Concentration
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Concentration
Does anyone have any specific ways to make themselves concentrate before a race? I only ask because at Ash Ranges yesterday I messed up the first 3 controls because I wasn't concentrating. After that I was fine because I'd settled, but its those first couple that I always seem to do badly on.
Bedders.
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bedders - diehard
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a good routine definitely helps.
i guess at the start of a race (e.g first few controls) it's important to be getting the balance right between being relaxed/excited.
heres a couple of ideas - let your running speed take care of itself, and be meticulous about your map contact/reading from the moment you leave the start triangle. don't take stupid risks early on in a course, and as rob said, try and identify those crucial moments when you might be about to make a mistake and rectify the problem before its become a big miss. standing still and checking your map for 5 seconds is much better than making a 3 minute error!
if you're getting that 'somethings not quite right here' feeling - stop and check your map with the terrain - make the necessary adjustments and get the controls!
i guess at the start of a race (e.g first few controls) it's important to be getting the balance right between being relaxed/excited.
heres a couple of ideas - let your running speed take care of itself, and be meticulous about your map contact/reading from the moment you leave the start triangle. don't take stupid risks early on in a course, and as rob said, try and identify those crucial moments when you might be about to make a mistake and rectify the problem before its become a big miss. standing still and checking your map for 5 seconds is much better than making a 3 minute error!
if you're getting that 'somethings not quite right here' feeling - stop and check your map with the terrain - make the necessary adjustments and get the controls!
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bendover - addict
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Echo what Ben says.
The reason I directed you to the previous discussion is that to me, it's the same thing. richardm was having trouble with being over excited at the end, and it seems to me your trouble is the same but at the beginning. I just find if you chill out before the race and in fact go out of your way NOT to concentrate then you'll get into the race and just navigate from the sub-concious rather than to over-push. There's no occasion in a race until you're on the run-in that you should be thinking "come on". As Ben says let your running speed take care of itself - if you're fit enough you'll be going fast enough without having to force it.
The reason I directed you to the previous discussion is that to me, it's the same thing. richardm was having trouble with being over excited at the end, and it seems to me your trouble is the same but at the beginning. I just find if you chill out before the race and in fact go out of your way NOT to concentrate then you'll get into the race and just navigate from the sub-concious rather than to over-push. There's no occasion in a race until you're on the run-in that you should be thinking "come on". As Ben says let your running speed take care of itself - if you're fit enough you'll be going fast enough without having to force it.
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FatBoy - addict
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Leaving plenty of time to do everything I need to do makes such a difference for me...turning up late the other day made me stressed and my concentration at the start was awful
I'll take note of what the others have said as well in future...
I'll take note of what the others have said as well in future...
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SJ - blue
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I sometimes mess up the first control because I go off too quickly. forcing myself to concentrate, thinking 'I won't mess up this control', especially if it looks like it would be easy to make an error, and taking it a bit more slowly seems to do the trick. Once you're in tune with the terrain, perhaps after a couple of controls, then you can go full out. Sometimes its just a confidence thing.
Some people will also look for possible errors that could be made, especially parallel errors, as if you do go wrong then you can correct yourself more quickly. It's amazing how much time you can waste on parallel errors
Some people will also look for possible errors that could be made, especially parallel errors, as if you do go wrong then you can correct yourself more quickly. It's amazing how much time you can waste on parallel errors
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distracted - addict
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I had realproblems with the first two yesterday. Could it just be that most of us underestimated the area's difficulty at first yesterday? Looking at the splits from my class and some of the people I coach big mistakes in the first three controls seem to have been the way the day went yesterday.
(Oh, and the fact that the white that was supposed to point me nicely to my control number 1 had been felled with no warning on the map corrections - - and later in the course, why did it say the felled bits only applied to courses 1,2 and 5 when we had a control bang smack in the middle of it on course 3? I luckily did a route choice that avoided it ut I think a few people were caught out by a supposedly sneaky route choice being not so sneaky at all.)
(Oh, and the fact that the white that was supposed to point me nicely to my control number 1 had been felled with no warning on the map corrections - - and later in the course, why did it say the felled bits only applied to courses 1,2 and 5 when we had a control bang smack in the middle of it on course 3? I luckily did a route choice that avoided it ut I think a few people were caught out by a supposedly sneaky route choice being not so sneaky at all.)
Will? We've got proper fire now!
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Becks - god
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What are you doing pre-race.
Get stuff like hydration/energy stores sorted out well in advance.
When it comes to warm-up/pre-race prep, all the technical aspects eg kit should have already been sorted so there is no need to worry about that. Use this time to focus on the terrain and start to think in 'o-mode' - ie how you would while you're racing.
Check you know which way north is so you can immediately get the map orientated.
The key word is *focus* - if you're getting focused and concentrating before you start running then there should be no need to be loosing it so early on.
And latter race, I think this is caused by tiredness linked to a drop in oxygen getting to the brain, caused by dehydration. For a normal race, say regional or national event, I will drink the best part of a 6 pack of 500ml water bottles. That includes checking i'm hydrated well before the race, like 12 hours before. And then add on isotonic/energy abundant substances.
If you only drink 500-1000ml pre-race, that cant be enough to last you through.
Get stuff like hydration/energy stores sorted out well in advance.
When it comes to warm-up/pre-race prep, all the technical aspects eg kit should have already been sorted so there is no need to worry about that. Use this time to focus on the terrain and start to think in 'o-mode' - ie how you would while you're racing.
Check you know which way north is so you can immediately get the map orientated.
The key word is *focus* - if you're getting focused and concentrating before you start running then there should be no need to be loosing it so early on.
And latter race, I think this is caused by tiredness linked to a drop in oxygen getting to the brain, caused by dehydration. For a normal race, say regional or national event, I will drink the best part of a 6 pack of 500ml water bottles. That includes checking i'm hydrated well before the race, like 12 hours before. And then add on isotonic/energy abundant substances.
If you only drink 500-1000ml pre-race, that cant be enough to last you through.
- Peter B
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Peter B wrote:The key word is *focus* - if you're getting focused and concentrating before you start running then there should be no need to be loosing it so early on.
the key word is focus but don't try focusing on focusing. focus ON something. ben has nailed it on the head when he says don't worry about your running speed. chances are there will be very little difference in speed if you think about running fast rather than just letting yourself run. however if you focus on running fast you will be more likely to make a mistake. allow the navigation to guide your speed.
back to the point of focus it can be a good idea to have a 'focus back-up' - an idea as simple as 'check my compass' which you apply everytime you find yourself thinking of anything apart from the navigation - even when you think about other competitors or your final result.
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rocky - [nope] cartel
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[quote="Peter B"], all the technical aspects eg kit should have already been sorted so there is no need to worry about that.{/quote]
Not always true:) Race preperation is an individual thing and while the universal rules might suit most it's likely they won't suit all. Some people may use last minute rush etc as a means of 'relaxation'.... won't do them much good right enough.
I have watched closely many top orienteers preparing for races..... some like the quiet, some like some banter, some seem very nervous, some relaxed. Some (famous?) contributors to Nopesport were renowned for turning up on the start line VERY late..... other (older) members of top class orienteering were know to release tension by peeing in minus two box:)
Horses for courses as they say.......................
Not always true:) Race preperation is an individual thing and while the universal rules might suit most it's likely they won't suit all. Some people may use last minute rush etc as a means of 'relaxation'.... won't do them much good right enough.
I have watched closely many top orienteers preparing for races..... some like the quiet, some like some banter, some seem very nervous, some relaxed. Some (famous?) contributors to Nopesport were renowned for turning up on the start line VERY late..... other (older) members of top class orienteering were know to release tension by peeing in minus two box:)
Horses for courses as they say.......................
- gross2004
Becks wrote:why did it say the felled bits only applied to courses 1,2 and 5 when we had a control bang smack in the middle of it on course 3?
I was thinking this around our no. 10 as there were people I saw in the felled it that weren't on courses 1 or 2 (what the starter said to us - no mention of 5). Then later on when I passed straight passed a bloke cutting a tree down with a chainsaw and our control was about 15m from a bonfire I guessed what they meant was those courses pass throuh felling actually going on! I thought I'd let someone else rant about it first to check it wan't just me - not impressed
Back to concentration. What I said to richardm applies I think to all situations: You win the race with all your training, not on the day. You should just turn up and do what you've trained to do. Unless you run all the informals, squad weekends etc saying "come on" to yourself and pratise not messing up, then you've changed something for the big race and it's not something you've practised so you're gonna mess up.
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FatBoy - addict
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