OCTOBER 2006
Hanny Allston World Sprint Champion
w w w. o r i e n t e e r i n g . a s n . a u Orienteering Australia President: Director (High Performance): Director (Finance): Director (Development): Director (Technical): Director (Special Projects): IOF Vice President: Executive Officer: Badge Applications:
PO Box 284 Mitchell BC 2911 orienteering@netspeed.com.au w: 02 6162 1200 Bob Mouatt rmouatt@ozemail.com.au h: 02 6231 2463 m: 0412 312 376 Mike Dowling mdowling@tassie.net.au h: 03 6244 7173 Blair Trewin b.trewin@bom.gov.au h: 03 9455 3516 Ben Rattray benrattray@hotmail.com m: 0404 781 032 Andy Hogg natnandy@homemail.com.au w: 02 6125 9962 h: 02 6251 9777 Robin Uppill aruppill@chariot.net.au h: 08 8278 3017 m: 0419 037 770 Hugh Cameron hcameron@albury.net.au h: 02 6027 0885 Gareth Candy orienteering@netspeed.com.au w: 02 6162 1200 m: 0402 312 379 John Oliver 68 Amaroo Street, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2650
STATE ASSOCIATIONS Queensland OA: PO Box 114 Spring Hill QLD 4004 Secretary: Robin Spriggs Ph. (07) 3369 0880 (h) qoa@qoa.asn.au OA NSW: PO Box 740, Glebe NSW 2037 Secretary: Dave Lotty Ph. (02) 9660 2067 (w), 9569 2380 (h) orienteering@sydney.net Orienteering ACT: PO Box 402, Jamison Centre ACT 2614. Office: John Suominen ph (02) 6251 3885 actoa@iimetro.com.au Victorian OA: 332 Banyule Rd, Viewbank VIC 3084 Secretary: Warwick Williams Ph. (03) 9459 0853 voa@netspace.net.au OA South Australia: State Association House, 73 Wakefield Street Adelaide SA 5000. Secretary: Phil Stoeckel OA Western Australia: PO Box 234 Subiaco WA 6904 Secretary: Cath Chalmers Ph. (08) 9380 4049 (h) catheoin@ozemail.com.au Orienteering Tasmania Inc.: PO Box 339, Sandy Bay, TAS 7005 Secretary: Warwick Moore Ph. (03) 6248 6405 secretary.oti@trump.net.au Top End Orienteers (Northern Territory): PO Box 39152 Winnellie NT 0821 Secretary: Steven Guthridge Ph. 08 8981 3197
DECEMBER ISSUE DEADLINE: October 7 Time-sensitive: October 14
ISSN 0818-6510 Issue 3/06 (no. 143) OCTOBER 2006
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/fax (03) 9844 4878 Magazine Design & Assembly: Peter Cusworth, 8 View Street, Avonsleigh, Vic. 3782. Ph. (03) 5968 5254 cusworth@netspace.net.au Magazine Treasurer: Blair Trewin Printer: Priden Printing Services, 21 Century Drive, Braeside, Vic. 3195 Next edition: Cover date: 1 December 2006 Contribution deadlines: October 7. Time-sensitive material, October 14. 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: Badge Awards: John Oliver; Coaching: Grant Bluett; Competition: Blair Trewin; High Performance: Mike Dowling; MTBO: Blake Gordon; Official News: Gareth Candy; Running the Business: Bob Mouatt; Ski-O: Ian Baker; Nutrition: Gillian Woodward; Training: Steve Bird; Psychology: Jason McCrae. 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 07 4683 6374 (h) batmaps@halenet.com.au NSW – Ken Sinclair 02 9639 9675 sicad@ozemail.com.au ACT – Philip Purcell philippurc@hotmail.com Vic. – SA – Claire Davill 08 8226 4381 (w) davill.claire@saugov.sa.gov.au WA – Cath Chalmers 08 9380 4049 catheoin@ozemail.com.au Tas. – Mary Hawthorne 03 6243 8616 (h) editor.oti@trump.net.au 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 inc GST. Overseas: Asia/Pacific (inc. NZ) $A44, Rest of World $A49. Delivery is airmail, there is no seamail option. Please send payment in Australian dollars by bank draft or international postal order, or pay direct by Visa or Mastercard. Quote full card number and expiry date. Subscription renewals (direct subscriptions only). The number in the top right-hand corner of the address label indicates the final issue in your current subscription. Opinions expressed in The Australian Orienteer are not necessarily those of Orienteering Australia. 2 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER OCTOBER 2006
CONTENTS WORLD ORIENTEERING CHAMPIONSHIPS....... 3 O R I E N T E E R I N G D E V E L O P M E N T .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 M E E T Y O U R T E A M – S O U T H E R N A R R O W S.. . . . 1 2 ADVENTURES IN AUCKLAND..................... 14 OA WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT..................... 16 C O A C H I N G – H E A R T R AT E VA R I A B I L I T Y.. . . . . . 1 8 N U T R I T I O N .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 B I G M I S TA K E S AT W O C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 J W O C 2 0 0 6.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2 J W O C AT D U B B O, 2 0 0 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 6 WMOC................................................ 28 H I G H P E R F O R M A N C E R E P O R T .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 0 SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY............................. 31 A S T H M A .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2 TOP EVENTS......................................... 33 PA R A G L I D I N G T H E E I G E R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 5 C L A S S I C I N J U R I E S .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 6 TRAINING............................................ 38 MTB-O NEWS ...................................... 40 2006 WORLD MTB-O CHAMPS................... 41 L E T T E R S .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 4 A PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE .................. 46
Front Cover: Hanny Allston – World Sprint Champion Main photo: Lucie Navarova
A AA SM T LPEIM AS I NHEI P , SV I C T O R I A WUOSRTLRDA LO IRAI N E N3T- EDEARYISN G– CC H ON
WOC QUEEN
Through the gate I ran in what I would describe as a mildly mad panic. This was certainly what I would call chaos and there was no organisation to it. Everywhere we ran there were obstacles and barriers. Small gardens with frustratingly small yet ‘impassable’ hedges, waterways, ice-cream stalls, TV cameras, ferris wheels, and athletes darting around like headless chooks. The best description of it all would have to be a carnival.
O
Somehow I survived the madness and found myself running strongly down a road through the Danish forest with no other than Simone Niggli. Glancing over my shoulder I noticed her discomfort in the moment and perhaps this was the changing point of the whole day because I suddenly found an inner gear. Stepping up the pace and taking control I found myself believing for the first time that I was as good, if not better, than her. I had found my own feet at last.
Hanny Allston – World Sprint Champion RIENTEERING can be a funny thing. You can be so prepared, so organised, so confident and yet the whole course can fall apart with one little slip of the concentration. This little dilemma is only emphasised in a Sprint race. What was a small one-minute mishap in a Long-distance event can become a huge ‘thud’ to earth in a sprint…and that is precisely why I have to admit that sprinting isn’t really my thing! You see I am a relatively methodical person. I like organisation. I don’t like chaos so if it has to be present then it must be organised chaos. I like to be a bit more scientific than philosophical although I still believe it is healthy to daydream once in a while. I am always early and never late, over prepared rather than under prepared, and have to know which direction Australia is no matter where in the world I am. So sprinting goes against all my belief patterns. It defies the organised world I live in. And that is precisely why one week out from the World Orienteering Championships in Denmark I was on the phone to Grant Bluett claiming, “But why? I hate sprints! PLEASE… the middle distance is much more my style!” But thank goodness for Orienteering Australia and their fair rules. If I had had my way I doubt there would have been a gold medal for orienteering in Australia, our anthem sung, and Simone Niggli-Luder standing in 2nd on the podium. So how did it all happen? Why me? The day dawned early for me. I could feel a tingling pulse echoing through me and that slightly discomforting ache of nerves in my legs. I rolled over, glanced at the flag hanging in my window and beyond that the patchy grey clouds of a Scandinavian sky. Perfect. Once out of bed I began feeling better and darted out the door for a short thirty-minute jog. Whilst prancing along through the nearby forest, dodging bright orange slugs the size of cucumbers, I shot quick glances at the back of my hand: ‘Calm, disciplined, strong’ These were the words I had jotted down the night before. They were the three deciding words…the three words between me and a super performance. But from the moment I picked up my map at the start of the qualification and left the gaping athletics stadium behind, little went to plan. I found myself running out across the carpark rather than following the line of the stadium, found myself coming to a halt in front of a huge impassable fence, running…running…and with little method to my madness. And what was that?!! As I ran across the manicured oval I found myself glancing ahead at the end of the course. ‘Tivelli? Surely not’. But it was surely so and I am sure as sure that no athlete had picked it! We were entering the theme park.
I learnt a lot from that Sprint race qualification. Rather than fussing over my countless mistakes earlier in the course I began to feel a quiet calmness. I had seen Simone in action. Watched her run into barriers, fluster, and best of all heard her puffing along beside me…perhaps she was human after all. After a summer that can only be described as difficult and lifechanging I feel a changed person. Not immensely, and not necessarily externally. But I have found a calmness and strength that I never knew I possessed plus an ability to push myself harder and faster. I carried this strength and my new-found belief into the Sprint final like a shield. I don’t remember much, to be honest, of that race except this deep calmness from the moment I picked up the map. This was organised chaos at its best! The methodical individual was at work inside me and I found myself running with 100% certainty. The garden beds that had stumped me in the morning were floating effortlessly past me and the high fences which seemed to lean against me in the morning no longer presented such grave defences. I felt light, strong and in control. And the happiest moment of all was arriving early to the finish line! This gold medal was more than an individual’s World Championship title…I believe this was just the ribbon holding onto the gold medal. My win was the exit from the valley of the summer and the beginning of opportunities for everyone involved. To me it represents the strength and calmness that I have established, certainty in the decisions I have made, and the enjoyment and friendships I have gathered along the way. It also represents the efforts of the whole orienteering community in Australia. All of us at some point have either been athletes, organisers, parents, or all of the above. And without us there would be no competitors to practice against, no events organised, and no friendships made. So thankyou to everyone for sharing this journey and let us hope that this is just the signpost pointing towards many higher peaks. Happy days. Hanny Photos: Eric Morris OCTOBER 2006 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 3
WORLD ORIENTEERING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Success
in Denmark Sue Neve WOC Women’s Team Manager/ Coach
I
think that Orienteering for women in Australia is looking very healthy. We had the best ever results at WOC. What could have been thought of as a transition year has proven to be a consolidating year which we can further build upon. Australia has had opportunities in previous years and it is exciting to see them to come to fruition. The team consisted of experienced runners who are further improving and less experienced members who handled their first WOC readily by qualifying and doing well. Furthermore, we have proven performers standing in the wings and we have talented, exciting juniors eager and willing to learn. For me this indicates we are now at a stage where those making the WOC team can all expect to achieve world-class performances. To have the confidence, depth and development at this level is a good sign for Australian women in Orienteering. Australia was well deserved and fortunate to have such a breakthrough and there were many happy Australians excited by our prospects for the future. Others were also pleased for us - such as nations aspiring to achieve similar success and interested in what we were doing, those thinking it was good for the sport with strong countries being respectful of the competition, (and New Zealanders who celebrated as Australians, temporarily). Our women made an impression and many people congratulated them. As a coach it was inspirational and to experience it first hand was priceless. As a coach the insights into the athletes are invaluable. I can only feel in awe of any athlete whose training discipline and commitment digs deep. I saw many qualities that comprise an elite athlete - and imagine if you could put it all together. As a World Champion Hanny is an excellent ambassador and is a superstar who believes. She is wise beyond her years. Jo is the most bomb-proof orienteer I have seen. She had surgery after Easter and was not ideally prepared but she never needed to mention it once through the WOC week. Grace, a naturally talented orienteer who feels the terrain, was impressive at her first WOC and can only improve with experience. Anna has guts and a strong work ethic. She qualified for both her events and thrives on competition. Danielle is a Long-distance specialist who needs
more confidence with her ability. She was very supportive and crucial in navigating us to the Sprint race that day when the rest of us could not think! I saw the qualities that get them to that level - staying focused, staying calm, believing in oneself, focus on navigation, great under pressure, running till you collapse at the end of the race are many of the special characteristics in all the team members. It was a privilege to be in that company. I saw my role as WOC Women’s Team coach as being to get the best out of them for Australia. To look at what they had and to work with that to develop their potential. To instill confidence and belief when it was tested. To keep them on task and focused but to reduce the pressure in an intense demanding week. Physical and technical skills are basics but at this level the headspace plays an important part after the preparation has been done. I listened very carefully to where each orienteer was in their headspace and tried to get them into a positive frame of mind. I truly believed they could run well. I found myself personally wanting the team to have a healthy energy, by keeping the group dynamics respectful and incorporating the understanding that everyone had their part to play and was valued equally. To maintain a positive energy and focus so there were no distractions or other issues that can so readily come into play in such a tense situation. To focus on illness, injury, difficulties, excuses, relay orders, etc, at this last hour was not the right headspace for these people to be in. I listened carefully to the athlete’s needs and responded accordingly. I tried to inspire by giving them an honest opinion of my thoughts and to make that work for them. To identify their strengths and inspire. I was also quite protective in keeping the accommodation as a place of refuge for the athlete who has a lot to deal with already. Also balance and measure were necessary in a week that has high demands. All this feels better of course if it is coming from a natural source rather than contrived. I found myself enjoying the time and this reflected in my caring. The love of Orienteering was evident. It was a World Championships! I went to Denmark a little daunted by what we were up against but I have come away thinking we are nearly there. From what I saw at WOC I feel we can consistently achieve within the top10 and, realistically, win medals. Our navigational skills are as high as the best from other countries but we need to learn how to race harder. The top runners tend to thrash around more with some risks involved, a product of a lot of racing overseas, whilst we navigate steadily and tend to fade a little physically toward the end of races. I truly believe with this added confidence the Australian Women’s Team will establish themselves as an Orienteering nation of note. Well done girls.
OCTOBER 2006 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 5
WORLD ORIENTEERING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Jo Allison, Hanny Allston and Grace Elson celebrate 4th place in the Relay.
Above: Relay moments – from left: Troy de Haas takes off for a fast last leg; Jo Allison finishes strongly on the first leg; Hanny Allston is all concentration as she starts the last leg; Grace Elson brings the Aussie girls into 9th place on the second leg. Left: Tasmanians Grace and Hanny present Prince Frederik with a boomerang signed by the Team. Right: Hanny punches the spectator control in the Long-distance final Below: Rob Walter starts the first Relay leg.
6 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER OCTOBER 2006
WORLD ORIENTEERING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Gold Medal map
the WOC Women’s Sprint
Hanny passes 6th placed on the finish line.
Helen Bridle (GBR)
Prince Frederik of Denmark presents Hanny with her Gold medal.
WOC Sprint – Women Total 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 F 1. Hanny Allston AUS 13:13.3 0:36 0:22 0:23 0:25 0:31 1:40 3:21 1:00 1:24 0:34 0:35 0:42 0:22 0:11 0:10 0:44 0:13 2. Simone Niggli-Luder SUI 13:19.1 0:34 0:41 0:19 0:21 0:29 1:31 3:26 0:57 1:30 0:35 0:37 0:42 0:20 0:10 0:09 0:44 0:14
Defending champion, Simone Niggli-Luder (SUI) could not match Hanny.
OCTOBER 2006 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 7
WORLD ORIENTEERING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Aussies in the Crowd Mike Hubbert
press area, when it was clear that Swiss star, Simone Niggli-Luder, would not beat Hanny’s time pandemonium broke loose and it was a case of fighting for position to get the all-important photos of the youthful winner. For the rest of the Team it seemed that cloud-nine was far below them. The following days were punctuated by good, solid performances in the Long- and Middle-distance disciplines. Then it was on again in the women’s Relay. Jo Allison and Grace Elson had set the Australian team in a very good position when Hanny took over in 9th place for the last leg. Sweden’s Karolina A. Hojsgaard had taken off with a substantial lead but had faltered early and was caught by the Finnish runner. By the half-way spectator control Hanny had nearly caught the Czech and Norwegian runners and up ahead Switzerland’s Niggli-Luder had made some bad mistakes. In the crowd our hopes were running high for a podium (top-6) finish. But the Czech, Brozkova, was running fast. Could Hanny catch her? Then, in the lead the Finn, Minna Kauppi, made a three-minute mistake. Out in the forest could she hear the booming voice of the announcer proclaiming that Finland would win, “That’s for sure!”? Had her concentration been broken for a vital moment? For the Aussies in the crowd there was only one runner who mattered – how was Hanny going?? Kauppi recovered to take the Gold for Finland, pausing to bow to the crowd from the last control before running down the straight with her team-mates. Sweden’s “Karro” claimed Silver after making some big mistakes early and Niggli-Luder ensured Bronze for Switzerland. But the drama was happening behind her. Hanny had run straight through the Czech and Norwegian girls. She came storming (there’s that word again) up the hill to the last control almost a minute clear of Brozkova. She turned, punched her fist in the air and, hair flying, raced down to the finish with a big grin on her face and clearly in 4th place, Jo Allison and Grace Elson running at her side.
T
HE drama and euphoria of WOC2006, the World Orienteering Championships in which particularly our women’s Team did so remarkably well, was an incredible experience. Hanny Allston became Australia’s first WOC Champion and the first orienteer from outside Europe to wear that crown. That she had only just come from the World Junior Championships in Lithuania, where she won Gold and Silver medals, just added another dimension to her achievement. For the Aussies present in the crowd at WOC in Denmark, the atmosphere on those special days was electrifying. Some fifty or so gathered each day around the Australian flags strung up on makeshift poles, creating a point of focus and support for our Team. Many wore the de facto Australian t-shirt discovered by one of our number in an outlet shop. The bright colours and distinctive design attracted the attention of TV cameras, especially after Hanny’s storming win in the Sprint, so that we were featured on the Big Screen in the finish arena and later on Danish national TV.
She had taken nearly 5min off the Swiss super-star, Niggli-Luder, and close to 4min off Minna Kauppi, the Finn. It’s the kind of run which makes relays so exciting and we Aussies in the crowd were so proud to have seen it on that day. Congratulations to all three girls for giving us such a wonderful exhibition of Aussie spirit and determination, and particularly to Hanny for putting the icing on the cake.
PEO BENGTSSON OVER THE MOON In the early days when Orienteering in Australia was just gaining a foothold, Sweden’s Peo Bengtsson played an important role in the development. Several times he brought teams of Swedish experts out to assist us with mapping, course setting, and the like. Later, Peo brought out tour groups of Europeans to our multi-day events and he was a roving ambassador with the IOF, establishing Orienteering in other far-flung lands. He has a lasting and close affinity with the sport in Australia.
Hanny’s win in the Sprint Championship created something of a sea-change in international Orienteering. So many people of many nationalities came up to us in the following days with congratulations, saying how great it was for Orienteering that the Title had been won by someone from outside Europe. That the European dominance of WOC Titles had finally been broken was certainly being celebrated by Europeans and non-Europeans alike.
August 1st is Peo’s Name Day (for Per) and it was on that very day Hanny Allston won her WOC Sprint gold medal, becoming Australia’s first WOC gold medallist and the first orienteer from outside Europe to win a WOC title.
For the Aussies in the crowd it was an amazing moment which we will all remember for a long time. For your reporter in the
Peo is still a very active orienteer. At the World Masters in Austria he won the M70 title.
8 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER OCTOBER 2006
To say that Peo was elated is to grossly understate his reaction – he was over the moon (perhaps several moons). Hanny’s win created a sea-change in international Orienteering, something Peo has been working towards for many years. And he was doubly delighted that it was an Aussie who created this history.
Buy yourself a JET this year! NUTRITION
“It’s not by chance that the world’s best orienteers run with a SILVA Jet compass.” says Grant Bluett who runs with a Silva 6 Jet Spectra
SILVA 6 JET SPECTRA
For competitive orienteers who prefer the ultimate in thumb compasses. Features the broad fluorescent Jet needle and the unique time saving ‘Spectra’ colour coded ring. Elastic thumb strap and rubber pad for a safe and sure grip. Map scales in 1:10,000 and 1:15,000. Available in left and right hand models. $138 from your local O-gear shop at events.
SILVA 5 JET
Features a scratch resistant ‘comfort-fit’ curved back-end baseplate and the unique fluorescent red/white, broad Jet needle. Easy-to-grip housing with enlarged dial. Detachable map scales in 1:15,000 and 1:10,000 and silicon baseplate feet to prevent unintentional slipping on maps. $133 from your local O-gear shop at events.
SILVA 1S JET
Same high-performance Jet needle as in above model. Large magnifying lens in baseplate for enlarging fine map detail. Other features as in 5 Jet. $145 from your local O-gear shop at events.
Buy yourself a Jet at the next event
Photo: Tore Myrberg
JET compasses have the unique super-fast “Rare Earth” broad magnetic needle for the fastest settling and stability when running over rough terrain. Guaranteed to save precious seconds every time you check your bearing.
ORIENTEERING AUSTRALIA
Orienteering Development Ben Rattray, Director (Development)
As Director of Development with Orienteering Australia, I am putting together a series of articles about Orienteering in Australia today. I would like to address how we can evolve as a sport, and evolve our development strategies with our sport alongside changes in society and community lifestyles. I think we can accomplish this, without losing the essence of the sport which we all love and enjoy. I will be controversial at times, but I will always try to address practical solutions to issues I raise. Importantly, I welcome your feedback and discussion on the issues raised. This will form the key to understanding what strategies best suit present and future orienteers in Australia. Here we go. Orienteering Isn’t Ready for Growth I’m going to play devil’s advocate. Why would I want to orienteer? My friends don’t do it, and to be honest, its pretty uncool, I used to do it on hikes in scouts. Even if it was cool, it’s too far away and takes too much time out of my social life (family, nightlife etc). I went to an event once, I had no idea what was going on and no-one really helped me much. It even felt like the person at registration ridiculed me and wouldn’t give me student prices. I did a course, it was too short (or too hard and I got demoralised). I never saw my result; no-one sent me any or told me where to look on the internet. All I got was this map and I’m sure some of the things were wrong, maybe it was an old map. I didn’t even find out when other events were on although someone told me where it was the next week but I couldn’t get to it as someone else had the car. I don’t know how I would improve so there wasn’t much motivation to go back anyway, and without results to compare with, why would I want to orienteer?
O
rienteering is a product. The orienteering product is what people experience at the actual event. As a consumer, if you experienced a product as viewed by the example above, would you buy it again? I’m sure most participants don’t go away with this experience, but I don’t think it is a scenario that is that unlikely either. I bring your attention back to a letter written by David Bourne in the June 2004 edition of The Australian Orienteer - “Orienteering is not cheap for a twenty year old”. Bourne places an emphasis on the costs as hinted at above. I argue that orienteering is not expensive – if you take out the travel. Holding most of our ‘bush’ events in distant forests can cause these problems, and I have felt for a while that we should take a look at our event schedules. We must also remember that there are aspects of the sport that appeal to different groups and there are a number of barriers that we must overcome to appeal to as many people as possible. 10 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER OCTOBER 2006
As a product, in orienteering we aim to increase media coverage, sponsorship and profile. For this we do adopt strategies including competition standards, arena production, GPS tracking of runners, photos of state uniformed competitors, produce glossy brochures, have a colourful magazine….you get the picture. These topics are often discussed and receive attention at some point, but are generally only adopted at major events. Often we make an assumption that these strategies will attract more participants and more members. What we often miss, is that the championship level of the sport is not the product most participants experience, at least not at first, if ever. We need to think of orienteering as a product for the first-timer, or occasional orienteer too. We are all orienteers, so we all think the basic product is great, and it is, but it’s often not packaged well. So when people ask me how we can attract newcomers i.e. how can we sell the sport, I will respond with a lot, but how is the product? I have no experience in marketing, but to me, there are a number of factors that will persuade someone to take up orienteering, or at least try it. Some of these reflect directly on the product they will experience.
The Challenges Awareness Advertising events can undertake many forms ranging from word of mouth, to paid advertisements in the popular media. For this issue however, I want to focus on the product as opposed to where we advertise. Knowledge and Interest People must think orienteering sounds like an interesting pursuit in order to try it. It is not for everyone, but surely many more people would enjoy aspects of orienteering than currently do. We need to be very savvy in the way we advertise it and targeting our marketing can be very effective. The term target group has been used before. I define it as groups that we dedicate specific marketing towards. Target groups are traditionally physical groups such as schools, but more effective targeting is to groups with specific interests. The interest may be in the outdoors, navigational challenges, social groups, competitive sport, fitness enthusiasts, team building groups… and may not have an actual physical presence. We may be able to address multiple groups at a time, but we should think about which events will attract which groups. This of course directs us to start thinking about the market – Where is the biggest demand? Which events should we hold more of? How many distant events do we hold? More on this next issue. People have to know something about the sport to be interested in the first place. This is where Schools Orienteering is crucial for us, even if we don’t see direct rewards. And of course it’s where media and avenues such as The Australian Orienteer, the Orienteering Australia website, State newsletters and websites are so important. People will ask: • What do I know about orienteering? • Does it sound fun? • Does it sound like an interesting challenge? • Does it appeal to my interests? In finding solutions, we need to ask a range of questions about how and where we create interest. Convenience If you have sparked an interest, then the next questions become logistical, is it convenient? Can I make it to an event? Remember
ORIENTEERING AUSTRALIA people have lots of other commitments in life (work, sport, family, social groups etc) and may not prioritise orienteering as we do.
4. R egular e-mail updates (either directly to likely participants or through group e-newsletters) are good reminders for people to schedule it in.
People will ask:
5. T hink of a target group – whether it is corporate, local school etc. Offer them incentives to participate (such as group discounts) and produce leaflets/posters/information advertising the event and cater for them if they are turning up.
• Will my friends go? • Is it far? • Is it at a convenient time? • Is it expensive? • Will it get in the way of my social activities? In finding solutions, we need to address convenience issues. Perceptions The other consideration is of course perceptions people have about the sport. How will orienteering fit in with their life (either for that one event or as an orienteer for life) and the biases they have about the sport. These concepts will relate to what they know about the sport. Bias will still exist however, and may lead individuals to think they can’t or don’t want to fit orienteering into their life, even when this may not be the case.
If you have any tips, please email them to: oa_development@netspeed.com.au Good tips will be published with acknowledgements in subsequent editions. Development Resources Orienteering Australia is creating development resources. Everyone can access them through the Orienteering Australia website: www.orienteering.asn.au/promotion/devel/ Please take advantage of them and check regularly for updates.
Perceptions may include:
Promoting the Product
• Orienteering will interfere with my social life and family commitments
There are numerous ways people find out about orienteering, it might be through the media, or an advertisement or section in a what’s on part of the print media. It might be through friends, work colleagues or family as word of mouth. It might be through school, it may be through a poster, or even through another sporting activity (such as coolrunnings website, sleepmonsters).
• Events can’t be fit in around work/other sports • Running through the forest and spider-webs… not pleasant. • It is not a cool sport; it is not a competitive sport In finding solutions, we need to address perceptions the public have of our sport. First (early) impressions Everyone knows how important first impressions are, and it’s no different for orienteering. The experiences newcomers have at their initial events are likely to be the difference on whether they come back. Their experience will depend on numerous factors, some which we can control include: • The friendliness and helpfulness of organisers and members • The ease of registration and following procedures • The quality of the map and event • The appropriateness of the course • Further information provided to newcomers • Feedback they receive (results, support from organisers) • Support from club/members in progressing further In finding solutions, we need to consider how our sport caters to newcomers at events. We need to think about the Solutions Next edition: Growth solutions: how can we improve the product for newcomers. Development Tips – Advertising Events 1. Look to advertise events on websites. Coolrunning (www. coolrunning.com.au) and Sleepmonsters (www.sleepmonsters. com.au) service the running and adventure racing communities in Australia and offer event schedules that are free to add to.
Sports Au s t r a l i a n
F o u n d a t i o n
Support your Sport through taxdeductible donations to the Australian Sports Foundation Check out the details and download the donor’s form from
www.orienteering.asn.au Support our sponsors and support your sport
2. Run a story in your local paper. Get in contact with your local suburban paper a few weeks before your event. They will often run a local interest story if it’s in their coverage area. 3. Make sure details of your event are well promoted at other events in the weeks or months before your event.
OCTOBER 2006 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 11
N AT I O N A L O R I E N T E E R I N G L E A G U E
Meet Your Team
Team Name: Southern Arrows State: South Australia Highest Ranked: Male – Ben Rattray (9th) Female – Susanne Casanova (12th) NOL 2005: 5th Team The Southern Arrows at the 2006 Australian Middle Distance Championships They are (L to R) Kerrin Rattray, Jenny Casanova, Zoe Radford, Susanne Casanova, John Nieuwenhoven, Tristan Lee, Simon Uppill, Vanessa Round, Ben Rattray, Tyson Hillyard. Vanessa Round
12 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER OCTOBER 2006
Kerrin Rattray
Manager: Tyson Hillyard Coach: Susanne Casanova Website: www.oasa.asn.au Simon Uppill
N AT I O N A L O R I E N T E E R I N G L E A G U E
T
HE Southern Arrows broke away from the Outer States (a composite team from WA, QLD, TAS and SA) in 1996 to become an independent team in the Australian National League competition. As one of the stronger outer states at the time, the Southern Arrows have continued producing strong members but struggled to keep its depth. The current squad consists of very talented male and female members at both junior and senior levels. Although the team members often fill individual podium positions at NOL races, they struggle to present a full team at every race. The Southern Arrows has team members based all over Australia and overseas. Whilst representing Adelaide and South Australia, team members are based in Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and even Sweden.
Training • Major training camp twice per year. In February 2006, a training camp was held over a weekend in the Adelaide Hills. Training consisted of technical exercises on various Adelaide Hills maps. The camp concluded with a productive team meeting which allowed members to sort out the goals for both athlete and team. A second camp recently took place on the Mid-North map of Bri-Glen, assisting juniors and the team to prepare for Easter next year in this region. This camp is expected to be repeated late next summer to further prepare for Easter 2007. • Tuesday group runs often include training with the South Australian Secondary Schools Team in fitness activities in the centre of the city. These activities have helped develop and encourage the upcoming elites and offer all South Australian Orienteers a place to meet and to run as a group. • On the weekends off from Orienteering the squad has been continuing to train together with sometimes epic runs through the Adelaide Hills. This not only has helped with stamina and team morale, but also has allowed the team to explore parts of the hills so few Adelaidians explore.
Sponsorship The squad has no major sponsor. As part of fundraising activities, the Southern Arrows have received Susanne Cassanova, support from Polar and Ultimax, Southern Arrows coach not to mention the support received and highest ranked female from the Orienteering Association of South Australia, and the South Australian Government. The Southern Arrows appreciate the small efforts and support of all those who have contributed to the team in 2006. They are also working towards major sponsors through liaising with local Businesses and Government bodies.
Funding To help support all squad members in the NOL, the squad continually carries out fundraising events and activities and is fortunate to receive funding through a South Australian government grant. Southern Arrows members are the team behind theFOOL competition, a fantasy orienteering league based on similar fantasy football leagues (Details are on the Orienteering Australia
SOUTHERN ARROWS MEMBERS Jenny Casanova Susanne Casanova* Zebedy Hallett Zoe Radford Vanessa Round* Lachlan Hallett Tyson Hillyard Mallory Hughes Tristan Lee John Nieuwenhoven Ben Rattray* Kerrin Rattray* Simon Uppill* Zebedy Hallett
website under high performance). Other major fundraising activities include the running of South Australian events. In 2006 this included the South Australian Relay Championships, which reaped rewards for both the competitors and the team with unprecedented support by clubs, the association and it’s members. The Southern Arrows will be holding this event again in 2007.
Squad Developments The squad makes a strong commitment to assist in developing orienteering within South Australia. Apart from putting on entertaining events and training, the Southern Arrows spearhead junior development through assistance at training camps and mentoring juniors. For the past 5 years a Southern Arrows athlete has been responsible for coaching the South Australian Schools Orienteering Team. Starting with Miguel Clark, followed by Lachlan Hallett and now John Nieuwenhoven is beginning a second term as Coach. In 2006 the team has made great advances in becoming the face of South Australian Orienteering. Recently the team unveiled its new Logos and now the team is busy preparing a new uniform for the 2007 season to be unveiled at NOL Round 1. The team is also busy developing a website to boost our publicity and public awareness. The Southern Arrows main aims include to assist in the development of juniors and orienteering in South Australia, and to create a strong team atmosphere with full teams at each round of the NOL. While there are no direct aims in terms of results in 2006, they believe that with full teams, there is not a team in the NOL that won’t be worried by the Southern Arrows. Words and Photos by Ben Rattray and Tyson Hillyard
OCTOBER 2006 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 13
ADVENTURES IN AUCKLAND
Aussie Agegroupers’ Adventures in Auckland Debbie Dodd
O
NE of the joys of attending an Easter 3-day carnival is the swathe of invitations one receives to other events, carefully placed on one’s car windscreen. These provide a welcome distraction from one’s less than optimal performances (this applies particularly on Day 3 in my limited experience). This year it was a modest little green flyer that caught our eye – not so much the colour or design, but the content. Five races, including two regional championships and two IOF ranking events, all within easy driving distance of New Zealand’s largest city, and packaged neatly into a 3-day long weekend in early June. Not having orienteered “offshore” before, the annual Auckland 3Day looked like a great way to gain some overseas experience. Now some might argue that NZ is not truly international, but we needed passports and strange money, so that was good enough for us. The Australian Bushrangers sent a team to compete against the local Pinestars in a Test Match. In fact, elites made up a sizeable proportion of the field of almost 300, and we soon realised we were the only age-groupers to have made the trip across the Tasman. New Zealand has 10-year age spreads, so Ian and I competed in M40A and W40AS. The pressure was on to beat at least ONE Kiwi and not let our club and country down! We know how the Socceroos must have felt …
Day 1 – Auckland Middle-distance and Sprint Championships We were a little nervous on the first day, not knowing quite what to expect, but all the procedures were very similar to ours and the event had a happy, relaxed air as old friends greeted each other. It was strange for us to know so few people – a bit like being at our first event. Otherwise it was very much like competing in a state championship, with premarked maps and pre-allocated start times, and a similar number of competitors. The main difference we noted was that the orienteers were younger on average than at home, and not just due to the number of M/W21s. “We are getting quite a few families coming back into Orienteering as their kids reach an age where they can compete, and there is a lot of interest from adventure racers too”, explained one of the organisers when I asked if the demographic was typical. Auckland’s winter rain had churned the farm tracks at Kaukapakapa into thick mud. The terrain was steep and open, with patches of fragrant manuka trees concealing boggy gullies. Almost all the controls were buried in these quagmires. The challenge was far more physical than navigational – find the right bit of swamp, wade in, punch, suck your shoes and gaiters out of the mud, and squelch off to the next control. Being a drought affected Victorian with a pathological fear of wet feet, I tried to pick my way delicately across on the tussocks, until I did a face plant at my second control and came up covered in smelly brown goop! After that it was no problem - just do as the locals do and throw yourself into it. This technique worked well for us, as we both had more names below us than above in the morning’s results. After a quick dash to our motel to chisel the mud off our shoes, we headed to Auckland’s North Shore for the Sprint, which showcased the striking buildings of Massey University. The field was smaller as quite a few chose to skip this event - a shame as it was great fun racing around the campus and dashing up the 14 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER OCTOBER 2006
Bushrangers’ Peter Preston battles low visibility in the New Zealand pine forest.
stairs to the impressive finish under a large semicircular portico. The map quality was excellent, and good use was made of the many stairs and ramps to set route choice challenges. Sprinting is Ian’s forte and he was looking forward to a fast clean run, so it was disappointing that a strained calf muscle from the morning hampered his performance.
Day 2 – Middle-distance Heavy overnight rain turned the sandy track to Woodhill Forest into a morass. Today’s terrain was low coastal dunes in pine forest, and the map was a mass (mess?) of convoluted brown squiggles. We had to complete a short course in the morning, then our finish times were used to establish our place in the afternoon’s chasing start. Times for both runs were combined to determine the outcome. Luckily for me, my map was 1:7,500, but Ian had the standard 1:10,000 which was an extra challenge. The forest was lovely and clear underfoot, but highly technical, full of small mounds and depressions which all looked similar. We both ventured out with some trepidation and a good degree of care, as relocation was going to be extremely difficult. After lunch everyone set out on the second loop which was a little more technical and slightly longer, and I made a couple of errors this time. Simplification was an important technique, but the large number of controls in close proximity was distracting – flags and people everywhere! Ian’s age-group was sent out on the same course as the elites, with a nasty final section in a heavily logged part of the forest. It was a battle to find those last controls – Ian stood up on a knoll for a better view, only to see four other “marmots” doing the exact same thing! The courses were really well designed, with a great spectator leg that allowed for some exciting commentary, and we cheered on the Bushrangers as the elites ran through from one section of the forest to the other.
ADVENTURES IN AUCKLAND
Bushrangers’ Kathryn Ewels was best of the Australians in the Middle-distance Test race, finishing 2nd. Photo: D. Meyer
Bushrangers’ Dave Meyer was best Australian in the Sprint, finishing 3rd. Photo: D. Winslow
Bushrangers’ Rob Preston in the warm-up Zoo Sprint. Photo: D. Winslow
Day 3 – Classic-distance We headed to Waioneke, on the north-west coast, for the final day of competition. It was a gorgeous sunny morning. There was more pine forest, knolls and depressions, this time with less visibility. The forest was soft, still and silent except for muffled footsteps, panting breath, and the occasional jubilant beep of a SPORTident stick finding its target. My complete brain fade in the second half of the course blew all chances of an age-group win, while Ian had a good consistent run. We both loved the complexity and variety of this map. Overall we were happy with how we’d coped with all this new, intricate terrain (and for the record we managed to beat a couple of Kiwis). The New Zealanders definitely displayed home ground advantage, with a few of the Bushrangers having their worst result of the weekend on Day 3. However, it was great to see the elite Aussie women take out four of the top five places, showing real depth.
Briohny Davey concentrates on map reading amongst the pines. Photo D. Meyer
There were many things to like about this carnival – the proximity of the events to Auckland and to each other made it very easy for us to fly in, compete, have a few days sightseeing afterwards and fly home again. The package of high quality events attracted participants from all over New Zealand. The maps were all first class and the courses interesting, varied and challenging for everyone. We particularly liked the way that elites and agegroupers alike competed under the exact same conditions, ie chasing starts etc. A lot of effort was put into sponsorship, and there were plenty of good spot prizes and special offers. Organisation seemed to run smoothly and we were blessed with great weather. Auckland’s pine forests were lovely to run in (although we did miss our kangaroos). One small criticism was the results displays. The previous days’ and cumulative results were never put up, so we didn’t know our standings in the overall competition until we could access the website later. But all in all, it was a fantastic three days of orienteering. If you’re looking for an overseas age-group adventure, think about Auckland next June. OCTOBER 2006 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 15
ORIENTEERING AUSTRALIA
Web Site development
• be up to date, accurate, with the focus on news and not opinion • make information about events in all States more widely available, thus enhancing the concept of a national sport • lead to an expectation that we can go to the site for news on major events with links to the detailed results and other information
Robin Uppill – OA Director (Special Projects)
H
OW many dedicated orienteers recently had late evenings to watch and listen to the live 2006 World Orienteering Championships coverage for those days with the later events extending beyond midnight Australian time? Those of us who didn’t know that we can now go to the Orienteering Australia website, as I did first thing on Wednesday August 2nd to get the latest news, in this case for the fantastic news about Hanny Allston’s gold medal in Denmark. Redevelopment of the Orienteering Australia website over the past two years or so, and the involvement of orienteers as contributors, has helped make this possible. Many orienteers now regularly log on to the Orienteering Australia site for the duration of major international carnivals to get the latest information. One of the most obvious changes from the previous version, and a model that is now being used by some other States, is the dynamic nature of the site, primarily due the use of the home page for current news about major State, National and International events. This presence of up to date news also leads to a high revisitation rate, and hence more opportunities to look at and make use of the other content areas, or revisiting older news items (expand the News link to get to the archived news items). The aim of the news items is for them to:
For those of you who regularly view the news at the site, you will have noticed that these items are contributed by many people, so the key is that anyone can contribute by putting content on the site. This means that the site is becoming the “property” of all orienteers. As well as the news area, other parts of the site are also not static, but are constantly being added to both with additional content in current areas and development of new areas. The site has become increasingly important to Orienteering Australia as a vehicle for information and communication as well as providing a professional and virtual “shop-front” for Orienteering Australia with respect to government bodies, potential sponsors, other sporting organizations with whom we may wish to establish relationships, the international orienteering community, and the media. It has also merged or made transparent the links to the other content that is part of the OA’s activities e.g. National Orienteering League and the National Rankings. “Googling” orienteering (limiting to sites from Australia) brings up the site at the top of the list, followed by sites of the various State associations, hence it is also going to be visited by newcomers to orienteering. Experience at a State level indicates that this is now the primary means by which new comers get information about orienteering. The presence of a link for “Newcomers to Orienteering” at the top of the home page is essential, as are the obvious links to State associations as these contain the details of orienteering events and activities. However the “Newcomers to Orienteering” area is one targeted for improvement, so if you have any ideas on content and presentation, please contact the Director (Development). Many of us in the work environment have become accustomed to the corporate intranet which provides us with company policies, newsletters, forms, photos, and organisational structure amongst other things. The Orienteering Australia web site is the orienteer’s “corporate intranet”. Hence the site is also a resource for orienteers, it is used to provide information on Orienteering Australia’s main business areas and related topics e.g. Administration, Technical, Mapping, Development, High Performance and National League. With Orienteering Australia’s aim to increase the role of is committees, the site should become increasingly
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important by hosting the material relevant to each of the committees’ activities. It will also provide resources for those involved in these areas in each State, and State representatives on the committees should use the resources in the these areas and also provide additional relevant contributions (contact your committee chair person if you can contribute). Some examples of the available resources are described briefly below. This list is not comprehensive but will give some indication of what is available. So please browse through some of these and you will get an idea of what the site can offer. For example in the development area, a number of resources are available to assist in both attracting and looking after newcomers. These resources are based on examples from successful State based and overseas activities. Previously this type of information was often discussed at development conferences and reported on to the States, but with changing personnel may not have always been available to those who might have been able to benefit from this information subsequently. Now it is available to anyone and should be especially useful to country based clubs which have less interaction with the city based State associations than the metropolitan clubs. In the Technical area, the most obvious essential resources are the copies of the current rules; however the sets of Powerpoint slides for Level 2 and 3 Controller workshops can be used both as refresher material for controllers, as well as a basis for State based level 2 Controller workshops (and were used in South Australia this year). Currently also under the management of the Director (Technical) are issues relating to land management and the environment, hence the Environmental area is being developed to make available resources and information to assist States in land management particularly where difficult requirements are imposed by government bodies, and to assist responses to land management plans. Orienteering Australia also has a number of policies and guidelines many of which are of relevance to individual orienteers as well as clubs and State associations. These were maintained on the previous site and have been migrated and added to here, with the available list ranging from the Constitution to Team Selection Guidelines to the various Orienteering Australia policies. And you will also find information on The Australian Orienteer to which the site should be considered complimentary (with the former remaining a more permanent record of some great orienteering moments), information for potential sponsors and advertisers, the National League program and current standings, and the elite rankings amongst other things. The High Performance area contains some examples of GPS tracking of orienteers, the live version of which added to the recent WOC coverage. Like the news items, the contributors responsible for these areas are to be congratulated for keeping them up to date with the latest results. The site also maintains links to all the upcoming major national carnivals. The structure of the site has enabled the separation of the management of the technical aspects of the site from the contribution of content. This is enabled by the use of a simple WEB Content Management System, software that automates the publishing of web content, and allows registered users to easily add and edit the content. Users are able to add text, images and
upload documents. They need have no knowledge of HTML or other coding/scripting languages as the layout, customized styles, and maintenance of links to uploaded documents are managed by the CMS system. To contribute content, you will need to register as a user via the Register/Login box. Each user has a “My Articles” area where articles contributed by that user are available. The “Add Item” link allows access to a content editor component into which an article can be edited directly or added from another application such as a word processor. Photos and other documents can also be uploaded via this editing component. The news item can be maintained here in draft form or when completed, marked for approval. A site editor can then check the article and complete the upload process. A link to Help information is available here for content contributors. As indicated above, the site is continuing to undergo development and the addition of content. This will include the following areas: • addition of an archive of results from past national events, this has been maintained independently by Blair Trewin and will be incorporated in the site • a more comprehensive events listing (note that editors can add events to the current list and these are included in a format that can be imported into MS Outlook – Import Event link) • expansion of the Events area with the inclusion of searchable results initially from events on the national calendar • more interactive event information • a service to manage online entries for events • extension of the results area to provide information on participation Perhaps even further in the future, we may see real time video streaming of major events. For the sports fanatics amongst us we have been able to recently watch major international events such as the Soccer World Cup and the Tour de France. To be able to do the same for Orienteering with the real time video coverage of WOC 2006 on the internet for those of us lucky enough to have an adequate connection, has been a fantastic experience. The Orienteering Australia web site belongs to Australian orienteers, hence suggestions on content and features are welcome, please forward to Robin Uppill, Director (Special Projects) at oa_projects@netspeed.com.au.
OCTOBER 2006 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 17
COACHING
Heart Rate Variability Ben Wisbey and David Shepherd “I once watched a snail crawl along the edge of a straight razor. Crawling, slipping. And surviving”. This was Marlon Brando as Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now. Training to compete at the top level is like walking the edge of a razor – too far back from the edge and the athlete won’t reach their potential, step over the edge and the consequences are even worse. How then does the athlete know where the edge is? The snail that Kurtz sees in his nightmare can see the edge, but for an athlete there is no physical edge. How often have you wondered if you should be doing that quality session today despite being a bit flat? How often have you wondered whether you were fatigued or just lacking motivation? Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is a tool that has recently been developed to help an athlete visualize the edge of the razor.
What Is HRV? HRV is essentially the variation in the time between heart beats. A heart rate of 60 beats per minute (BPM) does not necessarily imply the heart beats once per second like a clock. The time between beats will vary - the degree of this variation is dependent upon factors such as fatigue, sickness, travel, altitude, temperature and even mental stress. We know that heart rate (HR) increases when we exercise, but underlying this is the autonomic nervous system (ANS) which plays a direct role in speeding up and slowing down HR. There are two branches to the ANS that influence HR - the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), responsible for speeding up heart rate; and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) which is responsible for slowing HR. Following long term training, lower resting and exercising HR’s are observed and HRV usually increases. However, during periods of excessive training (overtraining) the SNS can be overactive as the body responds poorly to recovery, resulting in an elevated resting HR and minimal variation in HR at rest. ACTAS athlete, Canberra Cockatoo and Australian WOC Team member David Shepherd (Shep) has been using HRV analysis provided by Ben Wisbey at FitSense Australia (www.fitsense.com. au) throughout the past 18 months. Recent research shows that using HRV analysis to control the timing of hard training, athletes can actually train less and achieve better results by completing key sessions when the body is ready to adapt to them. HRV analysis has helped Shep train smarter during recovery from ankle surgery late last year and get back into form for the Australian 3-Days and gain selection into the 2006 WOC Team. HRV has also been used by the likes of Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist cyclists Oenone Wood and Natalie Bates, multiple World Champion cyclist Michael Rogers and numerous AFL teams.
Monitoring HRV Sympathetic and parasympathetic tone can be monitored through tracking HRV on a day-to-day basis so that the athlete’s training state can be assessed. We gain information on fatigue levels, detect overtraining/overreaching, determine training readiness and eventually assist competition preparation by assessing when the athlete is ready to perform. HRV data is obtained using a 5minute orthostatic test - 3 minutes lying down and 2 minutes standing. Orthostasis means upright posture and the change in 18 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER OCTOBER 2006
posture (from prone) causes a change in blood pressure. HR must increase if we stand upright quickly to ensure the blood supply to the brain is sufficient to stop us from fainting. The orthostatic test is a reliable method to determine HRV in athletes since it combines laying and standing. The laying period is dominated by the PNS (slows down HR), with the interaction of the SNS (speeds up HR) upon standing. Using a HR monitor and software we can measure the input from the ANS during the orthostatic test and track the changes over the athlete’s training cycle.
Analysing HRV This is where it gets a little technical. HRV analysis is not as simple as assessing your resting HR. In fact, the beat-to-beat data is run through a combination of time domain and spectral density analysis so that it can be assessed effectively. While this process may sound a bit high tech, this is what allows the HRV analysis to be such a sensitive measure of stress and performance readiness.
Figure 1: Power spectral density of sample HRV data - we are interested in ratio of the power of the high (RHS) and low (centre) frequency components.
Figure 2: Shep’s HRV Data on Thursday before the Australian 3-Days - note high variability – fresh for the coming races.
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HRV information is graphed to create an overall picture of ongoing training stress. A moving average is used to monitor accumulated fatigue while day-to-day measures allow sensitive changes to be assessed on a daily basis. The accumulated trend information is very important in predicting racing performance – excellent performances usually occur as the fatigue begins to rise following a recovery period, which indicates SNS activation which is essential for optimal performance. Bad performances generally occur when large volumes of SNS tone are present, corresponding to high levels of fatigue. Over a period of time an individual athlete’s profile can be established to determine the best training/ recovery combination leading into a race. Training and recovery can then be planned accordingly.
LFHF ratio
Monitoring HRV means the athlete has current information on their training status, they can see how their body is responding and hence how far they are from the razor’s edge. Knowing this the athlete and their coach can adjust training loads to suit the level of fatigue. Without this information the level of fatigue is subjective - low motivation can trick an athlete into thinking they are fatigued so they skip a session they should have done; conversely highly motivated athletes have been known to “push through” fatigue which can result in the athlete slipping over the edge and overtraining. Denmark’s former world champion Chris Terkelsen overtrained soon after winning the overall World Cup in 1998 and didn’t return to the top for nearly 8 years!
pNN50 (%)
Using HRV
Figure 4: Summary of Shep’s HRV data showing pNN50 (top chart), which is a time-based measure of variability, and the LF/HF power ratio (lower chart) which is filtered (black) to remove daily fluctuations and more easily see the trends. High pNN50 means high variability and is a good indicator of endurance; high values of the LF/HF ratio generally indicate fatigue.
What’s Next? In order to get optimal results from your training, fatigue is something that needs to be considered when deciding whether to continue with a high training load or whether to back it off. There are times when high levels of fatigue are required (and expected) to get gains, without these overload periods, performance will remain stagnant. However, there are also times when excessive fatigue will limit the effect of training. Having the ability to know fatigue levels adds a new dimension to training and allows you to control your training load to walk close to the edge of the razor. HRV analysis is a relatively new tool and new results are being regularly published. Consider the development of a twig with notches at regular intervals to calipers with nanometer accuracy. HRV analysis presents athletes with an objective means of monitoring training for the first time, something to consider for every elite athlete wanting to get the most out of their training. See www.fitsense.com.au for more information on their expert services and www.fitshop.com.au for all training supplies from nutrition to clothing and HR monitors. For more information on Shep’s current training, use of HR variability, and training sessions go to www.fitsense.com.au/blogs
Figure 3: Shep’s HRV Data on Tuesday after the Australian 3-Days, showing less variability and indicating the fatigue-related stress response following the four races.
Orienteering Australia – National Training Centre OCTOBER 2006 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 19
NUTRITION
Looking after your Bone Health Gillian Woodward
M
OST athletes take great care of their muscles, but how often do they think of their bones? In this edition I want to draw attention to your bones and how to maintain their strength as the years progress. Recently the National Health and Medical Research Council announced new recommended dietary intakes of calcium for Australians. These new calcium guidelines have increased the daily intake target for all age groups over 9 years. An increase (since 1991) of about 300mg per day has been recommended for all adults and adolescents, so that most of us now need between 1000 and 1300 mg per day. The main reason for this increase in requirement of calcium is the growing number of Australians suffering from the disabling disease osteoporosis, which affects one in two women and one in three men over 60 years of age. Osteoporosis occurs when the bones become fragile due to the loss of calcium and other minerals, tending to fracture more easily. Of course this disease doesn’t just suddenly develop once you turn 60. It is due to a progressive loss of bone minerals. During the growth years of childhood and teens, calcium is most efficiently absorbed and stored so that a peak bone mass is reached in the early to mid- twenties. It is therefore most essential to consume adequate calcium during these years as well as to do regular physical activity, as this helps to keep the minerals within the bone tissue. Once women reach menopause, they rapidly lose bone minerals at a rate 2-4 times faster than before (due to a sharp decrease in oestrogen). Men start to gradually lose bone mineral in their 50’s. Eating enough calcium-rich food is important throughout this time of life, to help prevent excessive bone loss. The new RDI’s for calcium imply that most of us need to consume at least 3 serves of calcium-rich foods each day. Dairy foods provide the most readily available supply of calcium, as the phosphorus, lactose and vitamin D they contain all help us to absorb the mineral calcium. Vitamin D is also essential to good bone health as it aids calcium absorption. We need to expose our skin to sunlight regularly to activate the inactive form of vitamin D in our skin. In summer, six to eight minutes a day on most days is sufficient, but in winter, it should be half an hour most days. We need to have only 15 per cent of our body exposed - arms, hands and face - to get this exposure. However, people with dark skin need more as the pigments in their skin prevent the UV rays penetrating to the deeper layer of skin where vitamin D is made. Diet can also contribute some vitamin D, but the quantities are small. A few food sources include fish with a high fat content (like sardines, salmon, herring and mackerel), meat and eggs. In Australia, margarine and some milk and milk products (powdered milk, yoghurts and cheeses) are fortified with vitamin D. But these foods aren’t nearly enough to give us adequate vitamin D according to the experts, so we need some sun exposure as well. By the way, low vitamin D levels have also been linked to the incidence of cancer – especially breast, colon and prostate cancer. According to an editorial in the latest Medical Journal of Australia, nearly one third of men and women have mild to moderate
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vitamin D deficiency. Almost half of nursing home patients have at least mild Vitamin D deficiency (due mainly to lack of sun exposure). Eating too much salt, drinking excess alcohol and smoking are all lifestyle factors which increase our risk of developing osteoporosis. Likewise women who have early menopause and those who diet excessively to obtain low body weights are more at risk. Lack of weight-bearing physical activity is also a contributing factor, so keeping up the Orienteering and training can only help to counter this problem. How much dairy food do you need daily to achieve the new calcium intake targets? Three serves from the following: 250 ml milk (full cream or low fat), 200 g of yoghurt or two slices (40g) of cheese. Canned fish such as 100 g of salmon with the bones or 75 g (5) sardines also contains a similar dose of calcium as the above dairy serves – around the 300 mg mark. By using evaporated, reduced-fat milk in cooking instead of cream you will not only save on fat, but also gain 285 mg calcium per 100 ml. Buttermilk is also an excellent source with 360 mg per 250 ml glass. But before you go heading for the ice-cream tub with a large spoon, let me advise you that you would need to eat 8-10 scoops of it to obtain that 300 mg of calcium. Very enjoyable you might say, but what about your waistline? In case you are wondering about ‘milk substitutes’ like soy or rice drinks, which may indeed have been supplemented with calcium (because they don’t contain it naturally), there is evidence to suggest that calcium from these is not as readily absorbed as that from dairy foods. Calcium in the tablet form is also not as well absorbed as that from food, especially the dairy products. Some plant foods reported to contain calcium include broccoli, almonds and legumes. However, the oxalates and phytates in these foods reduce the uptake of calcium from them. To equal 1 glass of milk, we would need to eat 2.5 cups of broccoli, 5 cups of red kidney beans or 165g almonds – a huge amount of food. So while these foods add some extra calcium, it is best to rely on dairy foods for your main supply. In summary then, consume 3 serves of dairy food daily, get some sunlight on the skin regularly and keep up the physical activity of the weight–bearing kind (walking, running, Orienteering, tennis, golf, dancing, and resistance training - weights etc.). Go lightly on the alcohol and salt and most importantly, don’t smoke if you want to preserve healthy bones and avoid osteoporosis. Gillian Woodward is a Practising Dietician and has been providing advice in the field for over 25 years. She has been an orienteer since 1984.
WORLD ORIENTEERING CHAMPIONSHIPS
BIG MISTAKES at WOC It happens to all of us – that big-180, the 90, or the complete mind explosion. We wonder: “What a simple error - how could we possibly have done that?” Well, rest easy, we are not alone. Here are examples of the simple errors made by some of the world’s elite orienteers at the World Orienteering Championships in Denmark. David Andersson (SWE)
Valentin Novikov (RUS)
David Andersson will remember the Men’s Middle-distance Final day for as long as he lives - for all the wrong reasons. He was going well until he reached the spectator control #11. Then something went terribly wrong for him. After punching #11 he turned right when he should have turned left and ran off towards #22. All this in front of thousands of spectators, TV cameras, the Big Screen – the lot. All credit goes to the Swedish commentator who had to bite his tongue so as not to alert Andersson to his mistake.
In the Men’s Middledistance Final, Novikov was leading by a good margin when he punched control #16. The Gold medal was his for the taking – all he needed was a clear run through the last few controls. Unfortunately, he thought he was at #17 and so headed left towards #18 – a long way left. He realised his mistake but lost over two minutes. He finished in 5th place, some 54sec behind the winner Holger Hott Johansen (NOR).
Andersson certainly wasn’t alerted – he kept going to #21, #20 (a control surrounded by photo journalists), #19, #18, #17, #16 and #15. Only at #15 did Andersson realise his mistake so he headed off to #12 then retraced his route back to the Finish. What was going through his mind? Only David Andersson knows.
Minna Kauppi (FIN) In the Women’s Middle-distance Final the effervescent Finn, Minna Kauppi, finished a very creditable 4th, but she could have had a Bronze medal had she not made a 90 degree error at #4. She lost close to one minute on the leg from #4 to #5 but only missed Women’s Middle Distance Final the Bronze by #5 FINISH 11sec. As she punched #4 she 1 S. Niggli-Luder SUI 6:02 33:58.1 must have looked up and mistaken 2 M. Andersen NOR 5:51 34:20.5 the small hill to the west for the 3 T. Riabkina RUS 36:13.9 much larger hill to the south. Uh 4 M. Kauppi FIN 6:58 36:24.9 Oh, what a costly mistake.
Middle Distance Final – Men #15 #16 #17 #18 #19 FINISH
H. Hott Johansen NOR 1:15 0:39 0:25 1:41 1:16 35:49.4 V. Novikov RUS 1:11 0.39 2:44 1:42 1:17 36:43.5
Michela Guizzardi (ITA) & Hilary Saeger (USA) Hilary Saeger had a nightmare start to the Women’s Sprint Final when she couldn’t find #1, found #2 then almost returned to the Start before she found the correct route to #1. Thoroughly demoralised she ran up to the spectator control #10 behind Italy’s Michela Guizzardi who had passed her earlier. Guizzardi then made an (almost) 90 degree error in front of the grandstand crowd of thousands, heading off into nowhere, and Saeger trotted off behind her. Clearly Saeger was following Guizzardi but she wasn’t disqualified – very interesting.
OCTOBER 2006 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER
21
JWOC 2006
Gold and Silver for Hanny Allston at Junior World Championships Hilary Wood
T
HE Australian Juniors Team this year experienced something no previous team has seen - one of their team-mates winning two medals at a World Championships. They saw the dedication and self-discipline of Hanny Allston pay off in her excellent achievement of the Gold medal in the classic event of the championship with a stunning 4 and half minute win over second place, running the 8.6 km course in 53 minutes and some seconds. JWOC 2006 proved to be a very successful time for the Australian Team. Matt Parton getting a podium 6th place in the Sprint event shows the potential we have in the team. Simon Uppill had a creditable performance and looks good for a better one on his home turf, Dubbo in 2007. Vanessa Round too has added to her JWOC experiences and will also be a worthy contender for the JWOC competition in Dubbo. We had a very interesting training camp experiencing the local quirkiness and quaintness at the Storo Romo (or Fat Romos) guesthouse. This house was full of woodcarvings and the tables and chairs were also carved out of solid wood and iron with a horse motif. One needed to be a weightlifter to move the chairs!! It made for interesting and at times challenging experiences for the team management in negotiating our needs and doing our best to get what the Team needed. Rob Walter and Reuben Smith who made the trip down from Sweden to help out at the training camp again assisted us this year. Simonas Krepsta, an elite orienteer from the Lithuanian team, also befriended our Team and gave some invaluable advice. Hanny’s 2nd place and Matt Parton’s very impressive 6th place in the Sprint set the scene for the week for the Australian Team. It raised the confidence of all Team members and made it easier for them to believe in themselves and their ability to be competitive on the world stage. The results for Team harmony were excellent with all Team members being supportive of one another and encouraging in each other’s efforts and performances. This year we asked the Team members to give us some insights into their experiences of JWOC in an interview with each after the relay race. This day was a little disappointing for the girls’ team but still saw Hanny finish with the fastest time of all on her course for the day. We thought it would be more informative to hear from the Team, their thoughts about JWOC and their orienteering. As a result the following questions were put to each member of the 2006 Australian JWOC Team: 1. Describe the highs for you at JWOC2006 in Lithuania. 2. W hat were some of the low times for you either in the training camp or competition week?
Murray Scown 1. My highs were making the A final in the Middledistance Race. The Relay was really open and fast and I had a good run. 2. My performance in the final of the Middle-distance race. It was a tougher race and I was disappointed with my time. 3. I think if I had my time again I would train a bit harder. 4. My advice is to prepare as best as you can between Easter and JWOC. 5. I’m going to have a break now and in the future train for the Middle-distance race for WOC. 6. Fantastic!!
Kellie Whitfield 1. The team spirit…it’s been pretty good to cheer on the other Team members and see a fellow Team member come first. 2. My personal low has been running bad and making stupid mistakes and knowing I can do it. 3. If I had my time again I would go out with more confidence and pep myself up. 4. My advice to others would be to go out confidently and use the upper hand.
2. I had a couple of lows during the training week as a result of getting used to the terrain and not performing well personally and having to get back up after it. 3. What I’d do differently? I’d get used to having the map in my hand and get the navigation right. 4. My advice would be to get the navigation right before fitness. 5. In the future I’ll do it for fun and run for the ACT team and WOC in the future….maybe. 6. Awesome fun!!!
Hanny Allston 1. The Longdistance race was definitely the highlight for me. Other highlights were getting on with the Team and they’ve become really good friends. 2. Lows for me were feeling exhausted and a bit flat from being in a different culture and my performance in the Middle final was a bit of a low for me. 3. My preparation this year was perfect and the extra week in Kaunas with Simonas really helped my preparation. 4. Definitely got to have good navigation but have to be as fit as you can be too. 5. Pretty obvious! But I’m sure I can reach the top one day at the senior level. I’ve got the speed in the field against other runners but I have to develop mentally and technically.
5. I want to develop my strength and speed and then try out for the WOC team.
6. Awesome!!
6. Fun!!!!
Evan Barr
5. What are your future orienteering aspirations?
Sophie Barker
6. A nd in one word or phrase can you sum up your JWOC 2006 experience?
1. The high for me has been getting to know the Team and my run in the Relay – it’s been my best one for the week.
1. Definitely the first time overseas has been a big high for me. The Relay has been the most fun race and spending 2 weeks
3. W ould you do anything different with your preparation if you had your time again? 4. W hat advice would you give to up and coming juniors for the Australian JWOC Team?
22 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER OCTOBER 2006
with a great bunch of guys. 2. The Longdistance race was a low for me. I had it in my head as my favourite race but I got a bit sick before and was not fully prepared and I hit the wall and that was pretty disappointing. 3. I think my training at a crucial stage tailored at a crucial time with my uni exams. I think if I had my time again I wouldn’t let myself get so stressed by my uni exams, otherwise I think I prepared fairly well. 4. Not to get stressed 5. I stopped orienteering for a few years and I’m not so good at navigation as I was and I really noticed that this week, yeh and I would really like to get my head working again! I want to keep enjoying it and I want to come back to Europe again in a couple of years. 6. Dill!! (in reference to the fact that it got served with almost every meal in Lithuania).
Matt Parton 1. The sprint race has to be my high I think. It was the perfect race for me – no real mistakes and I ran really well and for the whole day I couldn’t stop smiling. 2. Really, really disappointed at the results of the Long-distance as I had done a pile of training and preparation and just to be that sick on the morning of the race was a real heart wrencher. 3. Not a whole lot I think – just not to be sick. I was pretty happy with my preparation. I trained perhaps a bit hard in the weeks leading up to coming overseas but otherwise it was fairly alright. 4. mmmm don’t know…yeh don’t take it too seriously and if you don’t do well it is not the end of the world. N: so enjoy the experience
M: Yes enjoy the experience that’s the most important thing 5. I’m going up to the races in Queensland for the Stingers and over to WA I think so… That’s it for the next couple of years - just race for NSW and see where I go from there. 6. It was great to get on the top10 list!!
Jasmine Neve 1. I dunno the whole thing has been pretty disappointing - but the high was making the A final when I wasn’t expecting to. My high was my training earlier in the year with the hope of that I was going to do well – that was fun. 2. Getting injured eight weeks before the competition and not running at all, not being able to run the Classic. Just knowing I’m not fast enough for the Sprint. Letting the team down and running crap in the A final when it came to it. 3. As above getting injured completely interrupted my training program. 4. My advice is to get as much race experience as you can and always orienteer properly - make sure you are as fit as you can be so you can keep up. 5. I don’t know what my future is. I tried out for the senior team this year with great hopes I might make it but now I’ll just see how my fitness goes and rethink it. 6. Lot of fun!!
Vanessa Round 1. The best thing has been being with the Team and having Hanny and Matt on the podium and to cheer them and like all the other Scandinavian countries and its good to see we can do it too. 2. The worst thing is that it is all over really quickly!
and if you really have a desire to do it start now! 5. Interviewer omitted this question
3. I was pretty happy with my preparation. 4. In Australia next year I will be more confident and be able to run really well. I hope to train and do as well as I can in Australia and prepare for the Classic race. 5. To go to JWOC in the team in Dubbo. 6. Fun and exciting!
Chris Naunton 1. No idea! I’ve had fairly consistent runs and that’s about it.
6. Frustrating!
Ainsley Cavanagh 1. Today (relay) was my best run and probably just the team this year too - all got along really well and it’s a nice atmosphere. 2. The Classic and my dodgy compass and I’d trained for it – pretty disappointed.
2. My fitness …it’s pretty poor at the moment and its tougher than I expected. 3. Train a lot more. 4. Train a lot more and I’ll get onto a couple of them and have fun enjoy it out there and take your time. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t win. 5. I’ll have to decide that … whether I actually start to train more seriously or do what I’m doing now and enjoy my time.
3. Maybe I could have spent more time in the terrain and take a different approach. 4. My advice is you have to train really hard especially for the Classic it’s a lot tougher than anyone thinks. Also get onto granite maps and train on them for next year. 5. Interviewer omitted this question. 6. Fantastic!!
Simon Uppill
6. Fun!
Ryan Smyth 1. Being part of a great team that got on really well together for the training camp and the JWOC week. We supported each other really well whether we ran badly or well we supported each other. 2. I came with fairly high expectations of myself this week and while I never ran a perfect race I’m still fairly satisfied but unfortunately a big low for me was mispunching in the Middle qualifier which just took a lot of my mental concentration out for the rest of the week. 3. Probably not a lot but probably start thinking about JWOC a lot further ahead than I did. Last years JWOC I took it easy a bit instead of really getting into it and training hard.
1. Probably the Middle Qualifier and the Classic; both of those races were clean – they were probably my best two. 2. Just not being able to keep the speed and fitness throughout it all – last two days I’ve really slowed down over the last few days. 3. You have to train hard and when you are here you have to know your limits; take it easy. My advice is to train hard because it is a long carnival and you need to be running at your best every day and it’s tough. 4. Next year hopefully train hard and go into that JWOC stronger and perform more consistently through the races and not feel flat at the end hopefully and do a lot better in the Middle would be my main aim. 5. JWOC2007. 6. Awesome!
4. Start now and really talk to others who have been to JWOC OCTOBER 2006 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 23
JWOC 2006
Hanny at the spectator control during the Sprint
Murray Scown finishing his Relay leg.
Matt and Hanny with their Sprint presentations
Sophie Barker starting the Sprint.
Matt Parton making sure his SI registers
Matt Parton enjoying his podium placing.
Simon Uppill finishing off the Middle Distance final
Vanessa Round at the spectator control during the Sprint.
24 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER OCTOBER 2006
Hanny on her way to Silver in the Sprint.
Ryan Smyth during the Long.
Jasmine Neve during the Sprint.
JWOC Long Final – Women
Total 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 F 1. Hanny AUS 53:57 2:26 9:28 2:31 2:01 1:09 2:45 2:31 6:35 4:42 1:12 4:09 3:29 0:56 1:36 4:19 2:03 1:22 0:43 Allston 2. Betty Ann NOR 58:35 2:32 10:28 2:42 2:39 1:20 3:10 2:48 7:13 4:38 1:17 4:35 3:30 1:06 1:52 4:50 2:06 1:08 0:41 Bjerkreim Nilsen 3. Elin A. SWE 60:13 2:32 9:51 2:46 2:30 1:18 3:59 2:35 7:08 4:14 1:09 5:20 5:00 1:12 1:45 4:33 2:16 1:20 0:45 Skantze
OCTOBER 2006 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 25
JWOC 2007
Busy in July 2007? Ron Pallas Chairman Organising Committee, JWOC 2007
Join us at Junior World Orienteering Championships and Western Plains Carnival JWOC 2007 will be the first time that the Junior World Orienteering Championships have been staged outside Europe. We expect around 300 competitors and 100 officials from 35 countries will make the trip “down under” for the event.
H
ERE is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get close to international orienteering action in our own backyard, featuring the most outstanding up and coming junior orienteers from all over the world. Not only will you have the chance to see the events and cheer the Aussies home, you will also be able to participate in six orienteering events interlaced within the JWOC Carnival running on maps used by the JWOC competitors. Are you up for the challenge?
Event Centre – Dubbo, NSW. The Event Centre for JWOC and the Western Plains Carnival will be Dubbo, the geographical centre of New South Wales. This inland city with a population of 30,000 has a strong tourist base. Boasting over 3500 beds, in a variety of accommodation modes, there should be little trouble in finding something to suit everyone’s taste. Dubbo has a wide variety of shopping outlets that will provide the odd hour or two of retail therapy as well as providing a range of supermarkets for those essential goods. A wide range of eating houses from the traditional Service and Bowling Clubs to fine restaurants are on hand to sate the hungry competitors. Amongst its most famous attractions are the Dubbo Gaol and Western Plains Zoo, however there is much more to see and do. Tranquil Japanese Gardens, a range or art galleries, visit the Military Museum or observe the universe from the Dubbo Observatory. Perhaps a trip just down the road, to Parkes to visit “The Dish”, the giant radio telescope, is to your liking, or the amazing limestone caves at Wellington or gold mine at Peak Hill. Contact Dubbo City Tourism when looking for accommodation – tel: 02 68841422 or www.dubbotourism.nsw.gov.au 26 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER OCTOBER 2006
JWOC Competition The JWOC carnival kicks off on Saturday 7th July with the Model Event followed by the opening ceremony later in the evening. Sunday morning will see the start of competition with the running of the Sprint. Dubbo’s most famous tourist attraction, the Western Plains Zoo, will be the venue. It is not hard to imagine competitors punching a control in clear view of both spectators and a wide variety of wild animals. The course setter, David Meyer, has resisted the temptation to run a leg through the lions’ den – pity! Could have seen some really fast splits! However he has many other interesting control placements that will not only test the runners but feature the beauty of the zoo. As a spectator you will have the opportunity to wander the zoo whilst taking in the race. There will be an entry fee to the zoo, however your ticket discounted by around 25% allows you to return anytime in the following 12 months (Easter 2008!) – Tickets must be pre-purchased via the entry form. With adrenalin still pumping, Monday will see the focus shift into terrain around Dubbo. Julian Dent will be out to test competitors in the Long-distance race with his courses tackling complex granite mapped by Eric Andrews and Alex Tarr. The terrain is a delightful mix of fast valleys and complex ridges. After a rest day on Tuesday, JWOC moves into Middle-distance mode on Wednesday. Jim Merchant has prepared the courses for the Middle-distance Qualification. The competitors are split into three heats, run simultaneously, with the top competitors in each heat making it into the A final. Thursday will see the Middledistance finals on courses set by David Shepherd. With A, B and C finals it will be a great day to be out in the forest cheering home the runners.
The last of the events is held on Friday, Relay Day. Phoebe Dent will be providing the courses for the relays which, more than any of the individual events, capture the intense rivalry between the countries, especially those Scandinavians, Swiss and Aussies!
Embargo
Western Plains Carnival
“The Ultimax Stingers 5 Days”
The Western Plains Carnival will feature 6 events for the orienteering public. Your week will kick off with the New South Wales Championships on Saturday 7th July. The terrain is very fast spur gully with a touch of rock thrown in to prepare you for what is to come. After watching the JWOC Sprint and a perusal of the zoo competitors will head off to the Dubbo Dash which will be run on terrain close to the CBD. Monday will be a rest day, a great chance to catch the JWOC Long-distance. Tuesday will be the first chance the public has to experience the JWOC terrain as they run on the Long-distance map. On Wednesday watch the JWOC Middle-distance Qualifiers. Stock up on those Aussie flags to cheer them home! Following the Middle-distance finals on Thursday morning, orienteers will be able to test themselves on the Middle-distance map. A great opportunity to match your splits with the world’s junior elite!
All forests and parkland within 100km of Dubbo and within the city of Dubbo are embargoed to orienteers. This includes access to the Western Plains Zoo. 2007 will provide a feast of orienteering in the Central West. “The Ultimax Stingers 5 Days” will be run in Orange, January 3rd – 7th. The event will attract a number of overseas entrants looking to get a taste of Aussie granite prior to JWOC.
And then there is…… Orienteering will return to Dubbo for Easter 2008. I would suggest when booking your JWOC/Western Plains accommodation, also book for Easter 2008.
JWOC TEAM CALENDAR
On Friday watch the JWOC Relays and later in the day the Australian Schools Relays. Saturday 14th sees the premier event of the carnival, the Australian Championships. Course setter Alex Davey is licking his lips over the terrain. Plenty of rock and some great contour detail will await the competitors. The Australian Relay Championships, Sunday 15th, will bring the Western Plains Carnival to an end.
Australian Schools Championships The Australian Schools Championships are an integral part of the Western Plains Carnival. For competitors they are an important stepping-stone to inclusion in future Australian JWOC Teams. The Individual Schools Championships will be run on Tuesday utilising the map from the JWOC Long-distance event. It is anticipated that the senior boys and girls courses will include some of the legs run in the JWOC courses – what an opportunity to match it with the world’s best! Following the JWOC Relays it will be a case of putting away the Aussie flag and pulling on your state colours to lend support to the Schools teams as they battle it out for national supremacy in the Australian Schools Relay Championships.
Keeping up to date There are two web sites to check for all the latest happenings. The JWOC website: http://jwoc2007.orienteering.asn.au The Western Plains Public Carnival website: http://www. westernplainscarnival.asn.au
Calendars run from JWOC’06 to JWOC’07, so from July 06 to July 07, and have all the main event dates for the lead up to next year’s JWOC in Dubbo, NSW. Each JWOC’06 team member has the calendars for sale @ $15 each, so contact your local JWOC Team member OR e-mail Ryan Smyth on nothingman_zero@hotmail.com . Proceeds go to help fund the JWOC Team.
The 2006 JWOC team
OCTOBER 2006 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 27
WORLD MASTERS ORIENTEERING Map for WMOC final at Witzelsberg (near Wiener Neustadt) showing the M55A course.
28 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER OCTOBER 2006
WORLD MASTERS ORIENTEERING
Australians do well at WMOC
W
IENER NEUSTADT in Austria hosted the World Masters Orienteering Championships (WMOC) last July. More than 80 Australians travelled to Austria to watch and compete with the top age-class competitors in the world. The town of Wiener Neustadt dates from the 1300s and the castle was built using money from the ransom of the English king Richard the Lionheart, which possibly means that Robin Hood paid for building the castle. The event centre was in the Military Academy, the oldest still operating in Europe, and the free jazz concert there one night (especially organised for orienteers) featured Eddie Cole, grandson of the great Nat King Cole. First and foremost in orienteers’ memories of the forests around Wiener Neustadt will be the chasmic erosion gullies with marked tracks up their middle, possibly last trodden by Neolithic man. Who else in their right mind would go that way? Only orienteers. Climbing up out of them was a major exercise in itself. But once out, the complex formations under the pines were a treat to navigate through. With more than 4000 entrants the forests were full of orienteers but the large numbers didn’t interfere with one’s concentration and navigation – apart from those who insisted on asking where particular controls were located. Those people really are a nuisance and a distraction. Best places by Australians in the Final were: M35 – Eddie Wymer (5th) M45 – Jim Russell (7th) M50 – Geoff Lawford (6th) M80 – Hermann Wehner (10th)
Park Race With Start and Finish in the centre of the old town, the Park Race took over Wiener Neustadt for a day. TV cameras on the courses provided live feed to the Big Screen erected in the main city square and the hyped-up commentator from a local TV station captured the attention of the crowd. What a way to promote Orienteering to a city of 40,000 inhabitants! Locals and tourists alike were swept up in the action as racers ducked in and out of alley-ways and through arches in search of elusive controls.
The Big Screen in Wiener Neustadt’s main square relayed action from many parts of the course in the Park Race.
to not make an error in full view of hundreds (and possibly also on the Big Screen). The last control and final leg to the Finish, all in the main town square, made for great spectator involvement.
Eddie Wymer takes 5th at WMOC Eddie Wymer drove from his home in France to compete in the M35 class at WMOC. His result in the final was a very creditable 5th place, confirming that he is still competitive with the best even though he takes part in few major events these days. In WMOC2004 at Asiago, Italy, Eddie took the silver medal in M35 so he hasn’t lost much in the ensuing two years. Eddie lives near Besancon in eastern France with his wife Isobel and their children Alyssia and Kylian (pictured). Eddie grew up in Melbourne and learned his Orienteering with the Bayside club which he first joined in 1978. His first Australian Championships win was M12A in 1979, followed by M14A in 1981 and M18A in 1984. In the 1980s and 90s he ran for Australia in several representative teams and has had considerable success in Rogaining championships as well. Eddie was selected on Australian WOC teams in 1991, ’93, ’95 and ’99. His best World Championships result was 41st in the 1991 Classic Final held in Czechoslovakia.
Much of the event covered the old town where fine navigation was an essential skill. Parts of the old city walls made navigation tricky. Major street crossings were manned by army cadets who gave right-of-way to all racers. Controls in the town park were a little easier to find but picnicking families added to the spectator throng, putting pressure on racers
OCTOBER 2006 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 29
SPORT PSYCHOLOGY
Parenting a Competitive Junior Orienteer Jason McCrae – Intern Psychologist
O
RIENTEERING is often billed as the family sport, and rightly so. Family members can all compete in their individual age classes at the same time of day and the same location, something not able to be done in many other sports, and it fosters an environment that allows the whole family to enjoy participation together. But how a mum or dad can best parent their child in a sport they are also competing in is not always clear. This article will attempt to offer some tips on parenting of children as they move up through Australia’s junior Orienteering ranks, whether the child is aiming for national team selection or just starting out in our sport.
What are these tips based on? These tips are based on a combination of sport psychology research done in other sports and years of comments and suggestions of parents, coaches and junior athletes of various sports. Of course, every child, parent and their relationship is different. We are all unique and as a result some of the ideas in this article may not be suitable for all parents or their juniors.
Parenting an orienteering junior – some suggestions So what are some of the things a parent can attempt to do to help both their aspiring young junior and the relationship they have with that child/teenager. • All parents should have the opportunity to be coaches and all juniors can benefit greatly from coaching. It’s just that in many cases parents should not coach their own children! This can be hard to implement in Orienteering where parents often have a lot of skill in how to orienteer and there are sometimes not many coaches available. However it is very difficult, no matter what a child might say, for a child to make a distinction between the roles of parent and coach. In particular, criticism of performance, technique or training should be handled by the coach. If you are an experienced and skilled orienteer as well as a parent you might be able to coach a fellow orienteer’s children in return for him or her coaching yours. • Parents should try to have a sound understanding of the nutritional requirements of Orienteering and provide for it. • Accept success and failure and help your child to do so as well. Good orienteers learn to deal with failure early. If you can make sure that your young orienteer knows that whether they win or lose, you still love them, appreciate their efforts and are not disappointed in them, then you will have gone a long way to helping them in their orienteering career. Of course we can’t say success doesn’t matter, it does, but by teaching a junior to enjoy the feeling of competing and trying hard, no matter what the outcome, you are setting them up to enjoy Orienteering. • The goal of juniors should be to improve their orienteering and themselves. They should be encouraged to improve their 30 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER OCTOBER 2006
technique, fitness and attitude. This should be the focus whether their best performance is likely to win the race or produce a result lower down in the field. The important thing is to focus on putting good effort into navigation and fitness - let the result take care of itself. • It doesn’t take long at an Orienteering event to recognise that juniors have a different code of dress to their more senior colleagues. More than adults, a junior’s psychological and emotional well-being is influenced by how they look and being accepted by their peers. As parents you can support this by recognising that sometimes the clothing that you think might be inappropriate is actually necessary. • Be a good role model for your child. As mentioned previously, Orienteering is one of few sports where the whole family compete. Children learn best by observing others’ behaviour and replicating it. If you are setting a good example of enjoying your orienteering, dealing well with failure or disappointment and competing in a manner that you would like your son/ daughter to then you are helping them to learn how to enjoy their Orienteering. Alternately if you are displaying some behaviours at Orienteering that you do not think are appropriate then no matter what you tell your child, you need to start ‘walking the walk’ if you don’t want them to behave that way as well. • Often after a junior has finished parents want to talk to them, find out how they went and generally have a chat about their orienteering experience. Unfortunately at that time juniors generally want to drink, eat, see their friends or just kick the footy! The best thing for a junior sportsperson is that their parents are patient and wait for the time when their child wants to talk about how their race went. When that time comes, take time to listen for the aspects of Orienteering that the child wants to talk about. Juniors usually want to talk about the things they enjoyed about their race and the positive aspects while parents can often want to talk about the mistakes.
Something on your mind? This column has been appearing in The Australian Orienteer for approximately two years now covering a range of sport psychology topics such as goal setting, overcoming distraction, focussing on processes and recovering from mistakes. One of the things I’ve tried to do is provide action plans and tips that can be implemented by orienteers in their training, competing or technique generally. Is there anything however “on your mind” when you compete that you find challenging? If so I invite you to drop me an e-mail and see if we can address it in the next or subsequent columns. I’m happy to keep your details anonymous if you wish. Please e-mail me on the address below at least a fortnight before AO submissions are required (see submission date in the first few pages of this edition). Jason McCrae works as a Sport Psychologist at the ACT Academy of Sport which is also Orienteering Australia’s National Training Centre. He is a keen orienteer himself and has worked with many of Australia’s top elites and can be e-mailed on jason.mccrae@act.gov.au
HIGH PERFORMANCE
Australian Orienteering begins to bear fruit Mike Dowling, OA Director, High Performance
T
O paraphrase Orienteering Tasmania President, Miriam Whittington, writing in the August edition of Tasmania’s O Know magazine, once in a while an athlete emerges in a sport that is not only talented but gifted as well. Hanny Allston’s brilliant gold medal winning performance at the recent foot World Championships in Denmark combined with her gold and silver medals at the Junior World Championships in Lithuania shows that Hanny does indeed come into this category. As it has no doubt been stated elsewhere in this edition, she is the first junior orienteer to hold a senior world title, the first person to hold both junior and senior world titles and the first nonEuropean to hold a world junior and senior title. The fact that she is an Australian is something we should all be immensely proud of and inspired by. Living in the same state as Hanny you know that talented and gifted are all very well but without hard work and dedication they can often count for little. Hanny trains incredibly hard, is always seeking advice on how to improve her orienteering technique and has a great group of support people to help her achieve her goals. In an interview on ABC local grandstand in Tasmania, Hanny paid particular tribute to her running coach Max Cherry for the great help he has given her in improving her running fitness. This again underlines the three fundamental principles that make a world class orienteer; physical fitness, mental strength & focus and quality orienteering technique. With Adrian Jackson’s 2004 gold medal winning performance in MTB-O, Hanny has now completed the Aussie trifecta of achieving gold medal winning performances in all world orienteering championships in which Australia participates. Nev Bleakley and Bob Mouatt, the drivers of fundamental change in the way orienteering high performance activities are conducted back in the nineties, must feel very satisfied that their vision of Australia becoming a more serious player on the world orienteering scene is now beginning to bear fruit. In addition, our previous national coaches of recent years such as Warren Key, Jim Russell, and Paul Pacqué must be very excited to see their contributions with past teams laying the foundation for our building international competitiveness.
Other 2006 Highlights In addition to Hanny’s brilliant performances a number of other orienteers have produced great performances across the three World Championships over the last month. In Denmark our women’s Relay team of Jo Allison, Grace Elson and Hanny achieved our best ever placing of 4th in a relay, Grace and Anna Sheldon made impressive WOC debuts by qualifying for finals in their individual races, Jo achieving 20th in the Middle-distance so soon after a significant injury, Rob Walter produced his best ever individual result in the Middle-distance and Troy de Haas had a great run on the final leg in the men’s Relay. In Finland at the WMTB-O Adrian Jackson continued to show he is a world class competitor with a 6th in the Long-distance and 7th in the Middle-distance along with Alex Randall’s 17th in the Middledistance. At JWOC in Lithuania we saw Matt Parton achieve a fantastic 6th in the Sprint Distance and Simon Uppill come 26th in the Middle-distance.
2007 Planning Both the foot and MTB-O High Performance Management Groups are busy planning for 2007 to build on our successes of 2006. Our aim is to have the selection and trials planning in place for announcement by early October. This is to enable all our athletes significant time to plan and train to be ready to put their best foot forward in 2007. With the 2007 JWOC in Australia it presents our young athletes with a fantastic opportunity to perform against the worlds best junior orienteers on home soil along with WOC in Ukraine and the WMTB-O in the Czech Republic. For both WOC and JWOC we are planning for a two stage selection process with Easter forming the first round followed by specific additional trials in May with final WOC trails in early May and final JWOC trails in late May. In addition, on the MTB-O front Victoria will be hosting the inaugural Oceania MTB-O Championships in May which will also form the major selection trails for our MTB-O team.
Building Our Coaching Capacity 2006 has seen a number of new coaches take on significant responsibilities with our national teams. We have seen Tom Quayle do a great job with our Bushrangers team in their test matches against our cross-Tasman friends from New Zealand and Brett Weihart and Sue Neve do a sterling job with the WOC team. All will be continuing in their roles in 2007 and have no doubt learned much in 2006 with their respective teams and look forward to further building our international competitiveness. This is a part of our long-term strategy to build the number of coaches working with our national teams and elite orienteers. As a part of this process we have again had our elite athletes assisting with our JWOC team with Rob Walter and Reuben Smith again fulfilling such a role with great aplomb. Two areas we need to work on building our coaching capacity are increasing the number of coaches working in the MTB-O sector and also at the state and local level to support our National league. We do have a number of wonderful people working hard coaching in our sport but like all sports more coaches are always needed. It is a rewarding aspect of our sport and I encourage more orienteers to take on such a role. Why not contact your state Coaching Director and see how you can be involved? Mike Dowling, 17 High St, Bellerive 7018, Tasmania. Tel: 6244 71773 E-mail: mdowling@tassie.net.au
OR I ENTEER I NG PUB LI CATI ONS IOF Publications
Australian Publications
International Specifications for‑Orienteering Maps . . . . . . . . . . $11.00 Competition rules for IOF events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $11.00 Control Descriptions. . . . . . . . . . . . $11.00 Simple Maps for Orienteering . . . . $11.00 Trail Orienteering (BOF book) . . . . . $30.00 Trail Orienteering (booklet). . . . . . . . $8.25 Trail O (leaflet) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.70
Elementary Orienteering Instructors‑Manual. . . . . . . . . . . . . $13.20 Level 1 Coaching Manual. . . . . . . . $22.00 Level 1 Coaching Syllabus . . . . . . . . $3.90 Level 2 Coaching Syllabus . . . . . . . . $4.40 Level 3 Coaching Syllabus . . . . . . . . $4.40 Among the Best Orienteers (video).$19.75 Sponsorship & Advertising, 1996 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . available from states Club Guide, available on disc.
Prices include GST and postage within Australia for single copies. Prices for bulk orders available on request. Orders should be addressed to Orienteering Australia, PO Box 284 Mitchell BC 2911, with cheques made payable to Orienteering Australia. Email: orienteering@netspeed.com.au OCTOBER 2006 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 31
ASTHMA
When your Opponent is inside your Own Body Switzerland’s Matthias Gilgien is fighting for World (WOC) and European Championship (EM) participation – and against a sometimes overwhelming opponent – asthma. Johannes Kornacher, Swiss OL magazine Matthias Gilgien started orienteering as a child. Both his sister Sabine and his father were orienteers, “A little family undertaking,” he says. Up to the time he was twelve, Sabine did better. “That annoyed me.” And motivated him. Because he had a dream sometime to become world champion. He trained more and surpassed his sister. When he was 16 he joined the regional squad and since 1995 he has been a member of the Swiss elite national team. Successes include a third ranking in the World Cup series and 14th place at the World Championships in 2001. For this year his goal was a top-10 placing in the European Championships in Estonia or the World Championships in Denmark. But he has a stubborn opponent to overcome, his asthma. As a child Gilgien suffered from hay fever, with the typical symptoms of watery eyes and nose. He was used to runny eyes and suffering in the spring. Then when he was 22 everything altered: he developed asthma. “Stage change” is what the specialists name this shift down into the bronchial passages, the airways in the chest cavity.
Under control with medication Performance athletes with allergies often develop performance asthma under extreme load. Medication has enabled Gilgien to keep this well under control. Every morning and evening he inhales the medication “Seretide”. He would have the same quality of life as other people if he was not a high performance athlete. The body’s defence system in the pollen season weakens the immune system; the recovery phase from exercise can be an extremely long time. Then Gilgien needs up to 12 hours sleep and runs the danger of catching an infection. The line between load and overload is very narrow, he says. “A bit too much training or too hard and that does it.”
Planning the season against the pollen calendar Season planning does not depend on performance graphs or event dates, but according to the pollen calendar. “In spring I’m always out of it,” says Gilgien. “Asthma and pollen force me to go my own way.” Formerly he held on well into April in Switzerland then, as the pollen developed, he fled to Scandinavia. Since the beginning of 2006 the student of sport science and physics has been living and training in Oslo, Norway. If he goes to Switzerland for races, he tries to get out of the way to a higher area, travels direct to the competition and then straight back.
Not the same chances The risk is high – as the most recent test results show – he cannot call off participation on account of the flight of pollen. Then he just does not have the same chance as others. “If there is a strong flowering, the train will have already departed before I 32 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER OCTOBER 2006
get into my stride.” For competitions in pollen-affected areas, he’s hoping for what others fear, extensive rains. Previously he would have been angry, if the weather had affected his plans. Now he has developed enough mental strength to set aside the disappointments, “I’ve learned to look forward.”
Even so, sport is his life Matthias Gilgien has invested 18 years of his life into the sport of orienteering. Sport is his life, even though he has always known about his handicap. But he does not make a big deal of it, just saying “Everyone has a weak point.” His strengths are technique and concentration, enormously important in orienteering. His weakness is his health: even at the peak of fitness, his body can let him down. At WOC 2001 in Finland he competed with hay fever, had ‘a weak motor’, but it was mentally his strongest race for a long time. He was 14th, under the circumstances a giant success. Gilgien has learned to measure successes and setbacks by his own criteria. “Did I do the job well?” he asks himself after every race. He knows that he cannot have any influence on the factors of weather and pollen. He has accepted his asthma, but internally he fights it like an enemy, “We are not exactly the best of friends, but we have come to an arrangement.” A fact which has made him strong. He has to make more sacrifices and invest more than his competitors for the same chances. Despite handicaps and setbacks he has always progressed, training about 600 hours a year. He’s also used to being patient. He knows that in orienteering it’s not your actual age that counts but your training age. At 30 he is in his best orienteering years. He believes one day there will be some compensating justice. Sometime, says Matthias Gilgien, the day will dawn when everything comes together: weather, my form and concentration, “Then I’ll strike.” That’s when, he hopes, patience, sweat and the allergy tears will truly be rewarded. Article translated by Ian Baker and vetted by a qualified doctor. Some minor editing has taken place for Australian readers.
Asthma and sport, no contradiction In Switzerland about seven per cent of adults and 10% of children suffer to some extent from asthma. The prevalence of asthma in Australia is among the highest in the world - between 14% and 16% of children and between 10% and 12% of adults have asthma. Although it is not a major cause of death, asthma is one of the most common problems managed by doctors and is a frequent reason for the hospitalisation of children, especially boys. But with good information, appropriate treatment and good management, a high quality of life is possible in spite of asthma. Asthmatics can, indeed should, take part in sport. Endurance sports like running, cycling and swimming are especially suitable. The training increases tolerance and reduces the strain of asthma. People allergic to pollen can protect themselves, partly with special spectacles, suitable route choices or by getting advance information of the pollen situation. For further information www.asthmaaustralia.org.au Orienteers who take medication to control asthma should look at the ASADA web site: http://www.asada.gov.au/ and check the level of acceptance of their medication.
TOP EVENTS 2007 2007
Dec 24 - Jan1 APOC 2006 Hong Kong www.apoc2006.hk
July 7-14 WMOC 2007 Kuusamo, Finland www.wmoc2007.fi/
Jan 3-7 Ultimax 5 Days, Orange NSW www.nswstingers.com
March 23-25 Oceania MTB-O Champs, World Ranking Event, Vic MTB-O Champs Shelley, Northern Victoria. www.vicorienteering.asn.au
July 7-15 JWOC 2007 Carnival, incl NSW Champs, Aus Champs & Schools Champs, Dubbo, NSW. http:// jwoc2007.orienteering.asn.au/
July 22-27 O-Ringen Östergötland, Sweden www.oringen.com
August 5-12 MTB-O World Champs 2007 Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic www.mtbo.cz/woc2007/
April 6-15 “Burra to Barossa 2007” Aust 3Days & Middle-dist Champs, SA www.oasa.asn.au/2007
June 4-9 European MTB-O Champs, Tuscany, Italy www.ecmtbo2007.org
August 16-26 WOC 2007 Kiev, Ukraine e-mail: info@woc2007.org.ua www.woc2007.org.ua
June 27-30 Arctic Midnight Orienteering Ilulissat, Greenland www.iog.gl
October 4 Australian Sprint Championships, Canberra ACT
June 30 Midnatssolgaloppen - July 4 Arctic Norway www.mg-norway.no
October 6-7 Oceania Championships, Canberra ACT
July 2-7 5 Days of the Fortresses Trentini Highlands, Italy www.montagnaconamore.itUkraine
November 3-4 Australian MTB-O Championships, NSW
Dec 27-31 Christmas 5 Days, NSW
TASMANIANS at World Championships There’s been quite a connection established between Tasmania and Denmark. Princess Mary of Denmark is the former Mary Donaldson of Hobart. Three of the women on the Australian WOC team were from Tasmania – Hanny Allston, Grace Elson and Danielle Winslow. Before the Championships started the WOC2006 web site mused that since Crown Prince Frederik would be presenting the medals at the Sprint it would be quite a coup if one of the Tasmanian girls should win a medal and have it presented by the Prince. Well – one of the Tasmanian girls not only won a medal, she won Gold and Prince Frederik duly presented Hanny with her medal. But the connection doesn’t end there. Grace Elson has a newspaper clipping from 1992 listing the results of the Hobart “City to Casino” 5km run: Women’s 8yo winner – Grace Elson Women’s 20yo winner – Mary Donaldson Princess Mary must have been quite an athlete in those days.
Prince Frederik of Denmark congratulates Hanny on her superb Sprint win. Photo: Alternativet
2007 ORIENTEERING CALENDAR This A3 size full-colour 2007 calendar has been produced by Orienteering photo journalist Lucie Navarova using her photos from the 2006 Jukola Relays in Finland. Jukola is the world’s largest Orienteering relay race involving some 15,000 competitors. Available for $20 from The Australian Orienteer, PO Box 165, Warrandyte, VIC 3113; or contact Mike Hubbert.
OCTOBER 2006 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 33
TOP EVENTS
Ultimax Stingers 5-Day Orienteering Event 3rd-7th January 2007 Orange, NSW 5 days of orienteering on Granite maps
Online Entry and event details: www.nswstingers.com/5days
All ages catered for with the following classes: Mens A,B,C,D,E,F,G. Womens A,B,C,D,E,G. Late start times on Wed 3rd Jan and early starts on the other 4 days.
Courses will vary in length and include Sprint, Middle and Long Distance with a chasing start on day 5.
Support Australia’s preparation for JWOC 2007 Enquiries: Nick Dent (02) 43843627 email:dentwood@bigpond.com
Advertise your event in The Australian Orienteer You can have a 6 x 8 cm event ad for just $50. In colour, if we have room, otherwise black and white.
Send artwork to The Editor: mikehubbert@ozemail.com.au
34 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER OCTOBER 2006
ADVENTURE
Paragliding the Eiger Penny Hearn
my luck was in. We met Benny, one of the pilots, on his way home. Benny, it turned out, was an elite Swiss orienteer who was not orienteering this year as he has had knee surgery. He had even been in Australia in the early 80’s assisting with the juniors in NSW. What an auspicious start. It was arranged. I booked for 4.30pm the next day when the thermals are good. That night back at dinner I canvassed for some other intrepid orienteers. Is it that I am not a good salesman or are orienteers glued to the ground? Tony from England was my only starter. After a day of general sightseeing Tony and I (and Mary Enter who came for moral support) duly met Benny and Alan, our two pilots, at the base of the cable car. We rode up three stages to arrive at the top of the ski slope at about 3000 metres and a magnificent view of the snow capped mountains surrounding a beautiful green valley with the town of Grindelwald below. Benny and Alan said “just go and have a sit down for a while as the wind is not from the right direction, we may have to lift off from a different site”. After about ten minutes they came back to say get ready, the wind may come around to the right direction and we need to be ready for the right moment. Benny laid the paraglider sail out on the ground on a grassy (steepish) slope below the trig point, strapped us both into our harnesses, gave me some last minute instructions and we waited for the wind to shift. Only then did I get nervous. There were four tandem paragliders ready to go.
Four weeks of orienteering in Austria around Salzburg and Wiener Neustadt, near Vienna, at the World Masters, then a week on the Tour O Swiss followed by the Swiss O Week around Zermatt, at the Base of the Matterhorn. I thought things couldn’t get much better. We had some fantastic events, met people from all over the world, travelled through some magnificent alpine passes etc, etc, but more was to come.
A
RRIVING in Grindelwald late afternoon after a spectacular bus ride the first thing I did was open our hotel window. What a sight! Paragliders in brilliant colour floating in the sunshine right there in front of me. I decided I needed an adrenaline pump. “That’s what I am going to do tomorrow on our ‘rest day’.” An hour or so later, encouraged by John Sheahan (but not to fly himself), we wandered over to check out the options. The information office had just closed but
Suddenly I was told to run. Well, it was more like a drunken stagger, as the wind filled the chute from a slightly different direction but quicker than I ever imagined we were suddenly in mid-air soaring above the mountains. What a magnificent feeling. Free as a bird. What were those ant-like creatures below there? See that slope over there, that’s where we were orienteering yesterday, it doesn’t look that intricate. What about that snow at eye level over the other side of the valley, that’s where there was a snow slide yesterday. I can see the train line. Is that our hotel down there? What a buzz. When I gained confidence to let go I tried to take a video but found out later that I hadn’t pressed the record button. I did take a couple of still photos but Benny had a camera on a telescopic pole so I can really prove that I did it. He even gave me the ‘controls’ and I was impressed by how inherently stable the paraglider is. Much safer than a hang glider and able to pick up thermals and ascend unlike say a parachute. After many circuits and soaring in thermals, 25 minutes later we started to come in to land and I could recognize Jenny and John Sheahan waiting amongst the ‘ants’. We began to descend and my instructions were to stand up on landing. I don’t know why but it seemed much more sensible to sit so I can’t say it was the most gracious landing but we were down. Reality again - oh well, there’s always more orienteering to follow.
OCTOBER 2006 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 35
CLASSIC INJURIES
Switzerland’s Most Dangerous Animal Lisa Lampe
You don’t necessarily associate Switzerland with dangerous animals, but one nearly took my leg off …if you allow for some degree of exaggeration in this story.
I had found control #4 with some difficulty but was confidently on my way to #5, with the small gully I was headed for already in sight, when I suddenly went into a hole. The tearing noise I heard coupled with sudden searing pain in my ankle suggested that I wouldn’t be finishing the course. Ambushed by a marmot !!! In severe pain I was faced with a dilemma – blow my whistle for help or try to hobble to the first aid station? I studied the map and saw that I was only 50m from some relatively smoother ground – a broad yellow strip which in winter was a ski piste. Not too far down, I thought, was the first aid station – though it was actually a long 500 metres. I would also have to descend 75m. When I was able to get up I began a painful hobble down the mountain – naturally taking a quick glance on the way to confirm that I had indeed been right near my next control.
S
Once I reached the first aid station they took me down in a truck to the main first aid facility near the assembly arena. There they examined the ankle and suspected a fracture so they arranged for me to be stretchered down the mountain (from 2000 metres) to get medical attention. I was taken back down prostrate on the floor of the train on which we had come up, and into the back of a waiting ambulance. The verdict – no fracture, but a very bad ligament tear, with six weeks in an ankle brace and definitely no orienteering.
Each day saw us take a bewildering variety of conveyances up to various mountain resorts – Gornergrat, Schwarzee, Trochener Steg, Riffelalp and Sunnegga. The terrain was striking – Trochener Steg looked like a moonscape of rock and gravel. The terrain at every event was incredibly rough under foot as we covered glacier moraine, ancient rock falls and high alpine meadows. In fact, most people found the physical challenge greater than the navigational challenge.
Two memorable aspects of my experience deserve mention. First, the incredible support of all the other Aussies was enormous comfort in my pain and disappointment. They responded immediately to the public address announcement of my misadventure and request to collect my belongings. They were there to meet me as I emerged on crutches from seeing the doctor; they came to visit in a steady stream when I was laid up in bed; they carried my luggage from train to train for me on the way back to Zurich; and our honorary Swiss Aussies opened their home to me in Zurich so I could rest for a week. Thank you all.
WISS O Week 2006 took place in and around Zermatt (elevation 1600 metres). Six days of events held in spectacular mountain scenery at elevations of between 2500 and 3000 metres. It was attended by a substantial contingent of Aussies this year, making our mark in our vibrant green and gold t-shirts.
Every day there were casualties from the rough terrain and the heat (!) But the setting was magnificent. Countless snow-covered peaks surrounded us, with the Matterhorn the stand-out star of every photo. Many of us went walking after our courses and were able to enjoy Switzerland’s flora and fauna. The lower alpine slopes were blooming with countless species of alpine wildflowers, and in the fields above Zermatt the Swiss cows grazed with their bells ringing as they walked. Those out early reported seeing the shaggy black & white mountain goats, and spotting the occasional marmot.
Secondly, the preparedness of the medical services at the Swiss O Week and their kind and professional assistance were much appreciated. I had a fabulous time overall in Switzerland, but you will understand how, from my point of view, the marmot is Switzerland’s most dangerous animal.
The Swiss are very fond of this small animal. It’s some type of rodent and looks like a cross between a beaver and a squirrel. Marmots dig burrows in the ground where, presumably, they spend much of their time since you don’t see many out and about. But you sure see a lot of burrow holes. I had made it safely through the first five days of SOW. The last day started at Blauherd and we were to descend 330 metres in a zig-zagging course down the mountain. The terrain was a mix of rock, grass and low ground cover, with small pines dotted around. And very rough underfoot. 36 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER OCTOBER 2006
Footnote: after resting in Zurich, Lisa went to Aarhus for WOC and was able to get out on the WOC Tour courses on most days with the help of that ankle brace and Nordic walking sticks. She started with just a couple of controls but by Day 6 she got all controls bar one – radical but successful rehabilitation for a serious injury.
Aussies on Top of the World
SWISS O WEEK – six days of Orienteering in the high Alps with the Matterhorn looming above and glaciers below. With starts as high as 3100 metres the thin air and rocky moraine made running difficult. But the views were unforgettable and there was always that large rock on which to take a bearing.
OCTOBER 2006 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER
37
TRAINING
A Basic Warm-up Routine
Components of a warm-up Since we are all different you will need to individualise your own warm-up and be prepared to vary it according to how you feel on the day, the weather and the specific circumstances of the event or training run you are about to undertake. However, this article outlines some general principles that you can use to base your warm-up on and includes some examples.
Steve Bird
Introduction
I
N the previous article1 I outlined the reasons why it’s a good idea to warm up before an orienteering competition or strenuous training session. Indeed, even before going out for a steady jog, some form of warm up is recommended. In brief, the reasons for warming up are as follows: 1. It can improve performance. 2. It may help to prevent injury. 3. It can help to prepare you mentally for the event.
In addition to these benefits there is a further reason for warming up. It has been shown that in a great proportion of ‘normal’ people, doing strenuous exercise without a prior warm up causes irregular electrical activity in the heart (cardiac arrhythmia). However, if a suitable warm up is undertaken before the strenuous exercise, then this irregularity is greatly reduced or absent2. Warm Up Phase 1 – Gentle Loosening This phase concentrates upon gradually mobilising the joints and gently getting the muscles working. This is especially important if it is cold or you have been sitting in the car for sometime whilst driving to the event. All the loosening exercises presented in this section should be performed in a slow, controlled manner at a rate of about one repetition a second. All rotation movements should be repeated about 6 - 10 times in both directions, with the emphasis of each exercise being on gently easing the joint through its maximum range of movement. 1. Ankle rotations In a seated or standing position slowly circle one foot in a clockwise direction. Repeat the movement in the opposite direction. Repeat the process using the other leg. 2. Heel raises Stand with your feet approximately shoulder width apart. Then alternately raise and lower your heels off the ground whilst keeping both feet in contact with the ground.
This will produce a gentle jogging motion that should be gradually increased until you are lifting each foot off the ground and are jogging on the spot. This exercise should be performed for at least 30 seconds. 3. Hip rotations Stand on one leg holding onto a support for balance. Slowly rotate the raised leg by moving the knee towards the mid-line of the body and then away in a large circular movement. Repeat in both directions and on both legs. 4. Spinal rotations Stand with your feet approximately shoulder width apart. Then slowly rotate your upper body in a circular motion. Repeat in both directions.
38 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER OCTOBER 2006
A pre-exercise warm-up routine should consist of the following phases: 1. General loosening up. 2. Walking and/or jogging. 3. Static stretching.
The physical demands of orienteering requires that the emphasis of the pre-exercise routine be upon preparing the feet, ankles, legs, knees and hips for the activity, since they will be doing most of the work, as well as being the most vulnerable to injury. The exercises illustrated in this routine have been selected for their effectiveness and convenience. For example, some authorities may prefer a seated hamstring stretch to the standing version mentioned here. However, it is not always the most convenient to perform in the car-park or assembly area if the ground is wet, muddy, rocky or covered with fallen leaves etc.
Warm Up Phase 2 – Walking and Jogging The aim of this phase is to elevate the heart rate, increase the blood flow to the muscles and raise the temperature of the muscles, tendons and joints. In most events this can be undertaken on the way to the start and whether you choose to walk or jog will depend upon your level of fitness and how vigorously you intend to go round the course. If you are just going out on a training jog, you can include it by ensuring that the first 5 - 10 minutes are at an easy pace below your normal training speed. Even if going off on a steady run, you should start off at a walk or very gentle jog and gradually increase your speed up to your full training pace over the first few minutes. Gentle jogging will increase the flow of blood to the exercising muscles by: 1. Increasing the heart rate. 2. Opening up the blood vessels in the muscles. 3. Diverting blood from areas such as the gut. These responses will last for several minutes after the warm up has ceased and have the effect of increasing the supply of oxygen to the muscles. This makes the early part of your run seem easier and prevents premature fatigue
occurring in the first few minutes of the run. Failing to warm up can cause an inadequate supply of oxygen to the muscles, resulting in an unnecessary build up of lactic acid which will be felt as a burning, aching sensation in the legs even at relatively slow speeds. Gentle jogging will also increase the temperature of the muscles, enabling the energy releasing reactions to occur faster and making the muscle fluids less viscous. The muscles can then contract faster against less internal resistance, thereby making running easier. Co-ordination and balance can also be improved by warming up (an important aspect if starting out over rough terrain). So it may be a good idea to do some of your warm-up off the tracks and on the typical orienteering ground. How much jogging you do in the warm up will, of course, depend upon the weather, how you feel on the day and, quite simply, some individuals prefer to do more than others. It is up to you to find out what suits you, but as a general guideline, it should be sufficient to induce a slight sweat. So on cold days you should wear additional clothing whilst warming up.
Summary Warming up before training or an event should not only improve your performance, but may also prevent those unnecessary injuries that occur. Injuries can force orienteers to miss a few weeks or even retire from the sport. Indeed, there may be a high price to pay if you don’t warm up. You will never completely remove the risk of injury from a sport such as orienteering, and most people will avoid injury most of the time, regardless of what they do. However, it can be that one isolated incident that ruins your season. Whilst strong research evidence for warm-up preventing injury is difficult to acquire, due to the numerous extraneous factors, relative rarity of injuries and of course the ethics of conducting controlled studies on the topic; the current consensus would suggest that by adhering to these guidelines you should increase your chances of an injury free year. Warming up can be easily done by jogging gently on the way to the start and stretching as you wait for your start time. It’s not a waste of energy - in the long term it may be the most important few minutes of exercise you do that day. A note on cooling down
and dispose of. A gentle jog followed by some easy stretching can assist with this process and also helps to gradually return the body to its resting state. Many orienteers find it useful in reducing the likelihood of muscular stiffness the following day. This is an important consideration in multi-day events. Take advantage of the route back to the car park for an easy jog. Do some gentle stretching by the drinks or while you discuss the course with fellow competitors. References 1. Bird S (2006). Warm up; more than just about feeling warm. The Australian Orienteer, no. 141, June 2006, pg 22 - 23. 2. Foster C, Dymond DS, Carpenter J, Schmidt DH. (1982).Effect of warm-up on left ventricular response to sudden strenuous exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology: Respiratory, Environmental & Exercise Physiology. 53(2):380-3.
Professor Steve Bird is Director, Centre for Population Health, Sunshine Hospital, Melbourne. Steve worked with the Great Britain National Orienteering Squad for over 10 years.
Strenuous exercise causes the production of numerous metabolic waste products which the body needs to flush out of the muscles
Warm Up Phase 3 – Static Stretching Aim to get to the start of an event with a few minutes to spare so that you can complete this final phase of the warm up before you start. Alternatively, if you are out on a training-run, pause for a few minutes when you feel warmed up and do some stretching before you increase the pace again. This is particularly important if you are intending to do interval training or hill repetitions which will place additional stress on the muscles. If you are doing a steady run then either do the stretching early on in the run or after you get back as a means of maintaining your flexibility and helping you to cool down. The aim of the stretching phase of the warm up is to gently stretch out the muscles and connective tissue. This will help to remove any residual tightness and reduce the risk of damage, if and when they are vigorously stretched during the event. All stretched positions should be reached slowly without jerking and should then be held for at least 10 seconds. When doing these exercises you should feel a comfortable stretch in the muscles. You should not stretch to the point of pain. Jerking or bouncing movements whilst stretching will cause the muscle fibres to tense up and reduce the effectiveness of the stretch. They can also increase the
risk of injury by forcing the muscles beyond their natural length. 1. Calf stretch Using a tree or fence for support, take a step back with one foot. Gently lower the heel of your back leg onto the ground and straighten the knee. This should produce a slight stretch in the muscles of the calf (mainly the gastrocnemius). If it does not then try moving your back leg further back and tilting the hips forwards. Hold the stretch for the desired duration and repeat on both legs. 2. Calf and Achilles stretch This is similar to the previous stretch, but in this case the knee of your back leg should be slightly bent. Again both feet should be kept flat on the floor. This should produce a slight stretch in the soleus muscle of the calf and in the achilles tendon at the base of the calf.
3. Inner thigh (adductor) stretch Stand with your feet approximately 18 inches wider than shoulder width apart. Turn one foot out so that it is facing to the side whilst the other faces forwards. Whilst keeping both feet flat on the ground bend the knee of the sideways facing foot. This will lower the body to one side. Keeping the other knee straight will cause a slight amount of stretch down the inner thigh. 4. Hip flexor stretch Kneel on one knee and move the hips forward slowly until stretch is felt in the front thigh of the back leg. Try to keep the front knee over the front foot. 5. Hamstring stretch Place one foot on an elevated object such as a convenient knoll or rootstock. Then, keeping the knee of the elevated leg straight, place your hands on the
thigh of the elevated leg and gently move them downwards towards your ankle. Whilst doing this, try to keep your back straight. If you feel a strain in the back it means that you are doing it incorrectly. In this case, you should try it again ensuring that you bend from the waist. If a strain is felt behind the knee, you should bend it slightly so that the stretch is felt within the muscle. As an alternative hamstring stretch, kneel on one knee with the other leg extended in front of you. Then gently reach down towards the ankle as before, to achieve the stretched position. 6. Quadriceps stretch Using a support for balance, stand on one leg. Bend the knee of the other leg, bringing the foot up behind you, and grasp the ankle with one hand. Hold the foot close to the buttock making sure that the knee is in the correct alignment and not twisted. This should produce a slight stretch down the front of the thigh. Further stretch may be produced by leaning forward slightly.
OCTOBER 2006 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 39
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Adrian Jackson finishing the Long Distance final on the podium in 6th place.
Steven Cusworth getting a bit of air in Finland.
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MTB-O NEWS
What did we learn in Finland?
Blake Gordon
A
NOTHER World Championships has come and gone – what have we learned? The riders’ preparation and lead up races to the Finland WMTBOC was all that could have been expected. Our team was arguably fitter and better equipped than in previous years. Carolyn’s unfortunate accident scarcely a week before leaving negated all the excellent recovery from injury and build up racing she had done and Adrian and Alex Randall’s performances in the Finland and Czech WREs gave hope of medals in Joensuu. The glacial terrain in Finland would be the test – and it found us out! The complexity of the track network, coupled with probably riding too fast, led to mistakes and lower placings than expected. The basic orienteering technique – always check the control number before punching – was one of our problems, as was our unfamiliarity with the Emit punching. With so many DNF’s recorded – particularly in the men’s relay where 10 teams out of 38 failed to finish – perhaps the pressure of seeing several controls before reaching the correct one may have been a factor (see map insert, page 43). Hard lessons to learn at this level as we watched the excellent blogspot reports from the team. But the team will assess the experiences and improve our technique and performance in preparation for Czech Republic in 2007. Adrian’s ranking at Number 1 and Alex at number 10 in the World MTB-O Ranking after the championships in Finland are examples of the quality of our top riders (see Paul’s article for complete ranking).
2007 Czech Republic WOC in early August The dates of 2007 MTB-O World Champs in Czech Republic have been changed. New dates are 5 - 12 August 2007. This change has been made due to a date clash with the 2007 foot-O World Champs in Ukraine.
First Sprint MTB-O in WA Australia has been a trendsetter in the foot-O Sprint (and Park-O) discipline with Grant Bluett, David Brickhill-Jones, Troy de Haas, and Natasha Key regularly finishing in the top 10 in Park-O events over the past 5 years. Now Hanny Allston’s gold in the WOC Sprint in Denmark has broken through the European domination of WOC titles. Now it is the turn of MTB-O. At the meeting in Bendigo last November it was decided to substitute a Sprint for the relay in Western Australia in 2006. The extended time span to ride three legs in a relay, difficulty in forming teams, relatively small numbers involved and suitable map near Perth made it an easy solution. Sprint MTB-O in WA will let Duncan Sullivan, the course setter, employ several innovations. A map scale of 1:10 000 will show the real maze of tracks; purple will be used for the rock detail so that tracks will show better; grey will be used for settlements/houses to set them off from pine forest/thick forest. With experimentation being encouraged by the IOF MTBO Commission, the Sprint MTB-O races for all classes will have a 20-25 minute winning time. Then in 2007 Victoria will stage a sprint event in Ballarat’s Victoria Park, while Albury will hold the first Oceania Sprint near Nail Can Hill. So give the new format a go and see how it compliments the Middle and Long-distance disciplines.
First Oceania MTB-O Championships in Australia The IOF has approved the staging of the inaugural Oceania MTBO Championships on 23-25 March in the Albury (NSW) area. With the full support of OA and O Victoria, the active Albury Wodonga Orienteering Club will host the 3-event weekend. With a sprint event in Albury followed by long and middle distance
races in the Shelley area, a great weekend early in the 2007 season is promised. More details, including a website with an online entry form, will be in the next The Australian Orienteer.
2006 Australian Ranking Events With the ink just dry on the 2005 ranking, 2006 is now in the “championship season”. Below are listed the events that will be used to calculate the ranking for MTB-O riders in Australia (excluding the elite men and women). In 2005 I used two results as the minimum to get a ranking. In 2006 riders will require 3 results to be nationally ranked, encouraging competitors to travel. This will give an advantage to those who attend the Australian Championships in WA of course, but Victorians had that advantage in 2005, and NSW riders will have the bonus in 2007 when they stage the nationals. With the introduction of the Sprint discipline to MTB-O in 2006, there will be more events in the future that may be considered for ARE (Australian Ranking Events). Feb 26 Vic Middle Champs; June 5 WA Long Champs; Sept 10 Tas Long Champs; Sept 10 Qld Long Champs; Oct 10 Aust Middle Champs; Oct 11 Aust Long Champs; Oct 12 Aust Sprint Champs; Oct 29 NSW Long Champs; Nov 5 ACT Long Champs; Nov 12 Vic Long Champs; Nov 19 SA Long Champs.
Elite MTB-O Ranking System Paul and Mark Darvodelsky helped devise the present elite ranking system in late 2005. Anthony Darr has taken the data and now has a “rolling ranking” that is up to date (WOC in Finland). Firstly a competitor’s final ranking is the average of their best 3 scores in the previous 12 months. That means that if a competitor has less than 3 scores they do not get an elite ranking. The events used in the current ranking include 2005 WOC Slovakia, State and Aust Champs, Selection races and WOC Finland. The second thing is that an event will not be considered for ranking points unless there are at least 3 starters in the starting field that have previously scored points. This is because the “best time” that is calculated Elite Men Ranking for the event is derived using 3 races in last 12 months the top 3 times and the (Elite Women Ranking not available yet) ranking of the top 3 riders in Name State RP the field. Without 3 starters 1 Adrian Jackson VIC 0.00 that have previously scored 2 Alex Randall VIC 10.73 points the calculation will 3 Anthony Darr NSW 20.21 4 Tony Clark VIC 20.31 not work and the event will 5 Grant Lebbink VIC 25.19 not be considered. Eventually 6 David Simpfendorfer ACT 25.27 there will be enough riders 7 Paul Darvodelsky NSW 26.89 with scores in this system to 8 Steven Cusworth VIC 27.21 9 Jim Russell VIC 29.10 make all eligible events count. 10 Matthew Schepisi VIC 31.84 Remember that the system will 11 Adam Hunter ACT 33.42 produce better scores in strong 12 Paul Liggins VIC 36.35 fields. Also, for World Champs events, if there are not 3 AUS starters then the event is discarded.
MTB-O Happenings around Australia • Braemar College (Macedon) Wins 2nd Victorian MTB-O Schools Championships (August 18th) –“You Yangs” was the venue; 130 keen schoolgirls and boys were the participants; 2 hours score course. • Queensland runs their first State MTB-O Champs using a new area for mountain bike orienteering - part of an extensive hoop pine plantation and eucalypt forest with a good track system. Within 10 minutes of Blackbutt and 15 minutes from Yarraman approximately 2 hours from Brisbane. • More than 1.1 million new bikes are sold each year – average price $2000; cycling is the fourth most popular activity for adults according to the Cycling Promotion Fund. OCTOBER 2006 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 41
W O R L D M T B - O C H A M P I O N S H I P S, J O E N S U U, F I N L A N D, 9 - 1 3 J U LY 2 0 0 6
Spaghetti on a Map Paul Darvodelsky
2006 World MTB-O Championships Middle Distance map “Lykynlampi”. Scale 1:10 000 (reduced to 90% here) Men’s course: 17 km
F
OR this year’s world championships the Finns turned on something special which most of the MTB-O world had not seen the likes of before. The outstanding terrain was some of the most detailed in the world, with track networks which looked more like a plate of spaghetti than the track networks with which we are familiar. This year’s team consisted of Steven Cusworth, Paul Darvodelsky, Adrian Jackson, Carolyn Jackson, Alex Randall and David Simpfendorfer. The team was in good shape, having posted extremely good results in some high profile mountain bike cross-country races in Australia. Steven, Paul and David were all competing in their first WMTB-O Championships. WMTB-O follows a similar format to Foot-O championships. The WMTB-O week has four races; starting with a qualification for the Long-distance race, the Middle-distance final, a rest day (phew!), the Long-distance final and then finishing with the Relay. At the moment WMTB-O uses a 1-minute start interval for the Middledistance rather than a qualification race. The terrain could be loosely described as sand dune terrain, although this was not like the Aussie beach terrain. This dune terrain was the result of glaciers and is the settled moraine. It is largely on the top, but with extremely steep depressions. In parts it is nearly impossible to read the ups and downs and often we’d find ourselves expecting a very nasty, steep, climb only to find ourselves plummeting downwards! The most notable feature of the maps was the track network. It’s hard to imagine just how there got to be so many tracks. But a combination of cross country skiing, some motor sports, forestry and military exercises made these areas a MTB-O dream, or on occasions, nightmare! To adequately show all this detail the maps
42 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER OCTOBER 2006
were all 1:15,000 and 1:10,000. Even at such large scale most of the maps looked more detailed than our trickiest areas like The Whipstick, Mosquito Flat and Canadian Forest. In the qualification race for the Long-distance the area was steep and had less tracks with bigger route choices. Alex, AJ and Carolyn all qualified comfortably in 9th, 4th and 18th places, with 20 men and 30 women from each race to go through. Paul and David rode the same heat and made a few mistakes to place tantalisingly close to qualification in 22nd and 23rd. The day was dominated however by the Finns. And the Danes, at their first WMTB-O in force, impressed by riding strongly. Middle-distance day was exciting. This was the first of the maps which looked to be very detailed – all of the areas had previously been mapped for Foot-O and we had copies of these. We weren’t to be disappointed. On picking up the map we all shared the same experience. ‘Where the heck is the first check point?!!’. Then, after some seconds, ‘Where’s the start?!’. This process took most of us the minute given before our start time to get our map in order. Then there was just the small matter of how to get there. Carolyn, still nursing broken ribs, rode accurately as usual for 35th place. David had some difficulty in the extremely technical terrain and came 85th. Steven also was tripped up a few times, but rode solidly to finish 57th. Paul exorcised his demons from the qualification and rode a strong race with few errors to place 45th. The stars of the day were Alex and AJ once again. Alex made
Alex Randall churning through one of the sandy tracks after the map change during the long final.
Adrian Jackson in the Middle-Distance finish chute. Adrian put in some great rides in Finland but just missed out on medals this time.
some small mistakes and came in 17th and AJ rode a great race to place just off the podium in 7th. In this detailed area any mistakes were devastatingly harsh on the numerical results and the Team was a little rueful of their errors but very happy overall with their riding. The Long-distance final terrain contrasted with the Middledistance. The map was 1:15,000, had fewer tracks and was steeper. The start/finish area was one of the major cross-country skiing and biathlon centres in Finland. Alex started first and rode well until he got caught up in some indistinct and very rough forest tracks. He lost nearly 10 minutes before getting back on track and settled into the course. Despite riding strongly over the last part of the course this placed him 35th. It was quite a mighty effort after his disappointing start on a course which was nearly 25% longer than the expected winning time. AJ kept us excited through the day, as the intermediate splits came through. One of the last starters he was in the medals right up until the 3rd and last loop of the course, where the smallest of errors dropped him to 6th place. It was a fine podium placing in a day dominated by Mika Tervala from Finland. Christine Schaffner
kling the David Simpfendorfer tac Finland. in rk wo net k complex trac
of Switzerland won the women’s race in 110 minutes, nearly half an hour over the expected winning time. The final race was the Relay and the Team was ready to race. We had two teams, with Carolyn making up the 6th spot in the 2nd men’s team. Carolyn rode very well on what was a long course for her and we had to smile when we heard she caught one of the Kiwi men mid-course! The 1st team rode very strongly and were 4th fastest team, but unfortunately were disqualified for mis-punching which was a terrible disappointment to all after riding such otherwise fine races. This left the team with only the banquet to focus on! The solid and consistent racing of Team members has contributed to some great rankings in the IOF’s world ranking list. Adrian Jackson is now the number 1 ranked man in the world! Alex Randall is ranked 10th, David Simpfendorfer 25th, Paul Darvodelsky 34th, Steven Cusworth 68th and Carolyn Jackson 22nd in the women. OCTOBER 2006 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.
Aussie Teams need better O-Suits
Response from Orienteering Australia
Bob and I recently took part in the public races at JWOC in Lithuania. Our young orienteers did us proud and it was great to see them doing so well. However the orienteering suits they were wearing were drab and difficult to recognize – one was only sure it was an Australian runner after he or she had gone past and one could just discern the faint wording Australia on the back.
The Board of Orienteering Australia acknowledges the disquiet of some orienteers regarding the uniforms worn by Australians at the recent junior and senior world championships. Without going into the detail, the reasons why they wore those uniforms are summarised below.
The home team from Lithuania by contrast had stunning brightly coloured orienteering suits you could recognize a proverbial mile away. Check the photos on the JWOC website. With JWOC in Dubbo next year why don’t we make the orienteering suits our team members wear something to remember, and easy for the home crowd to recognize? It would only take a bit of planning - sooner rather than later. A good design would also work for our other representative teams. Jenny Hawkins (ACT)
We need GREEN and GOLD Well what a truly fantastic outcome from our recent touring Aussie reps at JWOC and WOC. Hanny you’re a marvel and your fellow team-mates did us all proud, but tell me … what was with that JWOC uniform? What were those responsible thinking! White and grey running tops and black tights, black tracksuit bottoms and blue tops. What ever happened to our national pride and joy … the GREEN and GOLD.
Our orienteers wore two styles of uniforms: the all white tops that were bought in 2005 for Japan and a white and dark grey uniform acquired in 2006.The reason for the white uniforms in 2005 for Japan was athlete comfort and a number of other nations took a similar approach. The intention in 2006 was to return to uniforms that included the traditional green and gold, yet met the requirements of athlete comfort. The order was placed with a reputable supplier with what was considered to be sufficient lead time for the uniforms to be available for both JWOC and WOC. Unfortunately the supplier was not able fill the order by the due date and as a consequence Orienteering Australia had no option but to take what it could get, to ensure that our teams had something to wear. At JWOC competitors wore the 2006 uniforms while at WOC some competitors wore the 2006 uniforms and others wore their 2005 uniforms because they considered they were more comfortable. Orienteering Australia is taking steps to ensure that its teams will have more appropriate uniforms in 2007. Bob Mouatt President, Orienteering Australia
In my humble opinion, it would appear that some people have lost sight of the sanctity of national representation. Yes, I know our beloved Socceroos played in blue strips at the World Cup around the same time but our JWOC team was not likely to be trying to sneak offside unnoticed or confuse the officials during their events. I am sure you all know how important securing that elusive ‘baggy green’ is to Australian cricketers, let alone the many examples of ‘green and gold’ team uniforms and blazers still screaming with national pride that are in sporting memorabilia displays all over the country. Thankfully the Aussie flag was available to compliment the great performances of our more successful members whilst they were on the podium. So can someone tell me why white, grey, blue and black and why OA let this one through? Allan Whitfield (Bunbury, WA)
VICTORINOX AWARD The Victorinox Award goes to Debbie Dodd of Dandenong Ranges Orienteering Club (DROC), Victoria, for her regular and fascinating contributions on Urban Orienteering and (in this edition) competitions across the Tasman. Debbie receives a Victorinox Voyager with 20 tools and features including a watch/alarm/timer; retail value $109.95. 44 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER OCTOBER 2006
OCTOBER 2006 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 45
A PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE
The search for the golden boomerang Bob Mouatt
W
hen I was a child (in the 1940s) my favourite radio serial was ‘The Search for the Golden Boomerang’. I had not thought a lot about the program until Orienteering Australia started considering ‘Australian Boomerangs’ as the nickname for the national team. And then last year when I was in Tasmania for the Australian Championships Carnival, when I visited the antiques and memorabilia shop near St Helens, I discovered and bought a copy of the book printed in 1941. Reading the book brought back many pleasant memories. The next episode in this rather long saga occurred on 1st August 2006 at Mindeparken, Aarhus, Denmark. Orienteering Australia had decided to use the opening of the World Orienteering Championships by HRH Crown Prince Frederik to launch the name ‘Australian Boomerangs’ by having the Australian team present Prince Frederik with a boomerang, signed by all team members and coaches, for baby Prince Christian. Two Tasmanian women who were competing in the Sprint Distance event, Hanny Allston and Grace Elson, were selected to make the presentation on behalf of the team. Before the boomerang could be presented to Prince Frederik, Hanny and Grace had to compete in the final and it is now history that Hanny beat the best in the world to win the Gold medal. So the search for our first golden boomerang was over, but we would certainly like more in the future. Since 1999, I have attended a Junior World Championships, a World Mountain Bike Championships, a World Games, two World Masters Championships, and six World Championships. The 2006 World Championships was by far the best, thanks to Hanny Allston’s outstanding run in the Sprint Distance final and Relay, and Jo Allison and Grace Elson who supported Hanny in the Relay. For those who have never been to any of the World Championships it is difficult to comprehend the pressure cooker atmosphere in which they are staged and how difficult it is for athletes to perform at their best. The greatest challenge for Orienteering Australia is how to prepare our athletes to cope with the demands of competing to their potential at World Championships.
think the other two were elected only last year. So with me being new to the job, and a few new or relatively new directors on the Board of Orienteering Australia, we have a lot of new people, presumably with new ideas. The first among a number of strategies being pursued by the directors on the new Board of Orienteering Australia is to make the OA website much more effective, which they have been doing for some time. You might have noticed the improvements that have already been made. The second is to make the various OA committees and working groups more effective through regular communications and the development and consideration of proposals through the use of e-mails. This is going to lead to a number of proposals being floated over the coming months, as proposals are considered and prepared for the 2006 OA Annual Conference in December. Among the proposals likely to be considered are: • How to improve the National Orienteering League. • How to attract a series of international elite races to Australia, in say the next four (2010) to seven (2013) years. • A revised age class structure for Group B events, ie State Championships and Badge events. • A national approach to membership fees, etc. • A national display of the results of all events in Australia on the OA website. • A national participation database, which will provide interesting data for competitors and State associations alike. • A range of other initiatives in respect of promoting and developing Orienteering. Some of these proposals will be put to the various OA committees and working groups over the coming days, weeks, months and even years. In looking at the way Orienteering Australia operates, I would rather it function as a ‘cooperative’, along the lines of community cooperatives that flourished throughout Australia in the 1950s etc, than a federation which sometimes lacks a common perspective. We have to work together for the common good. So when State Associations are considering some of the proposals, especially the more radical ones, I would like them to look at the bigger picture and to consider how obstacles could be overcome rather than to put them up as barriers to progress.
The Importance of a National Approach
A
week or so before the 2006 OA Annual General Meeting Julian Dent said to me, “Bob, what are you going to do when you are president?” My impromptu reply was to say I would continue pursuing the goal I had nearly 10 years ago when I took on dual positions with OA and OACT and that is for Orienteering to be considered a serious sport. A key factor to our sport being taken seriously is to have a national approach in all that we do.
Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority
Orienteering Australia (or correctly the Orienteering Federation of Australia) was formed in the early 1970s and during the following 25 years or so it has gone through a series of evolutions. The biggest change I have noticed during my years of attending OA Council meetings has been the gradual development of a national perspective, which was not so obvious a decade ago.
BOOKS ON ORIENTEERING
As I was compiling a mailing list of State Presidents I noted how many were new in their position. Five were elected this year, and I
44 Alexandra Parade, Clifton‑Hill VIC 3068 Phone (03) 9489 9766 Email info@macson.com.au
46 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER OCTOBER 2006
There are a great number of books on all aspects of orienteering. For a list and prices contact:
Orienteering Services of Australia
ORIENTEERING AUSTRALIA
Orienteering Australia Development Awards CLUB DEVELOPMENT AWARDS Orienteering Australia wishes to award clubs for their development initiatives. Applications are invited for the Awards. Awards will be based on activities conducted within clubs aimed at developing the sport in their local area. Applicants should detail: •A brief summary of the club (e.g. location, member base, recent events, social activities) • The aims of their development project • Successes and set-backs along the way • Step by step summary of running the project • The outcomes of the project • Tips for the future • An idea of their project budget • Photos of the project in action • Image of their club members and logo Awards Awards will be decided by a member from each state on the Orienteering Australia development committee (a member from the Top End club (NT) included) and the Development Director. Awarded clubs will have their story appear in The Australian Orienteer and the Orienteering Australia website. From 2008, Orienteering Australia hopes to reward winning clubs with $1000 towards their development project. The financial incentive would be reimbursed up to $1000 against receipts relating to development project after provision and approval of receipts. Two winners will be awarded per year. Applications close: end-January and end-June each year, forwarded to the Director Development.
VOLUNTEER DEVELOPMENT RECOGNITION Orienteering Australia wishes to further recognise state and local volunteer awards and recipients for their contribution to development of the sport. Nominations are invited for the OA recognition to individuals winning volunteer awards/recognition specifically in the area of development. The recognition aims to raise awareness of state and local recognition schemes at a national level as well as the individual awardees and their great work. Selection of the OA recognition will be based on contributions from individuals towards developing our sport. Nominations should detail: •N ame of the volunteer recognition scheme • Details of the scheme (e.g. awarding party, nomination guidelines, scheme aims) • A brief summary of the individual (e.g. location, club, orienteering class normally run) • A justification for the award • Photos of the volunteer in action (where possible) Awards Winners of the Services to Orienteering award are ineligible. Awards will be decided by a member from each state on the Orienteering Australia development committee (a member from the Top End club (NT) included) and the Development Director. Awardees and the volunteer recognition scheme will appear in The Australian Orienteer and on the Orienteering Australia website.
IOF World Rankings The International Orienteering Federation World Ranking Scheme is based on points scored at World Ranking Events, full details of which can be found at http://www.orienteering.org/. The current standings for men and women are given in the following tables: Men – Foot-O 1 Daniel Hubmann 2 Emil Wingstedt 3 Thierry Gueorgiou 4 Jani Lakanen 5 Valentin Novikov 92 David Shepherd 96 Rob Walter 207 Robert Preston 216 Eric Morris 264 Kerrin Rattray
SUI SWE FRA FIN RUS AUS AUS AUS AUS AUS
Men – MTB-O 1 Adrian Jackson AUS 2 Margus Hallik EST 3 Ruslan Gritsan RUS 4 Mika Tervala FIN 5 Jussi Mäkilä FIN 10 Alex Randall AUS 25 David Simpfendorfer AUS 34 Paul Darvodelsky AUS 34 Grant Lebbink AUS
228 221 216 208 196 134 64 54 54
Women – Foot-O 1 Simone Niggli-Luder 2 Marianne Andersen 3 Minna Kauppi 4 Vroni Koenig-Salmi 5 Heli Jukkola 6 Kajsa Nilsson 7 Hanny Allston 69 Grace Elson 90 Jo Allison 97 Anna Sheldon Women – MTB-O 1 Ksenia Chernykh 2 Ingrid Stengård 3 Michaela Gigon 4 Maija Lång 5 Kirsi Korhonen 22 Carolyn Jackson 31 Barbara Hill 31 Melissa Thomas
SUI NOR FIN SUI FIN SWE AUS AUS AUS AUS
RUS FIN AUT FIN FIN AUS AUS AUS
253 250 229 203 188 82 61 61
EMBARGOES Embargoed areas for the Burra to Barossa Easter 2007 Orienteering Carnival Until after Monday 9th April, 2007: The entire 1986 Worlds End orienteering map, north of Burra Creek and east of the Robertstown-Burra Rd (first used for the 1986 Interstate relays as part of the Jubilee 150 Carnival) and the area immediately south of this map and of Burra Creek, also east of the Robertstown-Burra Rd, for a distance of approximately 8km. The entire 2004 Twigham orienteering map, northeast of Hallet, (first used for the 2004 South Australian Championships), and areas of approximately 2 square km each, to the southwest and southeast, adjoining the southwestern and southeastern corners of the existing map. The existing BriGlen, Merridee, and Paradise maps, first produced for the 1990 Australian 3-days, are not embargoed. Access to these for training purposes must be negotiated with the clubs who hold them, pending landowner permission. Until after Sunday 15th April, 2007: The entire Pewsey Vale orienteering map, current version 2002, (first used for the 2002 South Australian Championships as part of the Outback Orienteering Carnival). Orienteering access to the adjacent Kaiserstuhl Conservation Park is never permitted. The entire 2006 Ngaralta Country orienteering map, (first used for the 2006 South Australian Orienteering Championships). On the morning of Friday April 13th, 2007: The town of Nuriootpa, east of the main Barossa Valley Highway and north of the Vine Inn, is embargoed to unnecessary travel (i.e. getting to and from your accommodation, or the ASC Galaxy assembly area, is the only allowable travel). For further interpretation of these embargoes contact Jenny Casanova, Carnival Coordinator, by e-mail: jenny.casanova@rgh.sa.gov.au
Embargoes for 2006 Oceania MTB-O Championships / Victorian MTB-O Champs /Australian Selection Trials
Two winners will be awarded per year.
1. N ail Can Hill Range, Albury - Generally the western part of the range bounded by the housing estates on the west, Pemberton Street to the south, Ridge Track on the east and north east, and the pipeline track on the north west.
Applications close:End-January each year, forwarded to the Director Development
2. K oetong/Shelley - All area within a 10km radius of the Shelley Forest Camp, Murray Valley Highway, north-east Victoria
Ben Rattray, Director Development
3. C hiltern - All area within a 15 km radius of Chiltern, north-east Victoria. OCTOBER 2006 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 47
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