Winter Training and Motivation: Athlete Focus
The temperature is cold, and the days are shorter. Struggling to maintain the motivation for training or orienteering regularly? You're not alone. Getting yourself out on cold dark mornings and evenings takes a lot more motivation than it might do in July.
Pick up some tips and see what makes up a typical training week for some of our top elite athletes this winter with our elite athlete focus feature series.
Athletes club: Edinburgh University Orienteering Club (EUOC)
Athletes age: 25
Junior World Orienteering Championships Sprint 7th
World Orienteering University Championships Relay 4th
Monday:
AM: 70min-10miles maybe include 10x10sec hill sprints
PM: 40min -5 miles then to the gym for 75min of a mixture of mobility/core and some heavy lifting.
Tuesday:
AM: 30min – 4 miles
PM: Interval session ~25-30min effort 90 total around 13 miles
Wednesday:
AM: Easy 30min – 4miles
PM: Easy 60min – 8 miles
Thursday:
AM: Gym (similar to Monday)
PM: Interval session similar to Tuesday
Friday:
Easy 60min – 8 miles
Saturday:
AM: Easy 25min – 3miles
Generally either a session or a race
Sunday:
Long run 14 miles sometimes speeding up in the last 30min.
I do most my running on runnable trail and road. If it is icy or just generally awful weather I sometimes do my sessions on the treadmill so I can hit the paces I want to.
I spent little to no time orienteering during the winter. I do try and do some armchair sprint training with old maps each week practising seeing optimal routes.
Plan ahead and get into a routine so you can’t give yourself the option to not train because it is cold and dark.
Having company is always good.
Doing cross country so one session a week is a race and easy to motivate yourself for. Also, something to stay motivated for in winter.
"Do your job."
Thank you, Jonathan. British Orienteering and members would like to take this opportunity to wish you all the very best with your training throughout the rest of the year.
Elite Athlete Winter Training Series of Interviews
More information - here.
Interview #1: with Charlotte Ward - here
Humberside and Lincolnshire Orienteers, Sheffield University Orienteering Club
Interview #2: with Kris Jones - here
Forth Valley Orienteers, Swansea Bay Orienteering Club, Lillomarka OL, Swansea Harriers, Dundee Hawkhill Harriers
Interview #3: with Alice Leake - here
Airienteers
Interview #4: with Alasdair McLeod - here
Airienteers
Interview #5: with Jenny Ricketts - here
Edinburgh University Orienteering Club, Mar Orienteering club
Interview #6: with Hector Haines - here
IFK Lidingö SOK
Interview #7: with Graham Gristwood - here
Forth Valley Orienteers
Interview #8: with Charlotte Watson - here
West Cumberland Orienteering Club, Lillomarka OL