Confident Orienteering

From Theory to Practice #1:  What to Do When You Can't Make Sense of Contours Ideally, when navigating through complex terrain, we want to understand the overall terrain structure. This allows us to combine running on a bearing with navigating between terrain features, while taking advantage of better runnability and avoiding unnecessary climbs and descents. But what if we simply cannot make sense of the contours? We look at the map and see dozens of small circles, ovals, and complicated contour lines. Yet we struggle to put them together into a clear picture of the terrain. How are these hills and depressions connected? Where does the ground rise or fall? What should we expect along the leg? What should we do when the map doesn't give us a clear picture? My first step is always to try to understand the overall terrain structure. But if, even after carefully studying the map, I still cannot make sense of it, there is little benefit in standing still and staring at the same cont...

Eight Languages Already… Will Swedish Be Next? The first book in my Confident Orienteering series has already been published in eight languages! And two more translations are on the way: Spanish is almost ready, and work on Hungarian has begun. I could probably add a Chinese flag 🇨🇳 as well — although not officially. I've personally seen an unauthorised Chinese translation of my book, with entire chapters published word for word. Unfortunately, not every translation comes with the author's permission! But there is one flag I would especially love to see among the translations: SWEDEN!  Sweden has always had a special place in my heart. I've spent wonderful times there, competing and training in different parts of the country. I even studied Swedish and can still manage a little basic conversation! For some years, I competed for Sävedalens AIK in Gothenburg, already as an M35 runner. Through my involvement, quite a few athletes from my home club also joined Sävedalen, an...

  Mastering Route Execution Work on the third book in the Confident Orienteering series is well underway. The book will not be released this autumn. There is still a great deal of work to do, especially on the maps, illustrations, and the many practical examples included throughout the book. All of these require careful preparation, accuracy, and attention to detail. The good news is that the text itself is now almost complete. It is currently going through the final editorial review and last checks. There is also one important update: the working title Techniques and Tactics in Races has been changed. The new title is Mastering Route Execution . The provisional publication date is January–February 2027 . Although this will be the third book in the series, it is designed to stand completely on its own. You do not need to read the first two books before starting this one — in fact, you can begin the Confident Orienteering series with Mastering Route Execution . This will be a ver...

  S-shaped route If you are planning an S-shaped route, take a closer look at the point of maximum deviation on the first curve — the point from which you intend to return toward the leg line. (point A on the figure) From this point, mentally move the next curve to the opposite side (red line). The S-shaped route can then be viewed as one larger curve. This may reveal another option: from the same point, you might be able to run in the opposite direction along a better arc. There is a more general principle behind this. Once you have deviated from the leg line and start reconsidering your route, the leg line should no longer determine how you compare the alternatives. It may even interfere with the evaluation. At that moment, your route choice should be reconsidered from your current position . A good example comes from the recent Estonian Long Distance Championships, from the women’s elite course. The winner, Marianne Hauge, chose an S-shaped route , while the silver medalist, Sig...

Looking for Reviewers for the complete Confident Orienteering series The Confident Orienteering project is now approaching its final stage, with Book 3 completing the current three-book series . The first two books have received very encouraging feedback, but I feel the series is still not widely known enough among top-level athletes and national-team coaches. Before the project is completed, I would especially like to hear how the three books work together as a series from the perspective of experienced coaches and elite orienteers. I am therefore looking for a small number of reviewers — active elite athletes and experienced coaches — who would be willing to read all three books and give an honest professional assessment of the series as a whole . I will provide all three books free of charge to the reviewers. Of course, I do not expect the review to be entirely positive. I am looking for an honest professional assessment, so critical comments, disagreements, and suggestions are a...

How a Book Example Is Born A few days ago, I shared this sketch in my Orienteering Technical Training group and asked for your ideas about what it showed. One of the suggestions was that the sketch showed two different athletes : one who had  stopped before the control, and turned uphill; and another who had stopped, noticed the edge of the slope (indicated with orange line), and also headed uphill in search of the control. I was really pleased to see that interpretation because it meant the main idea had already come across, even in such a rough sketch. In fact, though, it's the same athlete . The red line shows what actually happened, while the blue line represents the route the athlete imagined after making a wrong assumption. Believing that he had already passed the control, he turned around and started searching uphill. This example is about why that decision was illogical. I'd like to give you a small glimpse into how the book is being created. Every example begins...