World of O News
– I have been running so many good courses this season – in different types of terrains – so it is not so easy to choose just one, Norwegian sprint specialist Øystein Kvaal Østerbø says when asked about his favourite course for “Course of the Year 2012″. Being a sprinter with urban races as his speciality, it is maybe not a big surprise that Kvaal Østerbø sets an urban race on the top of his list.
It was a pity because the course this year was really interesting
– I have earlier said that Venice is my favourite place for orienteering, and I can still say the same.
Unfortunately the tide was exceptionally high in Venice during the traditional street-orienteering this year, and the police decided to stop the race as the orienteers disturbed the tourists too much. Kvaal Østerbø was not able to run the race as a competition, but instead started later as a training (however beating the time of the winner in the competition).
– This year the race was unfortunately stopped because of high tide, but I was able to run the course as training. It was a pity, because the course this year was really interesting, with several longer legs with complex route choices.
More questions for Kvaal Østerbø
As part of the preparations for “Course of the Year 2012″, Østein Kvaal Østerbø answered some more questions related to 2012 and the future.
Q: In which race or training did you have most fun in 2012 – and why?
The first orienteering trainings I did this year was on Zanzibar, after being 3 week in Eldoret in Kenya. On Zanzibar I was running a sprint in the Stone Town, on a map made by Mårten Boström, the friend I was visiting. It was really cool, and Stone Town was a great place for sprint with all the narrow streets full of people, bikes and mopeds.
The 3rd PWT race in China in September, included in the Chinese champs in sprint, was also really cool, and actually some sort of the same as in Zanzibar, even if it was on the other side of the World. (This course is already mentioned by Tomas Dlabaja).
Even if sprint races are my favourite, I enjoyed the Norwegian champs in both Ultra long and Long distance this year. The Ultra long was held in Steinkjer, in a terrain with a lot of open marches, like I have been growing up with in Trondheim.
The Long was held in Oslo, in a terrain that is not my favourite, but I was still able to perform well, even if I was coming directly from the Nordic Tour in Finland, and hadn’t done any preparations in relevant terrain.
Q: What is the race you look most forward to in 2013?
World Games in Colombia is clearly the highlight of 2013. I have never been in America (North or South), and like the concept of World Games. That all the races has some sort of sprint character suits me also well, and I enjoyed the World Games in Taiwan in 2009 very much.
I am also looking forward to coming back to New Zealand for the World Cup in January. I stayed there 9 days in 2010, and was doing some training in nice terrains and competed in Sprint the Bay.
Map: Training in Auckland
Map: Sprint the Bay
Q: What is the worst course you run in 2012?
I can not remember I have been running any really bad courses in competitions in 2012. Some of the courses I have not enjoy running was trainings for both WOC long in Switzerland and WOC middle in Finland, but that was mainly because of terrains with bad runnability. The neighbour map to Persevaara, already mentioned by Jan Prochazka, is probably of the bottom of my list.
Q: What is your favourite map (from the top of your head)?
I like terrains where it is technical demanding, but where the runnability is good. The Norte Alentejano area in Portugal has that type of terrain, and here is a map from a WRE middle distance in Mora in 2006, the first time I visited the area.
The Portugal O-Meeting WRE middle distance this year was held in a similar terrain, but had a bit too much vegetation (green on the map) compared to what I prefer.
Q: Did you set any courses in 2012? If so, is it possible to share the best (in your opinion) with World of O’s readers?
I am running for a club (IFK Lidingö) that have a lot of organized trainings, so I am not so often making courses myself. Some days before 10mila last spring I made a course in Paradiset, South of Stockholm. The course was made in 5 minutes, so it’s not the most interesting legs, but the terrain is really nice and in my opinion the best you find in the Stockholm area. When I look at the map and course now I see that the training was really relevant for 10mila, even if Paradiset is more detailed, and that I used the same tactic as in 10mila with running close to the line.
Map: Paradiset training, May 2nd
Map: 10mila 2012
Q: What are your goals for next year – and how do you change your training and focus in order to reach your goals in 2013?
My mail goals for next season are to succeed in the WOC sprint in Finland and World Games in Colombia. I also want to perform well in the Overall World Cup and Nordic Tour.
I started my training very well last winter, but got sick several weeks in the spring, and that destroyed my WOC preparations. Now I will do my best to find the right balance, so I can train well the whole winter and spring, and at the same time stay healthy and avoid injuries.
The next season I will try to focus even more on the important races, so I can perform my best, and skip less important races, instead of running them as a training. In my training I will try to have more periodisation, with different focus areas for each week.
I will continued to run quite much, but also train a bit more strength and speed training, like I did more of some years ago. I will also try to travel less, and stay more at home.
Prizes from our Sponsors
Prizes from our Sponsors always makes it more fun! There will be a prize for the first one suggesting the course which ends up becoming “The course of the Year 2012″, and prizes drawn among the ones suggesting and voting. All prizes are transferable to other persons (you don’t have to travel yourself).
MOC 2013
- Prize offered: Hotel + entry package for 2 persons (4 nights accommodation in Hotel Formula B&B + entry fee for MOC 2013+PWT in Matera, value about 600 Euro).
- LET’S ROCK in MOC- Matera 2013! The Mediterranean Open Championship Orienteering 2013 is organized March 15th – March 17th. Great events with world class runners!Read more
Orievents Training Camps
- Prize offered: Training package with accommodation for 2 persons (6 trainings + 3 days of accommodation in half board at Castelo de Vide Hotel)
- Orievents / GD4C’s Training Camps – Alto Alentejo – are an excellent training opportunity for Orienteering of good quality during the winter. The TC will have the technical support of Eva Jurenikova. Start the new season in training camps in Alto Alentejo, Portugal! Read more
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Bubo Cup 2013
- Prize offered: “Family” entry package (Entry for 4 persons for complete Bubo cup, transferable to other people)
- Bubo cup is a new 5 Day orienteering event in Slovenia – with the same quality you are used to from OOCup. The 5 day event taking place from 19th to 23rd of July 2013 will take you through some great orienteering areas in the western part of Slovenia – from Karst terrain above the world famous Postojna cave to the Trnovski gozd plateau (which was the venue of unforgetably tough OOCup 2011). The venue of the mid stage will be Vipava, an old little town in Vipava valley. Read more
Fjord-o Arctic Midnattsolgaloppen 2013
- Prize offered: Entry package for 2 persons (Entry for 2 persons for complete Fjord-O Arctic week)
- Fjord-o Arctic Midnattsolgaloppen is the biggest and most popular event which is regularly organized north of the polar circle. Fjord-o is known for its mix of interesting orienteering with spectacular nature between fjords and mountains. Fjord-o 2013 is organized from June 29th until July 3st 2013. This year it will take place in the Harstad-region. Read more
Nice Holidays 2013
- Prize offered: 2 packages – each consisting of entry fee + accommodation for 2 persons (Entry fee + accommodation in campsite for 2 persons)
- Nice holidays are traditional 2-days, 3-stages orienteering competition organised by TJ Turnov orienteering club in beautiful sandstone terrains of Bohemian Paradise since 1992. Come to the Czech Republic and enjoy challenging middle distance, tricky sprint and tough long distance in hilly sandstone terrain. We are looking forward to seeing you from 23rd to 25th August 2013 in Turnov, Czech Republic. The competition has a limit of competitors set by natural park management usually to max 1000 runners. This year it was sold out in two months. Read more
For the record: All sponsor gifts/income related to “The Best Course of 2012″ goes directly to the WorldofO.com readers.
