Don't rush
Dont Rush 19
Orienteering is racing. So the fastest wins - right? Well, yes and no. Yes - it is true that elite orienteers are super-fit. But no - fast young runners are frequently beaten by older wiser navigators. Why?
The best orienteers are strong runners, but they are also fast navigators - able to quickly memorise the map and make rapid route choices. It's the fact that you have to be good at both that gives our sport its unique appeal.
OK- you can rush like this near the finish!
Credit: Wendy Carlyle
Clearly there is no point charging ahead until you have a good idea where you are going. Running fast in the wrong direction does not win. I fit into the category of someone who is reasonably good at running, but I'm weaker at navigating.
When the courses are easy, for example lots of path running, I can get an advantage. When it gets more difficult, for example with complex contouring then I do less well.
The first forest league this year was at Buckland Wood and featured short courses requiring expert navigation. I made a complete Horlicks of it - losing time on five controls and getting worse towards the end. Part of my problem was that I tried to go too fast. I was finding the navigation difficult and my reaction was to speed up when I should have made myself slow down.
An unhurried style- where it counts
Credit: Laurence Johnson
As my mistakes mounted up I tried to compensate by running even faster. Idiot! I was just making it worse and worse for myself. So my advice to you is: don't rush - only run as fast as you can navigate.
Richard Sansbury
- Skilling Up- Hints and tips for Improvement #19, QuOnicle 160, March 2015