Race Preparation

1. Race Preparation Canadian Orienteering Federation 2004

2. Race Preparation • Mental peaking • Physical peaking • Race Analysis • Race Focus Plan • Refocus Plan • Mental preparation • Warm up • The start • Race recovery (‘cool down’, ‘warm down’)

3. Mental Peaking • Motivation, desire, hunger, positive, enthusiasm, fun • Mental relaxation • Rest from mental stress • Long term plan, focus on a particular race • Race analysis, mental training • Visualization

4. Physical Peaking • Training analysis • Physical relaxation • Rest from training, racing • Specific training to “sharpen” • Reflexes, coordination, running technique • Long term training plan • Aerobic base, anaerobic base, power, speed, technique • With a peaking phase, there is a drop in “fitness” but an increase in performance.

5. Race Analysis • Novices learn from mistakes • Mistakes teach us error prevention techniques • Log all errors and their causes • Elite learn from success • Learn what works best • Learn optimum running speed • Learn optimum mental state, preparation • Race simulation • Log what works, build up the “Race Focus Plan”

6. Race Focus Plan • Written plan of “ACTION” given a stimulus • Sequential plan of action based “tasks” based on: • Warm up • The Start • The first 2 controls • Middle of course • Last 2 controls • Finish • Warm down • Refocus plan

7. Refocus Plan • Refocus Plan is needed to handle distractions • Common distractions • See other runner • Get nervous before start • Miss first control • Excitement at end of race • Start thinking about school, work • Start thinking about race outcome • Lose map contact half way to control • Break compass • Forget to read descriptions • Nearing last few controls you realize you are doing “GREAT”

8. Mental Preparation • “Psyching up” or “Psyching out”? • Mental preparation is the key to elite orienteering • Given a Race Focus Plan, how do we make it part of our “system” • Mental rehearsal • Write it down, rehearse it out loud • Visualization • Visualize yourself in each scenario and reacting with a task • See yourself carrying out your refocus plan • Visualize past races • Visualize your upcoming race

9. Warm up • Mental warm up • Go over your race focus plan and refocus plan • Physical warm up • Standard warm up sequence so that your body knows how to react • Prepare body for high intensity • Relaxes your mind

10. The Start • A race start sets the mental state for the entire race • Avoid distractions from the plan at the event • Make pre-race socializing part of the plan • Go through the start system check list • observe • look in the surrounding terrain • which way is North? • where is the sun, shadows? • are there trails leading from the start? • which way are others running out from the start? • is there a route to a start triangle?

11. 1st 2 controls • The 1st controls set the stage for the race • Opportunity to observe terrain and map • Chance to overcome nervousness and calm down • Systematic approach is needed for every leg • Safer route choices • Direction for every leg using compass

12. Middle of course • Concentration problems, thought distractions • Take advantage of what was learned over 1st 2 controls • Most intense running • Control taking system • Error prevention techniques

13. Last 2 controls • Employ refocus techniques and use caution to avoid errors commonly caused by: • Loss of concentration due to fatigue • Distractions by thoughts of race results • Distracted by loudspeakers • Tendency to speed up

14. Race Recovery • Recovery starts at the finish line • Get warm, fluids, food • Talk to friends, press, officials AFTER you have relaxed enough to avoid saying something you will regret later or get chilled • Recover your mental control, physical alertness • Walking, jogging, stretching, massage, ice baths are good methods of physical race recovery • Mental relaxation, looking at the “bigger picture” are good methods of mental recovery