News Archive

News

Share  Tweet Monday 29th January 2018

Elite Athlete Winter Training Series - Interview #1: with Charlotte Ward

Winter Training and Motivation: Athlete Focus

The temperature is cold, and the days are shorter. Struggling to maintain the motivation for training or orienteering regularly? You're not alone. Getting yourself out on cold dark mornings and evenings takes a lot more motivation than it might do in July.

Pick up some tips and see what makes up a typical training week for some of our top elite athletes this winter with our elite athlete focus feature series.

Athlete name: Charlotte Ward

Athlete's club:
HALO (Humberside and Lincolnshire Orienteers),
ShUOC (Sheffield University Orienteering Club)

Athlete's age: 25

Charlotte Ward in training

Athlete's biggest achievement?

Individual: 17th World Orienteering Championships Sprint Final 2015 (second ever international race)

Team: GOLD, Mixed Sprint Relay, World University Championships 2016 (with Kris Jones, Peter Hodkinson and Megan Carter-Davies).

Typical training week over winter (including mileage, terrains, etc)?

A hard week for me will look something like this:

Total: 80km, 6.5hours running, 2hours strength & conditioning, 45-60mins stretching daily

Monday Easy run (40-50mins, 8-10km @ 5min/km) 45mins strength
Tuesday Track session (e.g. 5 x 1200m, 90s rest & 4 x 100m strides)  
Wednesday Easy run (40-50mins, 8-10km @ 5min/km) 45mins strength
Thursday Tempo run (e.g. 25mins @ 3:50m/km)  
Friday Easy run (25-30mins, 5-6km) OR rest 30mins core/mobility
Saturday Park run/cross country race  
Sunday Long run (70-90mins, 12-18km @ 5min/km)  

An easier week might take the following shape:

Total: 65km, 5.5hours running, 2hours strength & conditioning, 45-60mins stretching daily

Monday Easy run (30-40mins, 6-8km @ 5min/km) 45mins strength
Tuesday  Track session (e.g. 4 x 1600m, 90s rest & 4 x 100m strides)  
Wednesday Easy run (40-50mins, 8-10km @ 5min/km) 45mins strength
Thursday Easy run (50-60mins, 10-12km @ 5min/km)  
Friday REST 30mins core/mobility
Saturday Park run/cross country race  
Sunday Long run (60-80mins, 10-16km @ 5min/km)  

Technical training over the winter?

Over the winter I focus more on physical training but still complete some form of sprint training weekly.
Some examples of my sprint training over the winter are:

  • Sprint orienteering running technique, e.g. running up/down stairs, turning corners or running up/down steep banks.
  • Sprintervals/full sprint courses

Or when the weather is particularly un-inviting:

  • Virtual-O
  • Quick arm-chair route-planning using old maps.

Top 3 tips for staying motivated in winter?

  • Enter some low-key races for a measure of fitness and a confidence boost; I used the South Yorkshire Cross Country League and a 10km Boxing Day road race in 2017.
  • Set yourself achievable training targets, e.g. run five times a week, set a new longest run record, do one interval session per week, etc.
  • Look ahead to the 2018 season, pick your key races and work out what you need to do, and where you need to go, in order to be in the best shape possible for your targets. These small targets on the road to the end goal help your focus and motivation.

Athletes favourite motivational quote.

"Most people focus on the wrong thing: They focus on the result, not the process. The process is the sacrifice; it's all the hard parts--the sweat, the pain, the tears, the losses. You make the sacrifices anyway. You learn to enjoy them, or at least embrace them. In the end, it is the sacrifices that must fulfil you."
Rona Rousey, MMA Fighter

 

Thank you, Charlotte.  British Orienteering and members would like to take this opportunity to wish you all the very best with your training throughout the rest of the year.

 

Read more

Elite Athlete Winter Training Series of Interviews
More information - here.

Charlotte Ward in training
Top