Reno Strips

[Peach]

Thursday night when I arrived, there was a notice board saying the strips were delayed and would be arriving the next morning. When I came down first thing they still hadn't arrived. The armorers were making do with personal supplies, the tables and chairs and bout committee platform were all set up, and the trainers were sitting behind an unequipped table. But the vendors were open and people seemed pretty mellow. Unspecified weather problems were delaying some people from arriving, and there were fewer referees than I expected--again I think weather-related travel problems.

Apparently the equipment was on a truck that was on a railroad car that (here I am operating on repeated third-hand gossip) got put on a siding and was lost by the railroad, then was delayed by weather.

I drifted in and out (did paperwork, napped, ate lunch) and finally decided to get a massage around 3:00 in the afternoon. That was when the loading bay door opened up and the strips finally arrived. The bout committee announced they wanted volunteers.

You have never seen strips get set up so fast. I participated in laying out and taping four copper strips and I've never done that before. I think it took less than half an hour to be up and running. It was remarkable.

I will say I was a little annoyed by the people who chose not to help out--if they weren't going to work, they could at least haul their bags out of the way of the ends of the strips and not sit like lumps with their feet in the way of the taping. Others apparently felt that their warm-up routine was more important than helping out, but again, it would have been all right if they hadn't been right in the midst of the people working.

Anyway, they started the men's Div II foil right away, then launched the Vet men's sabre. The Veteran women's sabre started around 5:30 or so and we finished up around 9:00 or 9:30, but the women's epee was still going when I left at 11:30--I heard later it went until 1:00.

Everybody did a good job; the bout committee deserves a lot of credit for their good humor and willingness to cope, and I really appreciated the people who pitched in to set up strips--and a few people who pitched in to referee when they hadn't planned to. I saw Julie Smith, who was there coaching, refereeing in the men's veteran sabre.

A round of applause to all. Not much anyone could have done about this particular situation and I think it was handled with grace under pressure.

[Zelda]

But Peach, the question is, HOW DID YOU GO?

[Peach]

Thanks for asking! I managed to make it through the whole Vet WS without *disastrously* injuring myself <grin>. There was one bout when a medic had to be called to the strip, but that was for a NEW injury (I turned my foot wrong and decided discretion was the better part of valor). I actually had a great deal of fun, I'm only walking a little off-kilter today, and all my new bruises are away from the joints.

Last week I looked at the MRIs with the doctor and confirmed that whatever is wrong with my leg it isn't caused by damage in my spine; everything looks ungodly healthy. The splint is off my broken finger, my foot is working fine, and I'm having an operation on yet another body part Wednesday, but after having many conversations with over-50 friends this week I'm starting to realize my situation is far from unusual. One friend of mine competed in the veteran men's sabre several weeks after a life-threatening hernia operation.

I saw several friends from fencing.net and hope they will report in because I had to leave before I found out how they did.

As for HOW I did, I did my best to lose several of my direct-elimination bouts by starting out several points down, but never did manage to sabotage myself successfully. How's that for a backhanded report <g>?

[Zelda]

Peach, I will reserve comment on the falling to pieces due to age bit as I am not old enough supposedly, however fencing with a nice old bout of what appears to be bronchitis is never fun!!! AS for your results, WELL done.

[edew]

Yes, I heard from Sherry P., that USFA was asking about the NorCal division strips (which are all in terrible shape, so using them wouldn't have been better than not having strips at all).

Setting up a strip is not so hard, if you have enough people to do it. You need a team of five or six to set up one strip, and that can take about 10 minutes. So, if you have twenty teams of five (or six), you can get twenty strips set up in ten minutes.

[its_me_mango]

that was a very good report peach, but be more tolerant of those lumps! sometimes they're just immobilized by the fear-factor, they've never been there before, they don't know anyone, they think everything is "predesigned" by other, more intellegent, more godly people, and therefore, they allow others to take control, but eventually, with your tender chidings, they will unlump, and JUMP to your command! give them a little time peach. <img src="graemlins/fett.gif" border="0" alt="[The Fett]" />

[Inquartata]

Yes, I have never seen a venue set up so fast in my life. Even our local divisional tournaments take longer than that ( and this without copper strips ). It just goes to show that fencers, stubborn individualists though most of us are, can work as a team when sufficiently inspired...like by the wish not to have to postpone events until the next day and bollix up their travel arrangements!

OTOH, I can see a certain logic to the position of the "lumps", as well. After all, when you pay for travel, hotel rooms, meals AND entry fees, not to mention USFA dues, it's pretty easy to look sourly upon being expected to do the heavy lifting, too.

But with those doors open and the cold wafting in, it was better to exert yourself helping than to sit and shiver...

[ 03-12-2002: Message edited by: Inquartata ]</p>

[suregrip]

Peach -

One of my coaches was there. I don't know if he was fencing foil, epee, or both. I can totally appreciate how you feel with the "aches" and pains department - I'm a veteran myself although I'm not good enough or been fencing long enough to say that I'm competetive material. My knees ache all the time, and when I sustain an injury, it just seem to add insult.....

[Shadow Fencer]

Hi Peach!
Great seeing you and congrats on your 1st place! I know you are modest about your abilities, so let me tell everyone!

This being my first NAC, it was interesting! I had fun helping out with the strips- kinda helped warm me up as I slid my foot along the tape. Fencing on a copper strip laid down on carpeting was interesting. On some strips I couuld feel a the strip give a little bit, but otherwise it was fine. I missed the thumping sounds one gets when fencing on a wooden floor!

As you know, the first day was unpredictable. I was waiting around for Div II Epee and at 6:00 PM decided to step out and make a phone call, use the bathroom, etc. I saunter back into the venue at 6:20 and hear my name to report to the bout committee! Find out I was very close to being scratched!!! Thank goodness I fenced well enough to earn my E!

I hope all goes well for you today. My thoughts are with you!

[Peach]

Shadow - It was nice to see you, and you looked very good on the strip! I watched one of your DE bouts (you won) against a tough lady and thought you fenced very well. Congratulations on the E!

I agree with you that setting up the strips was a good warm-up--some of us ended up doing footwork on the tape edging in order to smooth it down. I was involved with four strips and learned two or three different ways of stretching them. A couple of the strips had to be re-stretched later but on the whole they did a good job.

Suregrip - hang in there! My first year was tough (I started in my 40s) but my knees don't ache any more, and I no longer have tendonitis from having a death grip on the weapon. That's what's annoying about being a grownup athlete--the kids seem to injure themselves and they're back in a week, darn it.

Oh, and p.s. the operation today went fine. No pain, no problems, I'm back to normal. Thank goodness.

[ 03-13-2002: Message edited by: Peach ]</p>

[Mo]

Peach,
My daughter was concerned after seeing you fence and went to see if you were in Division 2. She was glad when you weren't!! She found out about your A rating and was quite relieved.....
Mo

[Peach]

Mo - I read that twice before I realized your daughter wasn't worried I was going to hurt myself - that's how I was fencing in the Vets. No, I did my time in Division II already and now I'm one of the scrubs in Div. I.

How did she do?

[DamedEscrime]

Peach i wandered in an out all day Friday. Finally went back to the airport to see if my weapons were anywhere to be found..hehe. Sorry, I missed you. I did want to meet you. Maybe in South Carolina, huh? Oh, my stuff did arrive in time for me to fence. I had a ball and met my personal goals..so I am very happy.