E

rgogenic means ‘work promoting’ and in sport something that is ergogenic means that it can enhance your performance.

Ergogenics have received a lot of coverage in the media in recent months, notably those that are deemed to be prohibited under the World Anti-Doping Agency code and prohibited list (WADA, 2013). However, not all ergogenics are prohibited and one of these is glucose. Glucose is a simple sugar, found in many foods, confectionary and drinks. It exhibits its ergogenic properties in a number of ways: (i) it has long been known that in prolonged strenuous events (> 90 minutes) it can enhance performance by replenishing depleted energy stores, and (ii) in more recent times it has become apparent that it can also help in shorter events (< 1 hr) through a different physiological effect. So, in this article I’ll outline why glucose drinks may be beneficial to the orienteer in shorter as well as long distance events.

During strenuous exercise small amounts of glucose can help However, as a proviso before I do: I must emphasise that in terms of health, most people have too much sugar in their diet and should be aiming to reduce their total sugar intake. So in this article I’m not advocating increasing our total dietary sugar intake, but outlining how during strenuous exercise small amounts of glucose can help. For most people the aim would be to reduce their total dietary sugar intake, and having done so, take a little glucose at the appropriate time, i.e. during strenuous exercise.

Using glucose, glycogen and fats for energy In order for your muscles to contract during running, cycling, or any physical activity, they need to harness the energy contained within the food you eat. This is achieved through the digestion of the food in the gut into glucose and fats, which are then stored within the muscle, or stored elsewhere in the body for later transportation to the muscles and other organs that may need the energy.

Glucose can be stored in the liver or muscles as a glucose polymer called glycogen, with a small amount remaining in the blood as glucose. The concentration of glucose in the blood is regulated within a tightly controlled range, typically around 4 – 6 mmol∙L-1. When you eat carbohydrates and the resultant glucose is taken up into the blood from the gut, causing the concentration of glucose in the blood to rise, much of the excess blood glucose is taken up by the liver and muscles to be stored as 36 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2014

glycogen. This occurs under the influence of the hormone insulin, and prevents your blood glucose concentration from becoming too high (hyperglycaemia). It also provides you with a store of glycogen that can be accessed at a later time. So that when there is an extended time period between eating and the concentration of your blood glucose declines, as it’s continually taken up by cells around the body that need it, the liver will release some of its stored glucose back into the blood to prevent your blood glucose concentration from becoming too low (hypoglycaemia).

This thereby enables you to maintain your blood glucose concentration within the permissible range of 4 – 6 mmol∙L-1 despite your food intake being sporadic throughout the day.

Fats are stored within the muscle as Intra-muscular triglycerides (IMTG), under the skin as subcutaneous fat and at numerous other sites. They are transported in the blood as triglycerides and other fats, often in combination with protein forming lipoproteins.

When needed for energy these fats, glucose and glycogen can be broken down metabolically within the muscle through processes that harness the energy that’s contained within their chemical structure to produce molecules of Adenosine Tri-phosphate (ATP).

It is this ATP which is needed for muscle contraction and is the link between the energy contained within our food and the form of energy used by our muscles when we exercise.

The good thing about fat as an energy source is that each gram contains a lot of energy (~9.46 kcal·g-1) and we all have ample fat stores. However, the problem with fat as an energy source is that the rate at which the muscles can use it to generate ATP is relatively slow. As a consequence, maximum rates of fat metabolism generate ATP at the rate needed for walking and slow jogging, or the equivalent in cycling, but no faster. By contrast, carbohydrates such as glucose and glycogen can be broken down at a much more rapid rate and thereby produce ATP at the higher rates needed for faster running. However, there is also a problem with using glucose or glycogen as our sole fuel source, and that is the fact that we cannot store very much of it. As a consequence these limited stores can become depleted during prolonged exercise. Theoretically, if they were our sole fuel source, these endogenous (contained within the body) stores of glucose and glycogen are sufficient for about 60 - 80 minutes of running. So the body has a clever metabolic strategy to make the most of the metabolic properties of both its available fat and carbohydrate (glucose and glycogen) energy stores.

Basically it will use a combination of fat and carbohydrate (glucose and glycogen), with the proportion of each depending on the intensity (running or cycling speed) of the exercise. That is,

it will use as much fat as it can (because there’s lots of it) while at the same time using glycogen and glucose to supplement the rate of ATP production and thereby increase the rate of production above that attained by fat alone. So during low intensity exercise, such as slow jogging, the muscles primarily use fat and a little glucose and glycogen. By using fat and a minimal amount of glucose and glycogen, this strategy spares and conserves the sparse stores of carbohydrate (glucose and glycogen). At higher exercise intensities (faster running and cycling speeds) the muscles will still use a combination of fat and carbohydrate, but with a greater use of glucose/glycogen in order to achieve the greater rates of ATP synthesis required for that speed. Indeed during very high intensity running and cycling almost all of the ATP production will come from glucose and glycogen, with virtually no contribution from fat. Hence as exercise intensity increases there is a shift from using predominantly fat, to relying more and more upon glucose and glycogen.

Glucose as an ergogenic in prolonged events (> 90 minutes) One of the ways that glucose, in the form of sports drinks and gels can work as an ergogenic is by topping up our available stores of glucose whilst we are exercising. In reality the use of such sports drinks cannot entirely keep pace with the rate at which the glucose is being used, but if taken early enough they will certainly delay the point at which depletion and the consequential slowing in speed occurs. Ideally this point would not be reached during an event and the orienteer will finish their event before depletion falls to a level that causes a slowing of running (or cycling) speed.

Such depletion is also likely to adversely affect thought processes, navigation and decision making. So it will affect the orienteer’s ability to navigate as well as run. This is why sports drinks are effective in prolonged endurance events (>90 minutes) and the metabolic reasons underpinning their use have been known for decades (Burke et al., 2007).

In hot conditions the use of sports drinks will also help to prevent dehydration, but that’s a whole other topic for another article. So based on the wealth of evidence for the ergogenic benefits of sports drinks in prolonged exercise, orienteers could consider carrying small amounts (<1 lire) in a drinks pack during long events, especially in hot conditions.

In essence there is evidence that there are oral receptors within the mouth that sense the presence of carbohydrate and stimulate reward centres in the brain (Jeukendrup and Chambers, 2010).

During high intensity exercise this reduces the perception of fatigue and enables the ‘athlete’ to increase or maintain their speed. In laboratory studies these improvements tend to be of the magnitude of 2 – 5%, which is substantial and a significant performance improvement for any ergogenic. To date, most of these studies have been undertaken with cyclists (Lane et al., 2013) but the physiological principles would also apply to runners, including orienteers. To isolate this ergogenic effect from the one associated with topping up the carbohydrate (glucose and glycogen) fuel reserves, these studies have used a mouth rinse protocol, in which the cyclists periodically rinsed their mouth with the carbohydrate drink before spitting it out, rather than swallowing. Note that in practice there is no reason why the runner or orienteer shouldn’t swallow the drink having rinsed it around their mouth first, and thereby gain the benefits of both a reduced sense of fatigue and the additional carbohydrate fuel.

However, it may be important to rinse the drink around the

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A L IA

Glucose depletion will affect thought processes, navigation and decision making

As indicated above, in addition to the wealth of evidence for sports drinks to be beneficial in prolonged strenuous exercise (>90 min), there is now a growing body of evidence for sports drinks having possible benefits during high intensity exercise of a shorter duration (< 1hr) (Carter et al., 2004). Since these shorter durations are unlikely to cause a level of glycogen depletion that would result in the aforementioned slowing in speed, the ergogenic benefits of glucose in these shorter events must occur through a different mechanism.

AU S T R

The problem with this is that, as previously mentioned, our stores of glucose and glycogen are limited and if this high intensity exercise is sustained for >90 minutes they will become depleted (glycogen depletion). The consequence of this is that as the muscle glycogen becomes depleted and starts to run out, we become more reliant on fat, and because the fat cannot be metabolised at a fast enough rate to generate the ATP at the rate needed for fast running, we are forced to slow down to a speed that can be attained from fat metabolism – which is a much slower jogging or running speed. This is what many Marathon runners experience in the later part of their event. In Orienteering this form of fatigue can also occur in the later stages of a prolonged event, particularly if it’s a multi-day event and the orienteer had not fully replenished their muscle glycogen stores overnight after the previous day’s event and as a consequence started their event with an already semi-depleted store of muscle glycogen. Also note that whilst our glucose and glycogen stores become reduced, our body doesn’t let us completely run out of glucose as it’s essential for our brain and other functions. So by making us slow down the remaining glucose is conserved for these other vital functions.

Glucose as an ergogenic in shorter (< 1 hr) events

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training

mouth for a few seconds rather than swallowing immediately, so as to ensure that the sensors are saturated with the carbohydrate drink, rather than being by-passed, which could occur if it were swallowed immediately. Also, whilst the usual drink is a sweet tasting glucose based sports drink, it is interesting to note that it appears to be caloric concentration of the drink that is important and not the sweet taste, as non-caloric but sweet tasting placebos appear to have no benefit, whereas non-sweet tasting carbohydrate drinks do.

Cautionary notes It is possible to make sports drinks too strong, which will impair their effectiveness as it delays the rate of absorption, so an optimal strength is around 6 – 8% (6 – 8g of glucose per 100ml).

Additionally, other sugars such as fructose and glucose polymers have been tried with varying results. Another cautionary note about sports drinks is that whilst they can be highly effective for very strenuous sport, their use by the recreational and moderate intensity exerciser may be problematic. For example, if exercising in the gym on an exercise bike at a moderate intensity for 20 – 30 minutes, it’s quite possible to take in more calories via the sports drink than you are using up with the exercise. So whilst the health and fitness benefits of exercise are not just about losing weight, if someone does have that as an objective, the use of sports drinks can be counter-productive. Furthermore in such circumstances, if you flood your body with glucose (as when drinking a sports drink) during low or moderate intensity exercise, you will suppress your use of fat. So sports drinks are very effective when used in the right context, but they should be used correctly.

References World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) (2013). The World Anti-Doping Code, the 2013 prohibited list, International standard. Download at http://www.wada-ama.org/en/World-Anti-Doping-Program/Sports-andAnti-Doping-Organizations/International-Standards/Prohibited-List/ 23rd December 2013 Burke L.M1, Millet G, Tarnopolsky M.A; Nutrition for distance events.

J Sports Sci. 2007;25 Suppl 1:S29-38.

Carter, J.M., Jeukendrup, A.E., and Jones, D.A. 2004. The effect of carbohydrate mouth rinse on 1-h cycle time trial performance. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 36(12): 2107–2111.

Jeukendrup A.E. and Chambers E.S. Oral carbohydrate sensing and exercise performance. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2010 Jul;13(4):447-51.

Lane S.C, Bird S.R, Burke L.M, Hawley J.A. (2013). Effect of a carbohydrate mouth rinse on simulated cycling time-trial performance commenced in a fed or fasted state. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 38: 134 – 9.

More on The Adventures of Jeff !, by Duncan Currie. Jeff is an orienteer in need of more than a little help.

38 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2014

Mapping

“Base map by Chris Wilmott” Alex Tarr

On every Orienteering map we should find the source of the base map and who did the fieldwork. By far the most common name on Australian maps is that of Chris Wilmott. Usually there is a phrase “Base map by Chris Wilmott” or “Photogrammetry by Chris Wilmott.” Chris’ work has been fundamental to the quality of Australian mapping. Chris is now retiring from his photogrammetry work, and has dismantled his venerable Wild B8 plotter. This marks the end of an era and it is worth reviewing Chris’ contribution to Australian Orienteering mapping.

Early days

F

or the first few years of Orienteering in Australia the maps we used were photocopies of government maps with little or no fieldwork. This was transformed in 1973 when the Swedish Orienteering Federation paid for several base maps and sent Roland Offrell to Australia to show us how to fieldwork and draw international Orienteering maps. At that time orienteers were overwhelmingly competing in the open classes (now 21A and E) and, in a new sport, had to take responsibility for all its aspects.

It was the same orienteers who competed against each other, who filled the administrative positions, set the courses and who took up the challenge of making maps.

Norwegian Championships. During the winter of 1977/78 Chris learnt photogrammetry from his employer Karl Orud.

Meanwhile in Australia special base maps were being sourced from local and Scandinavian specialist companies. The weakness of this was that the operator did not have a full understanding of Orienteering fieldwork requirements or did not have knowledge of the detail of Australian terrain.

Chris and base maps in Australia On his return in 1978 Chris could now offer the skills of both an effective fieldworker and photogrammetry operator, together with knowledge of Australian terrains and the viewpoint of an elite orienteer. The OANSW grasped the opportunity and requested government assistance to provide Chris access to a stereoplotter (the outright purchase of a machine was not feasible). Access was provided at Sydney Technical College where Chris plotted for many years. Meanwhile, in Victoria Pat Thwaites was doing much the same thing in Bendigo. Finally with the digital era in the 1990s the older technology was being replaced and Chris was able to purchase a stereo plotter and assemble it in a room in his house.

Such was the start of an era which has ended this year. The fieldworker now had a base which had well plotted contours plus the myriad of detail needed for accurate positioning of the complex detail found on the ground. A process of continuous

Chris started Orienteering in 1973 and, mentored

by Dave Lotty, was quickly involved in mapping with the Wattamolla map for the 1974 Aus/NZ Challenge and NSW Championships as his first major project. Australian orienteers knew they were on a steep learning curve and in the 1970s a number gravitated to Scandinavia to improve their abilities in the home of the sport. Chris was the first Australian to do this (later notable orienteers were Geoff Lawford, Steve Key and Rob Plowright).

It was common for Australian orienteers to support themselves doing fieldwork. In Scandinavia Orienteering maps are contracted to specialist companies who produce base maps, do the fieldwork and present the clubs a completed map.

Chris spent three summers and one winter in Norway orienteering and was the first nonScandinavian to make maps in Norway. Chris’ fieldwork stood the test and his final project was fieldworking and drawing the map for the 1979 SEPTEMBER 2014 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 39

Mapping

feedback between fieldworkers, orienteers and Chris lead to even better base maps saving countless hours of fieldwork time. Largely through the WOC 85 mapping program it was realised that government aerial photography was taken from a height which meant that much ground detail was indistinct. It became best practise to commission special lower flight photography for major maps.

This greatly improved the quality of the base map as photos could be viewed in detail at scales of 1:15 000 to 1:10 000.

With digital mapping now being industry standard it has been increasingly difficult to obtain the analogue photography needed for the old technology. Accordingly, now Chris is moving to a smaller house it is no longer possible to house his dinosaur machine (needs a 3.5 x 3.5m room) for a greatly reduced demand from Orienteering.

As a fieldworker of Orienteering maps I have used many a Chris Wilmott base map. You always expect an honest effort, reliable contours and sufficient detail to be able to place features accurately. Having now worked with various digital sources I now see that Chris would anticipate the fieldworkers’ need and bend contours and form lines to include features that fell just outside the absolute level. His work could be depended on and was never late. I have (and will continue) to visit him when in Sydney and he, like his family, have been most hospitable. I believe that Chris has contributed greatly to Australian Orienteering and I would rate him as probably the most influential orienteer in Australian mapping.

Chris is an admitted map tragic. His retirement plans include more time with his family and a continuation of his interests in surfing and rock climbing. As an irregular but still competitive orienteer he is still attracted to events on the more challenging

terrains. He says “many of my best friends are O-maps and orienteers and Belanglo Hut will be even closer to the new house,” and he hopes to meet them often.

Where will we get our base maps for future Orienteering maps?

There are at least three sources. Firstly there are a number of base maps produced by Chris which are scheduled to be fieldworked over the coming years. Next there are base maps using the current digital technology whether by computer manipulation of optical photography or more likely by use of Lidar technology. Both these

5 stages of creating an orienteering map

Chris’ photogrammetry for Frazel Rock 40 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2014

Contours

technologies have been used for major maps. Both technologies require extensive manipulation of data and I expect it will be orienteers with software skills that will develop skills to produce optimum base maps.

Lastly there are existing maps. A map with a good Chris Wilmott base that has been accurately fieldworked will continue through many updates. Having plotted a total of 422 base maps it can confidently be predicted that for the rest of this century the maps of many of our best Orienteering terrains will still bear the text “Base map by Chris Wilmott”.

detail will not go on the final map; fallen trees, isolated trees, small clearings or even just a bright piece of ground – this detailed positioning all aids the fieldworker. The process takes painstaking concentration and the operator knows that any lapse in the process will be criticised by the fieldworker. The specially produced base map facilitates better O maps. However the plotted contours and other features are still as viewed through photographs taken from considerable height and viewed through an optical illusion, thus a full ground check is required.

The mechanics of base map production Aerial photos are flown in runs. These photos overlap each other so that adjoining photos can be placed in the stereoplotter and the overlapping area viewed “stereoscopically”. That is – your brain is tricked into seeing three dimensions because one eye sees the left photo and the other eye sees the right photo. Typically the operator is seeing a 3D picture with a six times exaggeration in height at a scale of up to 1:1000. The 3D illusion is of sufficient accuracy to be able to plot accurate contours and the visual scale of the photograph allows for the identification and correct placement of small features.

The person doing the plotting then traces any required detail from the photos onto paper by controlling the movement of a little black dot centred within the viewing mechanism.

A small area may only need one set-up (a model) but larger areas will require more models and sometimes photos from adjoining “runs” will also need to be set up. Information from an existing source (usually 1:25 000 topographic maps) is used to scale and level the models. Setting up the first model takes about four hours and subsequent models under an hour usually.

A skilled operator who understands the requirements of the Orienteering fieldworker can produce a base map that will save countless hours in the field. Much of this specially plotted

Contours, Rock & Vegetation

Contours & Rock

Finished map SEPTEMBER 2014 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 41

2015 AUS CHAMPIONSHIPS

2015 Australian Spring Orienteering Carnival – Ballarat Once the Karrak Karnival in West Australia is over we’ll be turning our attention to next year and the Dr Blake Mysteries, centred on Ballarat.

D

r Blake’s Multifarious Mapping Mysteries will unfold over nine days in and around the historic Victorian gold mining city of Ballarat from September 26 to October 4, 2015. Most events are within 20 minutes of Ballarat with only a couple requiring a 30-40min drive out of the city. Ballarat can be reached from Melbourne Airport via a direct shuttlebus or by bus to Southern Cross station and then train.

Whilst gold will always remain a great drawcard for Orienteering visitors in this region of Victoria having left its legacy in the terrain following the frantic mining activities of the 19th century; there is now a new and intriguing reason to come to Ballarat.

It is the home of Dr Blake, star of ABC television’s hit series, whose investigative techniques could provide many a pointer for all orienteers studying their maps and planning their strategies during the carnival. Many of the heritage buildings and scenic locations from the TV series can readily be seen in Ballarat when you visit. If your partner is not an enthusiastic bush orienteer, the social and cultural program will offer plenty to make their Ballarat stay both interesting and rewarding.

For elite and social orienteers, Orienteering Victoria has assembled the State’s best mappers, course setters and controllers

42 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2014

and worked them into cohesive teams to deliver quality events across the entire program.

The first weekend will be based in the Creswick Forest with the Victorian Middle Distance Championships being staged on the opening Saturday in an area typical of intricate gold-mining. This will serve as a “model” warm-up event for the rest of the carnival.

The following morning the Australian Middle Distance Championships will be held in a challenging gold-mining area which will test all competitors. Alex Tarr has described this as “the very best Middle Distance terrain”.

For the next three days the focus for the carnival shifts to the Schools Events and two associated public events. New for 2015 is a Schools Sprint on Monday afternoon to be held at a tertiary campus which will combine the twists and turns expected around the built environment, but will also allow for excursions into nearby bush, park and garden areas.

Following this will be two days spent north of Ballarat in classic Victorian dry eucalypt forest punctuated with spurs and gullies giving the students a chance to shine on their own and then in Relay format. Public entries will be available for all on both these days. The assembly area is like an amphitheatre of open forest

surrounding a scenic farm paddock beside a creek, providing excellent spectator opportunities â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a navigational error made emerging from the bush will be very public indeed!

On Thursday afternoon, it is back into Ballarat, firstly to experience the Victorian phenomenon that is Park & Street Orienteering. The team that manages this in Melbourne will bring the format to Ballarat. The central location and historic urban surroundings for this event may prove distracting for some who may be scouting for Dr Blake scenes. This event will be within the capabilities of novice orienteers who may wish to walk the parks, streets and lanes guided by a simple town map. A dinner is planned for that evening.

On Friday afternoon, the Australian Sprint Championships will be held just minutes from the Ballarat CBD and the emphasis will certainly be on speed in this flat, leafy urban environment.

Then comes the final weekend culminating in the Australian Long Distance Championships followed on the final day by the Australian Relays. The long event will be back to a different area of the Creswick Forest mapped by local legend, Roch Prendergast, with courses set by Rob Plowright who would have to have arguably the most detailed knowledge of the Creswick Forest.

The Relay event will be staged in a seldom used area of forest to the south of Ballarat, originally mapped for the inaugural Australian Five Days Orienteering Carnival in 1978, and expertly remapped by Alex Tarr.

Throughout the week Ballarat will enhance your experience through its world class attractions such as Sovereign Hill and the Gold Museum, and now the Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka. Add in the joys of the Fine Art Gallery, the historic streetscapes, the fine wining and dining, the walking trails, the gardens and the lake and your week will be memorable.

Book your accommodation early for this carnival. The events will be during the Victorian School Holiday period and the first weekend coincides with the AFL Grand Final while the famous South St Eisteddfod will be running during the same time. www.ozchamps2015.com will be your guide to all that will unfold. May your mapping mystery be solved at first glance. We hope you will find yourself in Ballarat in the Spring of 2015.

SEPTEMBER 2014 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 43

Letters

The Australian Orienteer welcomes letters. Preference will be given to letters which are concise and which make positive points. The editor reserves the right to edit letters, particularly ones which are longer than 300 words.

I

EVENTOR

s EVENTOR destroying the spontaneous fun of our sport and putting off potential new players?

Are we presenting Bush Orienteering as a closed shop, overregulated and only to be enjoyed by exclusive membership by those who have access to a password. How welcome do you think new members really feel?

New membership is vital for our continuing future, and it is clear that the current demography is already stacked in favour of those over 50. What next? An agonizing death in the forest awaits us.

We need to encourage potential new members, not treat them with indifference or worse still, like pariahs. The public at large needs to know through attractive and readily available advertising, exactly where the next event is (with directions in English), the date when it will take place, and be given a mobile telephone number of the organizer, to immediately find out more. It is not good enough to hide the bush events behind a veil of electronic secrecy. Many more ordinary people would like to enjoy a day out in the bush, but at present the conditions and price seem too onerous.

Consider these three separate scenarios: Scenario A: Joe Bloggs hears about Orienteering and browses the web site. He sees a map with an arrow pointing vaguely in the direction of where the event will be, and not knowing any better, he believes this is the only information available as to where he has to go. He recognizes that it is somewhere near Castlemaine, which he has visited before and rather liked the town, so he decides to go and see if he can find the start. Joe Bloggs has a Vic Roads book by his

side as he drives towards Castlemaine. He drives into the area shown on the web site map, but nothing seems to fall into place. He drives and drives all over the place, but cannot find anything he recognizes. After driving around for nearly an hour and asking locals if they can recognize the area on the map, he has no success, and eventually pulls into a cafe for a coffee before heading back home to Melbourne. Joe Bloggs decides there must be better things to do on a Sunday, and determines never to go Orienteering again.

Scenario B: Joe Bloggs finds the Orienteering web site and by virtue of some degree of persistence, manages to find the instructions to the next event in plain English. He would like to ask some questions before he ventures out on this adventure, but there is no mobile telephone number to call, and it is too late to have a conversation by e-mail, so he just sets out to give it a try. When he arrives at the event centre he is directed to the registration tent. He is immediately asked whether he has pre-entered, to which he replies “No”.

This is met with a very grim response and someone barks at him that he will have to pay an extra $5 on top of the $35 he needs to pay for the map, not being an OV member. “What map?” he says, and is informed that he can only get the map when he goes to the start, which is about a kilometre down the road. He asks how to find the start, and is told to go in that direction and to use his compass, which of course he does not have. He agrees to hire a compass and an SI stick.

When Joe Bloggs arrives at the start, he is told that as he has not pre-entered, there are no maps left for the easy course he should be doing, as after all this is his first time at any Orienteering event. The only maps available now are Course 3, and he has no choice. Joe Bloggs starts his course and has very little idea as to how to find anything, but vaguely points his compass in the direction he thinks he should go, climbs a few hills, and eventually seems to be on his own, with no one else around. After crossing some streams and several ravines Joe Bloggs does not really know where he is. The weather has taken a turn for the worse. It is cloudy now and starts to rain. Suddenly Joe Bloggs realizes that he has lost his compass, perhaps down one of those steep ravines that he has crossed, and he is really now in a barbed wire canoe without a paddle. Joe Bloggs does not know what to do, so he sits down and prepares to spend the night out in the cold, hoping that he will be able to retrace his steps tomorrow morning. He waits and waits and resigns himself to an arctic night in the forest.

Meanwhile back at registration, it is noticed that Joe Bloggs has not come back, and a search party is sent out to look for him. They are doing a grid across the map, calling down mine shafts, and generally wondering if they should alert the local emergency services. Eventually by chance they see someone slumped over a rock, and sure enough, on their approach they find this is indeed the lost Joe Bloggs. The search party yell at Joe Bloggs and he responds, and when they get there they tell him off for doing Course 3, which was not suited for him as a first timer. Joe Bloggs is too exhausted to defend himself, and is led back to the finish area, where he is once more berated roundly for losing his compass, and is charged an extra $55 on top of the $40 that he has already paid.

Everyone at the finish is extremely grumpy, and Joe Boggs slinks back to his car, and drives away as quickly as he can, telling himself that he and his family could have had a slap up meal at Carluccio’s for the money he had spent on such a terrible day. He vows never to go Orienteering again.

Scenario C: Joe Bloggs browses the web site and sees details of the next event near Bendigo, set out in English, on page one of the web-site, together with the date and time.

There is also a mobile telephone number and he rings it. The

44 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2014

organizer is very helpful and gives Joe a lot of information and he invites Joe to meet him at the registration tent next Sunday, when he will help Joe with his first event. When Joe arrives at the tent he is warmly welcomed by John Smith, who suggests some appropriate courses, since this is Joe’s first event. Joe is given a blank map for $10 and is shown how to fill in his course and what the contours and features stand for. He is given a compass and SI stick on loan and shown where the start is, where he is introduced to Bob Brown who asks Joe whether he would like someone to go out with him for the first couple of controls. Joe accepts this offer and he and Bob go out on the course where Bob explains all the various features as they relate to what is on the ground. Joe and Bob get on very well and end up doing the whole course together. After going through the finish they have a lively conversation over a cup of tea, and Joe has very pleasant day out. Joe Bloggs decides he will definitely come back for the next event and bring his whole family with him. Joe and Bob exchange mobile numbers and Joe Bloggs drives back to Melbourne in a warm glow of enthusiasm.

Which of these three scenarios do you think is most likely to encourage new members? No prizes for guessing the answer.

All of these examples have happened at various times to various people, and if we do not change they will continue to happen.

How often have you read the e-newsletter and seen the instructions as “Go to Eventor”? For a new member of the public that could be very like saying “Go to Hell”. Many of them will just turn away. We need to make things easy for members of the public to be encouraged to join us. It is nice for regular orienteers to preen themselves that they know how to use Eventor, but this does nothing to help the public at large. Someone who just wants to try the sport out often does not want to pay large fees in advance. These potential new members of the public could be our orienteers of the future, and we should be welcoming them, not crowding them out with obfuscation.

My friends I’ll see in the arena at some point, before or after their races. Knowing their start times is irrelevant. I am interested in their finish times.

So I don’t believe 600 people are going to print out a complete start list. People with smart phones and tablets will have an electronic copy. I write down my start times, but, at most, people are only going to print out the start times for their own and their passengers’ classes. There’ll be a complete list at the event arena if you need to look up a particular person.

On another tack, I love reading about the varied and novel forms of our sport in The Australian Orienteer. The map in three dimensions for the Stockholm Indoor Cup 2014 fair boggled my brain! I thought it was wonderful!

Pat Miethke, Parawanga Orienteers, ACT. [Editor: In a recent court case brought by the ACCC, Optus was forced to admit that their mobile phone coverage of the Australian continent was just 12.6%. That leaves a massive 87.4% of the land mass without coverage, and it’s not all desert. We use some of it to stage our Orienteering events, particularly major carnivals. Already, the organisers of the 2015 Easter carnival have advised that there will be little or no phone coverage in the region.

Perhaps the issue could be resolved if Eventor offered a printed Start Times option on the entry page, under Services.

I like to know when the good runners are starting so I can watch them at spectator controls and the Finish, perhaps even photograph them - not just Elites but other good orienteers too.]

Why not have two tiers of competition at State events, now that in Victoria there are no age classes? One section could be very formal, where people enter via Eventor, pay high prices, and go on the list of the recorded results, and the other section could be similar to MelBushO events where they pay $10, perhaps mark their own maps, and only record the fact that they have finished. That way new people are catered for, and allowed to have a nice day out in the bush without mortgaging their house.

If anyone has any views on this please let me know.

Dorothy Adrian (Nillumbik Emus, Victoria) dpadrian@tpg.com.au

T

START TIMES

revor Sauer is a lovely man, but it is not at all clear to me from his letter (The Australian Orienteer, June 2014) why he needs to know the start times of 600 other people for each event in a carnival.

The only start time I need to know, apart from my own, is the earliest start time among the people travelling as passengers in my car, and we usually sort that out when we are discussing departure time to go to the next day’s event.

Although I often do look to see who is starting just before/ after me, experience tells me I am better off not knowing, otherwise I focus on them, and whether they have passed me yet, and not on what I am doing.

Victorinox award The Victorinox Award goes to Rob Simson for his assistance with QLD Schools articles over many years. Rob will receive a Victorinox Handyman which includes 24 tools and features – retail value $119.

SEPTEMBER 2014 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 45

COMMENTARY

Whose bus is it?

Jim Bowling Enoggeroos, QLD

M

an is a lazy beast. If he can find an easier way to do something, he will. The club made it easier to hunt for food. The cave made it easier to live more comfortably.

The wheel made it easier to move.

Their computer made it harder to crack the Nazi code. Our computer made it easier to crack the Nazi code.

Wherever and whenever man has a task, he attempts to make it easier to perform. You can relate all the foregoing to one simple tool. We call it the shovel. It is simple and easy to use.

If it breaks we fix it or replace it. The other major reason for using a tool of any description is that the user must remain in control. The tool must not control the user.

Orienteering has been fixing and replacing tools over the years to make the managing of the sport easier and simpler for the participants. We no longer use painted ice cream containers with coloured crayons at the end of a piece of string. The control punch and numbered control card is fast disappearing. The SI stick I use is now old hat. With the latest example, you simply wave the stick over the top of the field unit to record your passing. No pause in your running.

enter all types of events. They then foisted this programme onto the unsuspecting Orienteering clubs throughout Australia. Along with this programme came a large debt to be paid for by these same clubs. Without consultation.

The introduction of a new tool to assist orienteers, the clubs, and the States, should always be welcomed. The first criteria that must be addressed before the introduction of these tools is that the tool must assist all the users, it must be simple to use and driven by the user.

This begs the question. Why has Eventor been introduced to the orienteers throughout Australia?

This programme: Assumes everyone has a computer; Assumes everyone has a mobile telephone; Assumes everyone has a unique and individual email address; Assumes everyone can, or wants, to use electronic banking facilities; Assumes.........

Assumes.........

Assumes.........

Assumes.........

There is a much worn adage - ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!’ The other side of the coin is; ‘If it’s broke, fix it!’ Eventor does not make life easier for orienteers. The bus belongs to Eventor!

(The programme inventor owns a Mercedes.) Eventor is the master we are the tool!

The steady and rapid introduction of the computer into the field has made the recording and publishing of results much easier. Wireless has now made it possible to have the results up on ‘The web’ before you arrive home after an event.

There are numerous examples of software programmes available that enable the participant to enter an event from the comfort of their home without undue knowledge of computers. Many of them are free or moderately priced.

These same programmes allow the participant to actually use the ‘old fashioned’ method of posting a letter with a cheque inside to have themselves and their families entered in an event, be it a low key local club, or a national championship.

The UK’s Orienteering Magazine Packed with maps, event reports, coaching tips and advice, MTBO, Mountain Marathons/Rogaining, Competitions and much much more.

Subscribe online using all major credit cards at www.CompassSport.co.uk

Without much forewarning or consultation Orienteering Australia introduced a programme to enable participants to

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46 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2014

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Top events 2014

2016 Sept 27Oct 5 Sept 29 Oct 4 Oct 6-10

Oct 10-13

Oct 11-19

Nov 1-8

Dec 27-31

Karrak Karnival, AUS Champs Carnival 2014, West Australia wa.orienteering.asn.au/karrak-karnival Five Days – Croatia-Montenegro Dubrovnik & Montenegro region www.orienteering.it Five Days 2014 – Puglia, Italy Castellaneta, Puglia, Italy www.orienteering.it North American Orienteering Championships. Ottawa, Canada www.NAOC2014.ca Race the Castles 2014 Scotland www.racethecastles.com WMOC 2014 Porto Alegre, Brazil www.wmoc2014.org.br/ XMAS 5 Days Sydney NSW. www.onsw.asn.au/ xmas-5-days-2014

Dates tba July 9-16

July 16-23

July 24-30 Dates tba Aug 20-28

Jan 13-16

April 3-6

July 1-5

April 21-30

WMOC 2017 New Zealand www.worldmastersgames2017. co.nz/en/ July 1-7 WOC 2017 Otepää, Estonia www.orienteerumine.ee/woc2017/ July 9-16 JWOC 2017 Tampere, Finland July 9-16 FIN5 2017 Tampere, Finland August World Games Wroclaw, Poland August 20-27 WMTBOC 2017 Vilnius, Lithuania

July 5-12

June 8-14

Oceania Championships 2015 & World Cup, Tasmania oceania2015.com The Hobart Shorts near Hobart, Tasmania oceania2015.com Australian 3 Days Carnival 2015 Jamestown, 200km N of Adelaide South Australia MTBO 5 days 2015 Pilsen, Czech Republic JWOC 2015 Rauland, Norway www.jwoc2015.org WMMTBOC 2015 Idanha-a-Nova, Portugal

July 19-24

O-Ringen 2015 Borås, Sweden. www.oringen.se

July 25 Aug 1

WMOC 2015 Gothenburg, Sweden www.wmoc2015sweden.se

Aug 1-7

WOC 2015 Inverness, Scotland www.woc2015.org Scottish 6 Days 2015 Inverness, Scotland www.scottish6days.com WMTBOC, JWMTBOC 2015 Czech Republic AUS Championships Carnival 2015 Ballarat region, Victoria www.vicorienteering.asn.au AUS MTBO Championships Anglesea, Victoria www.ausmtbochamps.com

Aug 1-8

Aug 14-23 Sept 26Oct 4 Nov 7-8

WMTBOC, JWMTBOC 2016 Aveiro-Coimbra, Portugal WMOC 2016 Tallinn, Estonia www.orienteerumine.ee/wmoc2016 WOC 2016 Stromstad – Tanum, Sweden www.woc2016.se/en/

2017

2015 Jan 2-11

JWOC 2016 Engadin, Switzerland 5th Tour O Swiss Switzerland www.tour-o-swiss.ch Swiss O Week 2016 Engadin, Switzerland

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photos: erik borg

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