TRAINING
Preparing to compete
likely to be phased by an unfamiliar area or type of terrain. What goes into it is up to you, but here are some suggestions:
Steve Bird
v Night before event:
Introduction For some orienteers and on some occasions it’s the result that counts: winning or losing. Other aspects of the event are swamped by this simple outcome regardless of how well, or how badly, we’ve performed. Whereas for other orienteers, for whom winning is less of an issue, it’s the enjoyment that counts; a feeling of satisfaction in having performed up to their ability: at being set a challenge by the course planner and successfully mastering that challenge. But what both groups have in common is a sense of disappointment and frustration if something goes wrong, and either prevents them from winning or spoils their enjoyment. So whether you’re a competitor who is out to win, someone who enjoys the challenge, or a combination of both, this article applies to you. It’s about reducing the risk of something going wrong in the event and maximizing your chances of performing at your very best. It’s about taking control of the factors that can go wrong, and yet despite their simplicity, many of us leave them to chance. One way to maximize our chances of having a successful and enjoyable event, is to invest a little time planning and preparing for it. Some aspects of preparation are obvious, such as: getting fit, developing your navigational skills, having a healthy diet, being fully hydrated, and using mental training to ensure that you’re in the right frame of mind for an event. And since different authors in this publication have covered these topics previously, they will not be mentioned here in detail. But in addition to these aforementioned aspects of preparation, there are other very basic and simple strategies that can help us get those good runs more often. They help to ensure that all the hard work you’ve put into developing your fitness and technical skills isn’t wasted due to unforeseen factors. Essentially it’s about planning, preparation, and establishing a pre-event routine that you follow regardless of whether you are competing locally, inter-state or overseas. Good planning reduces the risk of things going wrong and maximizes your chance of performing at your best. It may seem very basic, and indeed it is, but you may be surprised how many times I’ve known top orienteers to arrive at an event without a key piece of equipment such as water-bottle, shoes or compass. For those with aspirations of winning world medals their preparation for an event may begin years beforehand, whilst for those of us competing at a more local level it may begin just a few days before the event, or a few weeks if an event is of particular significance to us. But regardless of the level of competition, the purpose of preparation is the same: to maximize your chances of achieving your potential and performing at your very best. Described below are a number of elements that can be included in your preparation, and whereas some orienteers appear to be able to perform consistently well without recourse to them, others may find them useful.
Develop a pre-event routine and check list Your pre-event routine is made up of the things you should do before every event, whether you are doing a local club event or national championship. It helps to ensure that you’re as well prepared as possible and don’t forget anything important. It also gets you into a sense of familiarity and means that you’re less 30 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER MARCH 2007
v 3-days before the event: • study maps of the area and review previous run on that map. • work out how long it will take to get to the event, and from that, what time you need to get up and leave. Also remember to include additional time if it’s needed to get from the assembly area to the start. • Pack orienteering bag • Pack bag of pre- and post event snacks, and prepare water bottle, sports drinks etc. v Travelling to event • Drink water in small doses throughout journey to facilitate full hydration. • Pause for small snack and coffee. I usually like to do this about 90 -120 minutes before my estimated start time, but others of you will have different preferred schedules. v At the event • Check control descriptions • Visit finish area • Warm up • Observe starters ahead of you whilst stretching in the start area • Focus on the event and the strategies you are going to use • Use centreing to get into the right frame of mind, level of arousal and concentration v Post event • Cool-down • Stretch • Rehydrate • Have carbohydrate snack to replenish muscle glycogen energy levels. This is of particular significance in multi-day events, for which you could try packing a pasta salad to ensure that you have access to a good source of carbohydrate soon after you’ve finished. In the pre-event routine I have only briefly mentioned a few aspects of the mental preparation that can be used. And for those wishing to know more I would recommend Jason McCrae’s article published in The Australian Orienteer, March 2005, in which he also outlines the use of a check-card in a pre-event routine. Similarly Kay Haarsma’s article (The Australian Orienteer, December 2004) about preparing our MTBO team for the world champs also makes an interesting read. Your check-list itemizes the things you need to do before you start. It’s also a good idea to have a list of the contents of your orienteering bag that you can check (See Jason McCrae’s article). To produce the check-list, work backwards from your start time, working out how long you need to get ready at the event, travel time, when you have to leave, get up and so on. Your check-list will include things you need to do on the day of the event, the night before and the preceding week, such as studying maps of the competition area and making sure you have a supply of your favourite pre-event snacks. If you start your event having ticked all the items on your check-list you should have done everything possible to ensure that you have a good event. With practice you will get into a routine with your check-list, but don’t get complacent about it, as you need to pay special attention to it if you’re in an unfamiliar environment or on a more stressful occasion, as that is when things are likely to be forgotten and you need it most.
