Training Tips 1: Year Planning

Now is the time of year when you should all be feeling rested and enthusiastic after the Christmas break. A new year of exciting orienteering opportunities awaits and New Year’s resolutions have been made. So, what can be done to make sure that we make the most of the year and ensure that all our good intentions bear fruit?

I don’t have time to write a long article and you probably don’t have time to read one, so I’ll try to set out a few brief tips that have worked for me that and which you can read and think about at your leisure. At the end you can find a link to one of the British Squad support articles on planning training. Some of it goes into great detail but the sections towards the end (periodisation and sketch of a training year) are quite interesting.

Choose which events you want to do well in

Some people just compete week in, week out and do quite well all the time. However, to produce some really good results it’s often better to pick a handful of races you want to do really well in and then plan physical training, technique training and mental preparation to help achieve that goal.

I’m not going to the JK so my first goals are probably going to be the British Middle Distance in April and then two weeks later the British Championships on Cannock Chase. I’d also like to do quite well at SOL 1 because I really like competing in the Trossachs.

Get into a training routine and increase gently

How much and what training you do depends on what you are used to. If you don’t do much, try to get into a routine – 3-4 times a week: arrange to meet a friend (it’s much harder to miss a session if someone is waiting for you), try out Clyde Thursday night runs or the new fortnightly training sessions from people’s houses (this isn’t quite up and running yet but watch out for details on the website). For the first part of the period up to your chosen race gradually increase what you do. To start with, I aim to have one steady run, one longer run that I gradually build up and a couple of easy runs.

Cut down on quantity and go for more quality

As your race approaches, you can cut down on the amount of running you are doing but work to increase the intensity at which you are working. I try to do a shorter faster run, then maybe a session running short hills, faster loops, or even track sometimes, an easy run and a longer run.

That’s probably quite enough to think about for the moment. Let me know if it’s been of any use and I’ll try to write something more later. Also if you have any tips you want to pass on, please sent them to me and I can post them on the website.