Photo: WorldofO (Kocbach)
In last weekend's World Cup in Kongsberg I reached 2nd place only five seconds from victory. My performance felt as good middle does always - easy feeling all the time and time to make extra checks whenever needed. I had done many rather good races previously, but none of them was excellent. Fortunately, at some point that kind of performance just pops up. I have still some work to be done before the World Champs (got selected to run two individual distances), but first I will finish my "WOC -race-preparations" in Jukolan viesti by running the last leg for Vaajakosken Terä.
As an elite-orienteerer it would be easy to state that World Championships are clearly the most important races of the season. But one day prior to Jukola this "fact" starts to feel ridiculous, as it is very difficult to imagine this kind of excitement on 10th of July, two days before long distance final in WOC... Most of the excitement is only positive psycho-physical preparation for my own performance, but for a brief moments I feel like a little boy once again. It's in fact quite inspiring. Quite a few guys can be little boys when they are almost 34 yrs old - it's actually a privilege. After all, once I get the map in my hands, I am once again just a boring control-killer ;-).
During the week the bigger media has shown some interest towards me, but that doesn't build up the stress anymore. Stress and pressure is build in my own head, and my own means will help to cope with it too. When it comes to performance, I am pretty stressless. Still, I wanted to go for a short preparation camp to do some trainings in Leppävirta and Vehmersalmi. Like the whole-year-lasting training in relevant terrains, planning the Jukola-training packages, working with Skill-School training in Terä/Hankasalmi and my own crazy work with Jukola-terrain would not have been enough. And actually they are not enough or at least it doesn't guarantee anything in Jukola. It just eases "a bit" ;-).
I wiss you all great Jukola jubilee! Excitement and uncomfortable feelings are part of life, even in sports, but pleasure and gratitude will be the leading themes in the end. Miraculous is the world on this wonderful Friday. And, GOOD LUCK!
