SPORT PSYCHOLOGY

How to get the Best out of Yourself when competing Overseas

Jason McCrae – Psychologist

EVERY year more and more Australian orienteers are choosing to travel internationally to orienteering events. In the past few years from my club alone we have had members compete in Switzerland, France, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Canada, Kazakhstan and Japan. Whether it be a ‘world’ level event such as the World Masters, or mass-participation competitions such as the Swedish O-Ringen, travel can make competing more difficult. An orienteer may have to contend with long-haul flights, jet-lag, accommodation or dietary difficulties before they even start, and unfamiliar terrain, mapping standards or general conditions once in the forest. This article is designed to give you some general tips that will help you arrive to compete at an international event feeling fantastic and hopefully compete at your best.

Before flying

• Ensure your general health is good. Have a medical and dental screening to alleviate any problems that may occur. Best to do this at home than to have to try and seek help in a foreign country. • Get travel insurance. Orienteering Australia has a policy that all competitors in their WOC & JWOC teams must take out travel insurance and many a competitor has been thankful for it when the unexpected has occurred. • Obtain as much knowledge about the terrain and maps you will be competing in as possible. This might include downloading maps from the competition website, talking to someone who has competed in the country before or obtaining some photos of what the forest looks like. • Ring airlines early if you want to request special meals. • Have a travel checklist to help with stress-free packing and be organised early to avoid a last minute rush. • Prepare in advance for how you want to perform while you are away. Think about it and set some goals for yourself.

While flying

• Hydrate as much as possible. Typically humidity is 10-15% on a plane, which is very dry. Your body will try to increase the humidity of the air you breathe, and you may dehydrate quickly. Dehydration significantly worsens the effects of travel and will have very negative effects on performance. Try to drink at least 300ml of water per hour. Take your own (non-leak) drink bottle and keep it handy to remind you to drink regularly. It is much better to drink bottled water than the communal water in the plane. • Avoid tea, coffee, cola drinks and alcohol as they are diuretics and will stimulate water loss. • Stretch, and walk as much as possible. • If possible, elevate your feet and do some foot and ankle mobility exercises. • Take books, magazines, music, games, etc, to help minimise boredom.

Things to Consider When Travelling (in general)

arrangements with other Australian orienteers. While in the main this can enhance the enjoyment of travelling and save costs, it can also create friction as you share day-to-day life with people you might normally only see at most once a week. A lack of privacy and being away from home can be stressful for some people. Try to be considerate and tolerant of your travel companions. Have a philosophy for how you would like to be perceived while you are away (e.g. I want to be seen as a positive ambassador for Australia). Most of all, endeavour to be flexible and adaptable in your dealings with other people and plan to do your best in spite of any disruptions or distractions.

Also:

• Poor accommodation: not every country will have “5 Star” hotels for you to stay in (assuming you can afford them!). Most Aussie orienteers return from travel overseas with at least one ‘classic story’ of accommodation that wasn’t quite up to their expectations. Endeavour to accept the way things are and make the best of an uncomfortable situation. Learn from the experience about other lifestyles and cultures and reflect on how lucky we generally are in Australia. • Transportation: be prepared for inconveniences associated with local travel services, bad roads or traffic jams. Take some magazines, music, travel games etc, to help pass the time and allow additional time to get there – especially when gong to the event. • Very important items such as your o-shoes, compass and o-gear, and any medications should ideally be taken in your hand luggage in case you have to compete straight away and your luggage is delayed. And don’t forget you need a northern hemisphere compass if competing, unsurprisingly, in the northern hemisphere. • If you find your sleep is a little disrupted for a couple of days upon arrival, keep in mind that it will not negatively affect your performance provided you do not stress about it. • A blow-up neck pillow can be invaluable for helping you get some sleep on the plane. • Lip balm is a useful thing to have as dry chapped lips can be very painful and annoying, and dehydration and climactic changes can bring this on fairly easily. • If you are sleeping in air-conditioned rooms, make sure you keep some water by your bed and drink regularly to avoid dehydration. It is better to be getting up in the night to go to the toilet than to be dehydrated. • Do not share water bottles and make sure yours has your name on it to avoid confusion.

Something on your mind?

This column has been appearing in the AO 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 on page 2 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