Getting to the top - novel trainings #1 and #2

Orienteering has changed a lot in the past twenty years. From a two-race World Champs - the Classic and the Relay - to the current four race format: Short, Middle and Long distance, and the Relay. Other formats have even been trialled, in the interests of media and spectators, but haven't stuck around.
There's one thing that hasn't changed much over those 20 years: training methods. The old mantra of spending as much time training 'specifically' in the forest with a map still holds, coupled with getting as much quality competition in your major race buildup. For elites in NZ, away from the Scandinavian strongholds of orienteering, it's always been a struggle to get in large volumes of specific training while studying or working, as well as saving to get across to Europe for the Worlds. It's no surprise that the top Worlds performances for a Kiwi male over all three distances have come from someone living in Europe full-time - Chris Forne.

But the current NZ-based elites are changing the training methods in their quest for the top. Look no further than Gene Beveridge and his Sprint Auckland Day for an example (#1) of revolutionary training. "Fit as many sprint races on different maps in one day as possible" turned out to be 15 maps/courses, some as little as 400m with 8 controls.
It was no coincidence that winner Toby Scott, holding off fast finishes from Duncan Morrison, Michael Adams and Matt Ogden, went on to take the National Sprint title a week later and qualify for the NZ team while still a junior.
This concept could be taken further - in fact the Sprint the Bay weekends of 2010 and 2011 have led the way. But imagine a Sprint Day during the school term where a school gets a visit from the top Kiwi elites - they say hi, run a course, and head off to the next school/race, and the school kids get to try and best the elite times...Schools get a map and a course, kids get to see the elites in action, our guys get a super-specific session, and two weeks later one of the elites wins at JWOC or WOC!

#2 on our list of innovations is the night-training, brainchild of Ross Morrison. With 4 days of Uni, and 3 days of work, he got a powerful headlamp and started some major-navigation training sessions at night, his only spare time. Watch for some sterling performances by Ross and other members of the dedicated group, in similar terrain but broad daylight, at the finale of the Silva Superseries over QB weekend!

And, if this innovative trend keeps up, it may be that these guys and girls are on the verge of dismantling the traditional barrier of distance away from the European stronghold, by getting as good a preparation forworld-class competition as is possible anywhere. Lets hope so!

The Sprint Auckland crew at the finish in Western Springs, pic courtesy of Tom Reynolds.