By Sharon Dickenson
So October comes around quickly when you are a Team Manager….it begins in May and gently meanders until showtime….VHI weekend! The hosting country being England this year the venue was unveiled as the Forest of Deane, well known historically as a royal hunting forest, suggesting good running underfoot and vast depths of varied vegetation.
Accommodation – all together in the Wye Valley YHA, sure it will be good crack all being in 5-star accommodation, like a big school trip.
Team Ireland sorted – after chasing a worthy O’er in each age category from the length and breadth of the Island, including a few escapees living on the mainland. Let’s not mention the backbone of the Irish team – the W45 females who covered 3 age categories by running up all in the name of their sport, all of whom need little more than a map & the opportunity to compete against some of the best in the land.
Flights booked, cars hired, accommodation sorted and meals all prepared by the VHI organiser….we were ready – Ireland to Bristol…wee buns…..
Friday flights – after a days work – one delayed Belfast flight and a cancelled Dublin Flight, Cork was on time. Well done sector Dub who rebooked Birmingham flights and re-hired cars all with an hour, just a late-night arrival, no biggie. The Bristol Flight teams split, only to have one hampered by the need for an Asda trip and the new 20mph zones in Wales – they have the best Asda’s there after the suspension Bridge. The engineer in the back keeps saying its fab (the bridge I think rather than the Asda), you can barely see it in the dark, disappointing. Weekend snackage sorted, dinner in the car park, discussions of food shopping when hungry being dangerous.
Now onwards to the YHA – rumour has it the access road is ropey with a famous turn! Gold medals go to the drivers in both the dark and the light. When I say the road was narrow, I mean a single car width, a vertical wall on one side and a drop on the other, of at least 200 meters, with very very tight contours. All passengers breathe in on entry and exit. Very much akin to Russian Roulette with death a possibility, no one makes the 90-degree hairpin bend in a full steering lock. There would be a time when an oncoming car would be met…..keep tuned.
We all arrived – rooms sorted – bottom bunks all snaffled – only high altitude sleeping for the late arrivals. Now due to Storm Agnes WIFI connection had been destroyed and as a result the door locks were all de-activated to the bedrooms. Sure, we are all friends here from England Wales or Ireland – the Scots had been decamped to a bunk house to sleep on the floor, de nada. The wise ones put a shoe in the door or another inanimate object – others, well, where not so smart. Cue mid night trips to the bathroom and soft, but not so subtle knocking at doors to get access back to bed, those with ear plugs slumbering away. Not to be beaten by the break of solitude the two owls outside the lady’s dorm decided to take up residence, chattering to the early hours.
Day 1 – The Individuals, morning comes around quickly – breakfast filled with chats of the not so silent sleepwalkers. It’s time to navigate to the start – deary me we have to drive up that road. Then the inevitable happened in a queue to meet start times. Some person decided to try and get down the lane – how rude!! Clearly outnumbered, they manoeuvred into position on the drop side to allow about 8 cars past. Again, drivers had to demonstrate their special awareness while all inside did not dare to breathe. Phew, just about kept the car hire excess!!
What did we ever do without Google maps and pages of orienteering instructions!!! As team manager with the number of instructions I was starting to forget my name! Parked – everyone present and decamped to the courtesy tent, warm ups begin. Everyone ready – compass – control description – taped laces- start times checked and re-checked. Isn’t our team manager organised with all these things printed out!! 1st out skips off to the start for the 10-minute call up with VHI peops setting out every minute. Rumour has it, a few over skipped past the start taped route and had to be slotted into the starts – no biggie today is gonna be a good day!!
Everyone doing what they do – back to download with anticipation…….
Stories unfold – people meeting boars, 6’s looking like 9’s, 35’s reading the main rase instructions, running the blue instead of the short brown, but clean runs mainly, with the usual route choice comparisons ensuing. Someone still chirping on about blue blue blue………points negotiated with charm and finesse
Special mentions to some epic runs from Ruth, Moire and Marcus. Team performance from our small island – we hold our own and do it with joy and infectious enthusiasm.
For those orienteers who failed to see the ‘piggies’ in the forest – these are wild boar not fellow orienteers as a matter of note.
Afternoon activities included sightseeing of car parks because the fee to see a castle is extortionate or back to the YHA for naps and course analysis.
18:30 dinner at the Goodrich Village Hall – served up by the Welsh Juniors. Full tummies and a glass of wine – the quiz started after the individual Prize giving. Well done to our very own Ruth Lynam in the W65 class. Though in the quiz, even the ringers from the SHI proved to be of little advantage. Who knew orienteering had songs and what the O map in Australia looks like!
Bedtime for a lot of tired bodies after the gauntlet road is driven of course. Not much movement in the YHA providing a quiet night.
Day 2 – relays – now we Irish are good at team events.
Back to Mallards pike but using a different entrance and sections of the forest not used previously. Numbers all pinned – everyone ready to rock – until – the Welsh team points out – your numbers are the wrong way round – RIGHT everyone swop with your counterpart team NOW!!! – cue ripping off of numbers and searching for your opposite. The smart team manager thought they had that covered by writing all the names on the back- 50% probability raised its head.
Now 1st off MWM team – nope IT have it the wrong way round – everyone in the start box WMW. Where is the team manager!! Hiding in the tent recovering from the number fiasco. Compass on – off we go again – not to be distracted by the good gaffling – that is not your control- keep running. Spectator control located 1 km from the finish giving all a good view of the humid warm running conditions for Autumn, and the longing search for a control at the end of a ditch, whilst be exposed. Ditch – did anyone say ditch!! The last section of the course appeared to take everyone into the ditches with a plethora of controls. Not even the IOC Glen of Imaal prepared everyone for Ditch topia – and a special tree.
The gap started to close against the Welsh on the relay scores but alas not enough.
Special team relay performances
- 5th – Lynam. Reed. O’Donovan.
- 8th – Linton. O’Sullivan. Pinker.
After prize giving – the mad dash to the airport home started – with the Severn Bridge closed, the only way was through Wales. Navigated with ease, you would think someone had work in this area of Welsh soil. First car to arrive was the Cork flight followed by car 1 of Belfast and in a comfortable 3rd Car 2 of Belfast. The Dubliners were taking it handy due to the late exit out of Bristol. Probably having a leisurely lunch somewhere….
Now as we know VHI’s never start or end smoothly and in one last effort to send us home with long lasting memories – security at Bristol, being quiet, decide to go full on with enforcement. Garmins off – one sneaky offender left the tray and decided to become one with the conveyor belt and had to be physically removed, no harm done, its a forerunner, robust and reliable.
Plans are afoot to host the VHI in Ireland 2024– rumour has it the team manager is emigrating!!
Now first season as Team manager I have been inaugurated by one of the best – Helen Baxter who still managed to accompany us in 2023 and prevent a few mental breakdowns. Hopefully she will continue to be present and step-up next year for a wee run 😊
A special thanks to all our runners who made up the team – their willingness makes my life much easier, but their enjoyment of the sport and the team effort makes it all worthwhile.
I am unavailable for any further tasks at present – I can be found either running up a mountain or in a forest, depending on the winter conditions until spring.