Efter en paus på nästan 10 år (Tove var år 2017) har den omåttligt populära intervjuserien kommit med en ny del. Denna gång är det ingen mindre än Simona Aebersold som har äran att ställa frågorna. För att blidka vår internationella läsarkrets, kommer frågor och svar på engelska.
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| (Foto: Kristina Lindgren + Aarni Holappa) |
How did you find your way to the sport of orienteering in 2008? What drew you to it?
I started running after graduating from university and getting a desk job, to get some counterweight to the sitting. One day I complained to a colleague about how boring running could be. He then told me how fun orienteering is and encouraged me to come to a training. After learning the basics I could go to 25-manna, then international orienteering weeks, then Jukola and so on. The friends I made on those adventures are still the people I share my ups and downs in life with.
What does orienteering mean to you today, more than 15 years later?
Orienteering is still the sport I find most interesting and enjoy most. It is something completely different to my job and to family life, so always great to balance out life with some quality time alone in the forest.
Has there been a moment when you realized “ok, now I’m truly an orienteer”?
Orienteering was the first sport I did as an adult, so I thought for example that it was normal for all sports to train regardless of the weather. When I moved to southern Finland and was new to the village, I was out running in pouring rain. Our new neighbours had spotted me running by their house and the Mrs asked: "Who would go running in this weather?" to which the Mr replied: "An orienteer..."
How has your training changed since becoming a father?
At some point I had time to do more training than my legs could take, and solved this by trying out triathlon to include also swimming and biking. Nowadays I train less than half the hours and still doesn't recover, as there is no time for recovery.
Orienteering is today a luxury, as time for training is so limited I do not want to spend it in a car going to and from the map. More efficient then to put on your running shoes and the training starts right outside your door. I have started introducing my child to orienteering, so I hope soon we can go to trainings together.
Which types of terrain suit you best? And which do you like the most?
Old forests with good visibility and not too rocky, due to my fragile ankles. I am also more comfortable in terrain with large formations, for example the control flag is on the only hill, not hill 13 of 54 similar hills.
How do you manage to stay active despite family life, work and all your responsibilities?
I have some secret hacks:
1) Home strength training early mornings before the rest of the family wakes up.
2) Easy stationary cardio training (cross-trainer, exercise bike etc.) during online "info-sessions" where you are only supposed to listen and not talk.
3) Commute with muscle power when possible.
What types of training work best for you when time is limited?
I tend to skip the long steady runs, as those take the most time. I thought that High-Intensity Interval Training would be my go-to training when limited on time, but although the training is short, the recovery afterwards is impossible nowadays.
If you could choose one orienteering superpower, what would it be?
The thing I wish for most is running without injuries, like sprained ankle or cramping muscles due to overuse. I don't mind missing a control or losing my way completely, as long as I am able to keep on running!
What’s the excuse you use most often when a training session doesn’t happen?
I had no idea how many colds and flus a child can bring home from daycare. If I am not ill, I am recovering from the previous or the feeling I am about to catch the next. I hope this will get better in a few years.
If your alpacas were orienteers, which one would be the best route choice expert?
Ernesto finds his way over, under or through any fence or other obstacles so often that we call him "Houdini". Therefore I think he would find the best route of them all.
