1. CHALLENGES of the PHYSICAL TRAINING in ORIENTEERING Janne Salmi LAPUA, 15.6.2007

2. ORIENTEERING is… an ENDURANCE-SPORT with varied duration and character ► The training-amount must be high ► The long trainings are very important ► Training must be very varied  Different terrains and grounds  High muscular demands: strength  Changes in running speed and direction  Alternative training ► The three main-disciplines  Sprint  Middle  Long  DIFFERENT KIND OF PHYSICAL TRAINING?

3. SPRINT is about…  Controlling your nerves ► Before the start ► Spectator control(s)  Fast decisions  Route-choices ► Long and short legs  The time-differences are created on the last kilometer (keeping the pace + making no mistakes being tired)  High aerobic capacity: max VO2  Anaerobic capacity: ability to reach high lactate-values  Steady or RISING speed during the race  M.I.P*: ► Fast running on “good” surfaces ► Interval-training ► Sprint-training ► Strength-training * Most Important Exercises

4. ► High maxVO 2  3000m 8.21 ► Very intensive training  Up to 7 intensive trainings/week ► Interval-training  Maximal strength-training (neural input) + long & easy runs ► Many breaks in training  “Common cold”  Total rest  Muscular restitution ► A heavy and powerful athlete  Lots of strength  …which causes a high energy consumption  Some problems on long (and especially hot) races ► Technical-tactical abilities  O-skills & O-rhythm ► short vs. long legs  Running speed ► “slow start” ► long leg: speed up ► maintaining the high speed ► very fast last minute! KING OF THE SPRINT

5. MIDDLE is about…  Unbreakable concentration  Controlling the orienteering ► No mistakes ► Finding the fastest and/or straightest micro-routes  “Fluent” orienteering: FLOW ► Very seldom slowing down, stopping or edges en-route ► Hitting the difficult controls without time-loss  The time-differences are mostly created inside the control-rings (mistakes)  Combining the (high) skills with high speed  Effective and fast forest- running technique  Changing the orienteering rhythm according the O- technical challenges  M.I.P: ► Orienteering-intervals ► Fast running on tracks and in the forest ► Running-circuits (strength)

6. ► Very much O-training:  Often 3 O-trainings/day  1032 controls in Clermont- Ferrand-area before WC 2006 ► Almost all fast training in the forest / paths  = Almost no (fast) training on road / track ► Very much theoretical training:  “Orienteering-puzzle” (WOC2005)  Catching Features  Etc… ► Sometimes problems in keeping the speed and concentration high on long races KING OF THE MIDDLE ► Economical and efficient running in the forest ► Technically probably no 1 ► Tactical skills at middle distance:  O-skills ► Keeping it simple ► Safe vs. ”risky”  Controlling the speed ► Fast last kilometers

7. LONG is about…  Calmness, controlling the concentration  Route-choices  Ability to differ rough orienteering from fine- orienteering  The time-differences are mostly created between the controls (route-choices and speed)  High Anaerobic Threshold  Keeping constant speed  Economical running  Ability to change rhythm (forest – path/road)  M.I.P: ► Long-runs, skiing, cycling ► Economical speed ► Variable terrain

8. KING OF THE LONG ► Solid background  The best Finnish junior since the age of 14 ► O-skills ► Running-speed ► Training mostly on paths  Partly due to ankle-problems  Up- & downhill ► Lots of long trainings  Running & skiing ► Very few intervals  Economical running after all ► Listening to your body! ► Sometimes problems in finding enough speed and right rhythm on shorter races ► Economical running in the forest and especially on paths ► Ability to keep high concentration through the race ► Tactical skills at long distance:  O-skills ► Short legs: no mistakes ► Long legs: route-choice  High speed at the beginning and on the long legs

9. …and the QUEEN, of course ► No 1 (sometimes 2…) in all the disciplines ► A skilled orienteer already as a junior, only 3-5 trainings / week at 19 yrs ► Talented in terms of physiology and biomechanics ► High motivation for learning from coaches & team-mates ► Solid training for ca 8 years, > 600h/year ► Fairly similar training-weeks all-year-round ► A hunger for success & good performances ► Good health, healthy lifestyle ► Supporting surrounding

10. HOW TO GET THERE? - according to J.S - VARIED TRAINING AS A JUNIOR: 15-20 yrs  Basic O-skills  Experiences of the different terrains  First speed, then endurance  Running style  Economical  Well-balanced: avoiding injuries  Varied neuromuscular training  Circuit-training: strength, avoiding injuries  Forest, paths, marshes, roads  Skiing, cycling, swimming, ballgames

11. TRAINING MORE: 19…25 years  Fixing the weak-points  O-skills  Strength, speed, endurance  More experiences of the different terrains  The training amount rises 50-100 hrs/year  Setting GOALS  Long term: 2-7 years  Short term: This year, this month, this week, TODAY  Understanding what it takes to reach these goals HOW TO GET THERE? - according to J.S -

12. 25- years: USE YOUR STRENGHTS!  Every orienteer has his strength and weaknesses  You have to ´concentrate on your strengths   Best chances to develop  Positive feedback  FORGETTING THE WEKNESSES!  Training the weaker abilities clearly less   Too much training on weaker abilities  not enough development  too much negative feedback  negative circle  They are needed, however, to minimize failure and risk for them EMPHASIZE YOUR STRENGHTS DON’T LET THE WEAKNESSES DESTROY YOUR PERFORMANCES

13. SUMMARY ► There are many different ways to reach the top  FIND YOUR OWN ONE!!!  …IS THE BEST WAY FOR YOU:  Lots of orienteering  maximizing your skills  Lots of intervals  maximizing your power and maxVo2  Lots of endurance training  maximizing your circulation and running-economy  OR maybe A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING? ► There is no other way than to try … and re-try … And re-try … and finding the best solution. ► After all, it’s what orienteering is about: USING YOUR BRAIN AND YOUR BODY!