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Elite Athlete Winter Training Series - Interview #6: with Hector Haines

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.

Hector Haines in training

Athlete name: Hector Haines

Athletes club:  IFK Lidingö SOK (Stockholm)

Athletes age:  28

 

Athlete's biggest achievement?

10th World Orienteering Championships 2015 Middle

4th World Orienteering Championships 2016 Relay

5th Skyrunning Extreme Series 2017

5th Overall Skyrunning Series 2017

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

A typical winter week here in Stockholm includes indoor track intervals, a long night orienteering training, a night orienteering race, a technical (altered map) night orienteering training, then something like a relay style orienteering training and a long run at the weekend. I fill out the week with other short runs at lunchtime – or with a commute to and from work (ca.10km each way). I also squeeze in a hill rep session where I can.

Technical training over the winter?

I try to make at least 4-5 orienteering sessions every week. Thankfully this is pretty easy when you are running for a club that has a professionally paid coach to plan and hang the training for you! At weekends there is usually always something going on – be it training organised by Lidingö or another Stockholm club. Tiomila is quite close to Stockholm this year so there is a big focus on that locally.

Top tips for staying motivated in winter?

The hardest part is getting out the door. Particularly when it is cold, dark and have had a long day at work. I recommend training with others and in a group whenever possible. Additionally, it really helps when you have a goal in mind. Make a promise to yourself about a particular race or similar that will occur during the spring or summer. Keep this in mind during each training session to get you through to the end!

Athlete's favourite motivational quote.

“When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”

 

Thank you, Hector.  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

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