Who loves maps?

Maps have been part of my story for as far back as I can remember. What part do they play in your life? Have a read and let me know

I do wish people would stop advertising their tedious blogs on the forum, thinly disguised as a legitimate thread.

Agreed. Bad manners, to put it mildly.

Muttley wrote (see)

Agreed. Bad manners, to put it mildly.

 

love that, Muttley!!!

I want to see what we're talking about but don't want to encourage a forum spammer by clicking their link

Okay, no link...I didn't want to reprint my thoughts verbatim here (thought the blog post would short cut that?!).

Anyway, as you guys are touchy about that...my apologies. As a designer of runs for a club that I started, I spend many hours gazing at maps. Whether the run is 7K, 7 miles or 70 miles, the geographer in me takes time and pleasure in seeking out new trails, alleyways and tracks. It lifts a training run into the realms of discovery and creativity. Tedious or otherwise, it motivates me...how about you?

I love just taking a OS map..........driving somewhere and then trying to follow the footpaths.you never know what you might find

seren nos yn canu wrote (see)

I love just taking a OS map..........driving somewhere and then trying to follow the footpaths.you never know what you might find

Same with me - especially on my own!! The Garmin print out can look odd when I go up and down the odd dead end, or decide one route is not as good as another etc

you follow a footpath to discover it blocked by years of overgrowth........and as i always wear shorts sometime a retreat and detour is the best way forward

It's knowing when to turn round and admit defeat is the problem for me

I have used an OS map wrapped around my legs before when retreat has been impossible!!!!  I did admit defeat last week when confronted by a ford crossing that was no longer a crossing ... knee-deep, fast flowing snow melt at the start of my run was not going to be good!

I LOVE maps and have ever since I've been old enough to use them, my dad is the same and my eight-year-old son is going the same way. I love just looking at them, memorising potential runs or mountain adventures on them, checking them out after I've done a run without the map. Whenever I am going somewhere new I have to buy the OS map for the area. I do like my garmin too, but nothing beats a map and compass.

cragchick wrote (see)

I have used an OS map wrapped around my legs before when retreat has been impossible!!!!  I did admit defeat last week when confronted by a ford crossing that was no longer a crossing ... knee-deep, fast flowing snow melt at the start of my run was not going to be good!

I LOVE maps and have ever since I've been old enough to use them, my dad is the same and my eight-year-old son is going the same way. I love just looking at them, memorising potential runs or mountain adventures on them, checking them out after I've done a run without the map. Whenever I am going somewhere new I have to buy the OS map for the area. I do like my garmin too, but nothing beats a map and compass.

Great to hear from you!!
I got a bit slagged off for linking to my blog, but for you...you may even be interested in my latest post (Let me know...) CLICK FOR MY BLOG

I love maps too. Was brought up with loads at home that my dad used for work. Have 3 foolscap (slightly bigger than A4 for you youngsters)  ring binders of old OS maps, covering South Wales and the West Country, over printed with pylon routes and cut into quarters.

When I was young I used to send away for 'freepost' holiday brochures. I also collected ordinary UK road maps and followed the roads from home to exotic places like Portsmouth and Brighton. Then I got hold of a European road map and could find my way to Spain and Italy. Then I bought street maps of European cities and could 'walk' to the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre or wander the streets of Moscow. I knew about O.S. maps but there was not the same appeal. I was fascinated by astronomy also.

Sorry, there is no exciting outcome, a good academic education knocked sense into my head - no time for dreamers'.

cragchick wrote (see)

Moggie - go for it ... all of it!!!! My leap came from a 33-mile trail ultra three weeks after a spring road marathon, then I did a 46 mile ultra in the Brecon Beacons at the start of December that year and it was all just FINE, that was in 2009 and since then I've done three more 50s, a 100km and this year I did my first 100-miler. You learn something in every one you do, much like all marathons are different.

Definitely agree with Shawk about 50 miles opening up more options.

I find my races are dictated quite a lot by travel (I live in NE Scotland), a lot by childcare solutions and then I fit the training in around that ... therefore some of my events are more successful than others (have had some horrendous travel dramas) but I haven't loathed/regretted one yet - there I am tempting fate and all that!

Welcome aboard

Sorry LLB ... 'tis that crazy time of year though isn't it?  I am doing a countdown to Friday when I can stop playing at 'mums taxi service', stop screeching to get the kids out the house in the morning and actually have a husband at home for two whole weeks!

musketeer wrote (see)

I love maps too. Was brought up with loads at home that my dad used for work. Have 3 foolscap (slightly bigger than A4 for you youngsters)  ring binders of old OS maps, covering South Wales and the West Country, over printed with pylon routes and cut into quarters.

Fantastic, this is the sort of response I'd hoped for!! People out there for whom maps are a source of wonderment and obsession!!

oops...didn't realise the "quote" function held multiple copies!! Sorry, @cragchick I was going to use your "quote" on a different thread but forgot I'd copied it!!!!

Martenkay wrote (see)

When I was young I used to send away for 'freepost' holiday brochures. I also collected ordinary UK road maps and followed the roads from home to exotic places like Portsmouth and Brighton. Then I got hold of a European road map and could find my way to Spain and Italy. Then I bought street maps of European cities and could 'walk' to the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre or wander the streets of Moscow. I knew about O.S. maps but there was not the same appeal. I was fascinated by astronomy also.

Sorry, there is no exciting outcome, a good academic education knocked sense into my head - no time for dreamers'.

You've captured some of the essence of maps - wanderlust and wonderment!! Wonderful!!

I'll forgive you

I love maps so much I went out and bought one.

roy silver wrote (see)

I love maps so much I went out and bought one.

 

Nice one!! (which one?)