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Elite Athlete Winter Training Series - Interview #10: with Kirstin Maxwell

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: Kirstin Maxwell

Athletes club: Roxburgh Reivers

Athletes age: 25

Kirstin Maxwell training

Athletes biggest achievement?

Competing at the European Championships in 2016.

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

I do 3 weeks hard, 1 week easy. Hard weeks include intervals, longer run, tempo running, steady running, tech session, xc races, cross training, s&c and yoga. Easy weeks end in some tests so I can monitor progress. I have a plan and the focus changes slightly from the focus on strength/base to building in some speed through the winter.

Technical training over the winter?

I try to get out on a map once during the week (I’m focussing on sprint so this is easy as I live in Edinburgh where there’s lots of maps and courses planned) and then again at the weekend if I’m not racing xc. I will prioritise technical sessions more and more as the season goes on.

Top 3 tips for staying motivated in winter?

  • Try and do at least some sessions with a group, you then have another reason to turn up and you get to socialise a bit too!
  • Have a plan with a variety of sessions and ways of measuring progress. This makes it more likely you’ll get out as it’s not just the same boring run every time and by measuring the progress you’ll hopefully see improvements which will make you see it’s worthwhile????.
  • Sometimes you just have to get out…here in Scotland it’s often cold, wet and windy for much of the winter so just wrap up and get on with it. There’s satisfaction in knowing you’re out there and others aren’t!

Athletes favourite motivational quote.

"Never give up, great things take time."

 

Thank you, Kirstin.  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.

Interview #1: with Charlotte Ward - here
Humberside and Lincolnshire Orienteers, Sheffield University Orienteering Club

Interview #2: with Kris Jones - here
Forth Valley Orienteers, Swansea Bay Orienteering Club, Lillomarka OL, Swansea Harriers, Dundee Hawkhill Harriers

Interview #3: with Alice Leake - here
Airienteers

Interview #4: with Alasdair McLeod - here
Airienteers

Interview #5: with Jenny Ricketts - here
Edinburgh University Orienteering Club, Mar Orienteering club

Interview #6: with Hector Haines - here
IFK Lidingö SOK

Interview #7: with Graham Gristwood - here
Forth Valley Orienteers

Interview #8: with Charlotte Watson - here
West Cumberland Orienteering Club, Lillomarka OL

Interview #9: with Jonathan Crickmore - here
Edinburgh University Orienteering Club

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