Elites Series 2012 ~ and the winners are.....

It's been an exciting year for 2nd Canada Cup Elite Series! We've had many different leaders and stiff competition over 23 races throughout 2012. But in the end, there can be only one winner... well two actually, but you know what I mean!

In the men's standings; in third place with a grand total of 150 points is Graeme Rennie of the Greater Vancouver Orienteering Club! Second place is Will Critchley of the Edmonton Overlanders Orienteering Club. In first place, with a very decisive 84 point lead, is Eric Kemp of Ottawa Orienteering Club! Congratulations to Eric on a strong season, with a great finish!




In the women's standings, up and coming junior Molly Kemp (Ottawa Orienteering Club) secures third place! Second by a mere 5 points is Carol Ross of Orienteering New Brunswick. Winning for the second year in a row, despite an early season ankle injury, is Louise Oram (Greater Vancouver Orienteering Club). Congratulations to Louise!

In the club challenge, the Greater Vancouver Orienteering Club once again gained the most points, and retains “bragging rights” as the best club for elite orienteering in Canada!

Here are the full final standings!

Louise and Eric both win $300 for their achievement. This year the High Performance Committee is extending cash prizes to second and third places. Carol and Will will receive $150 each, with Molly and Graeme receiving $50. Nice!

What did our winners have to say? We interviewed them both! Check out the videos below. A big Orienteering Canada CONGRATULATIONS to Louise and Eric!

Please join us in wishing a huge Orienteering Canada THANK YOU to the Canada Cup race organizers from coast to coast. There were 23 Canada Cup races in 2012! We're definitely looking forward to the 2013 Canada Cup season!

running, shoes, life

I was a bit at a loss of what to put up for a blog post, so thought I would try for something a bit less on specific to orienteering and more to do with training and life in general.

Some friends were over the other day to go for a run (a good percentage of our socializing centers around running and eating), and noticed the cupboard near our bathroom and started laughing. This cupboard is pictured below... and contains almost exclusively shoes (most of which are running shoes, of varying types and ages). In fact, my 2 pairs of icebug orienteering spikes are not even in this cupboard as I have another box in yet another cupboard with those for some reason.

Shoes are an integral part to running, you need different ones for different types of running/training. Also, your tastes change over time... and different types of shoes become your favourite. I have been slowly moving towards shoes with less heel drop, in an attempt to work on my running form (it generally emphasizes more midfoot strike).

at least 50% Thomas's I swear!

In Vancouver the last few weeks have been mostly nice weather, with the temperature in the morning and evening slowly getting a bit more bite. We have been making the best of it, trying to get out to places that might not be as easy in bad weather or would be under snow in the winter.

Some of our running friends / acquaintances got together on the labour day weekend and ran the Howe Sound Crest trail. We started at Porteau cove, so climbed up to 1500m at the beginning (http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bVFXWzpMoyE/TFj958LKq8I/AAAAAAAACoI/1qFNC3KIVhU/P7240917.JPG), but after that it was up and down a beautiful hilly ridge (mostly in the sub-alpine, and rocky in places) back towards the Cypress bowl ski area. There was a bit of cloud hanging around the Lions (2 prominent rocky mountains along the ridge), but it was clear for views in most places.

Pictures taken by Nathan Barrett