Training Plan: Mon 20 Apr 2026 – Sun 14 Jun 2026 (8 weeks to Jukola)

Status: Active — approved 2026-04-17 (Markdown only per workspace rules)

Created: 2026-04-17 · Phase: Jukola-specific build → taper

Target: Karhula-Jukola 2026, Kotka — Opening leg (leg 1), Sat 13 Jun 23:00 start, team Fiber Highway

Official leg-1 specs (confirmed 2026-05-16): 13.0 km optimal · 125 m climb · "Hämärä / pimeä" (twilight → dark) · elite estimate 73 min (~5:37/km optimal)

Realistic Antti leg-1 time: ~2h00–2h15 (~9:15–10:20/km optimal; based on recent Kuntorastit A-track paces). Expected handoff to leg 2 around 01:00–01:15.

Context: 8-week specific block. Recent weeks dominated by hiking volume (late Mar–early Apr, ~50 km walking) and ice-hockey load; only one running session in last 3 weeks (5.2 km tempo+ on 13 Apr). Running base is low — we rebuild aerobic running volume for 3 weeks, then layer race-specific quality (forest threshold, night-nav, mass-start sim), then taper.

Hockey handling: Ice hockey is on Mon OR Thu evenings (weekly, one slot). Since Porvoo Kuntorastit is Mon 17:00, preference is:

• Kuntorastit weeks (W1–W7): take Thu hockey (skip Mon — race is priority, or race Mon 17:00 + late-evening hockey only if easy-paced)
• Taper week 8: skip hockey entirely — full rest for legs

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Opening-leg demands — what we're training for

Demand	Why it matters at Jukola opening leg
Mass-start composure	1600+ runners funnel into forest; HR spikes to Z5 in first 500 m, then must settle to Z3–Z4 steady
Forest threshold ~Z3 sustainable	Opening leg is 13.0 km optimal (~16–17 km GPS for Antti), realistic 2h00–2h15. Must run sustainable Z3 (148–163) for 2h+ without blowing up — Z4 is not sustainable at this duration
Clean navigation under fatigue	Antti's pattern: 1–2 catastrophic legs (>10 min loss) per race. Opening leg punishes any error — no time to recover positions
Dusk-to-dark vision transition	Start ~23:00 in June; light fades during the leg. Last 2–3 controls likely with headlamp
Short-punchy fitness + endurance	90 min sustained in dense pack, technical Finnish forest

Headline goal: reduce single-leg error minutes to ≤5 (from historical 10–15 min peaks). Stay within 115% of fastest Rata-B/A split times on Porvoo Kuntorastit this spring as the proxy benchmark.

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Preparation races — Porvoo Kuntorastit (confirmed from IRMA 2026-04-17)

Porvoonseudun kuntosuunnistus 2026 — Monday evenings 17:00:

Week	Date	Event	Location
1	Mon 20 Apr	Joonaanmäki / Jonasbacken	Porvoo
2	Mon 27 Apr	Iso pirtti	Askola
3	Mon 4 May	Ilola, Illby	Porvoo
4	Mon 11 May	Skaftkärr (Kevätlaakso)	Porvoo
5	Mon 18 May	Virvik	Porvoo (familiar terrain)
6	Mon 25 May	Seitlahti / Seitlax	Porvoo
7	Mon 1 Jun	Hörikänkallio pohjoinen	Askola (familiar)
8	Mon 8 Jun	Epoo etelä / Holken	Porvoo

Bonus regional competitions worth considering:

• Mon 20 Apr Uudenmaan Kompassi-Cup #1 (Hyvinkään Rasti, lähikilpailu)
• Fri 1 May Vappurastit 2026 (SK Uusi)
• Sat 16 May Itärastit "Stormossen, Kilpilahti" (Porvoo area — ideal Kotka-like coastal terrain prep)
• Sun 17 May Uudenmaan AM-keskimatka (Espoon Akilles) — proper competition, Rata H45
• Sat–Sun 23–24 May 53. Uudenmaan Rastipäivät + AM-pitkä (Rajamäki) — weekend double
• Sat–Sun 6–7 Jun Helsinki O-Games (WRE) — last hard race before taper

Rules-of-use:

• Weeks 1–3 (rebuild): race at ~Z3 (controlled), focus on clean navigation
• Weeks 4–6 (specific): race hard at Z3–Z4, simulate a Jukola leg
• Week 7 (peak): one last Kuntorastit at Z4, then rest
• Week 8 (taper): skip Kuntorastit, easy running only

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HR zones (from athlete-profile.md)

• Z1 ≤117 · Z2 118–147 · Z3 148–163 · Z4 164–176 · Z5 177–196
• LTHR 176 · Max 196 · RHR 46

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WEEK 1 — Rebuild base (20–26 Apr)

Mon 20 Apr — Kuntorastit #1: Joonaanmäki / Jonasbacken (Porvoo) 17:00

Race Rata B, effort controlled Z3 (148–163). Goal: zero catastrophic legs. Treat every control exit as a deliberate compass check. Arrive 45 min early, warm up 10 min easy + compass drills.

Fallback if skipped: easy trail 45 min Z2 (130–145).

Tue 21 Apr — Easy recovery 30–40 min Z1 + mobility

Post-race shakeout. Hips + ankles mobility after the hiking block.

Wed 22 Apr — Easy run 50 min Z1–Z2

Flat forest or road, HR 125–145. Pure aerobic rebuild.

Thu 23 Apr — Ice hockey (preferred slot this week)

Team practice — normal load. If hockey is Mon this week instead, swap: today becomes easy run, Mon Kuntorastit warm-up is lighter.

Fri 24 Apr — Strength 30 min

Kettlebell: goblet squat, single-leg RDL, Turkish get-up, farmer carry. Core finisher.

Sat 25 Apr — Long run 75 min Z2 (118–147)

Trail, rolling terrain. Carry map if possible — even a casual forest route with self-navigation counts as compass refresh.

Sun 26 Apr — Rest

Optional: 20 min walk, foam roll.

Week total: ~2 h running + 1 race + 1 strength + hockey. ~14–18 km.

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WEEK 2 — Rebuild (27 Apr – 3 May)

Mon 27 Apr — Kuntorastit #2: Iso pirtti (Askola) 17:00

Rata B, Z3 controlled. Post-race log biggest error leg in orienteering-results.csv.

Tue 28 Apr — Easy recovery 30 min Z1 + mobility

Wed 29 Apr — Easy run 55 min Z1–Z2

Thu 30 Apr — Ice hockey (preferred slot)

Fri 1 May — Vappu — Strength 30 min (flexible timing)

Sat 2 May — Long run 85 min Z2

Trail, aim for ~12 km. Include 4×90 s surges at Z3 in second half.

Sun 3 May — Optional easy 30 min Z1 OR rest

Week total: ~2.5 h running + 1 race. ~17–20 km.

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WEEK 3 — Rebuild peak + intro quality (4–10 May)

Mon 4 May — Kuntorastit #3: Ilola, Illby (Porvoo) 17:00

Rata B → try Rata A if feeling strong. Effort controlled Z3.

Tue 5 May — Easy recovery 35 min Z1

Wed 6 May — Forest tempo 50 min

15 min warmup Z1–Z2 → 6 × 3 min Z4 (164–176) / 90 s jog recovery → 10 min cooldown. On trail if possible — build leg strength for uneven ground at threshold.

Thu 7 May — Ice hockey (preferred slot) OR easy 40 min Z1 if hockey was Mon

Fri 8 May — Strength 30 min

Sat 9 May — Long run 95 min Z2

~13–14 km trail.

Sun 10 May — Easy 30 min Z1 OR rest

Week total: ~3 h running + 1 race. ~22–25 km.

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WEEK 4 — Specific block begins (11–17 May)

Mon 11 May — Kuntorastit #4: Skaftkärr / Kevätlaakso (Porvoo) 17:00

Rata A, race hard Z3–Z4. Full race effort. Simulate Jukola opening leg: after "start" sprint first 3 min at Z4, then settle to Z3. Clean nav is the metric.

Tue 12 May — Easy recovery 35 min Z1 + 4 strides

Wed 13 May — Hill reps 45 min

15 min Z1 warmup → 8 × 60 s uphill hard (Z4) / jog down → 10 min cooldown. Any steep hill. Builds power for opening-leg early terrain.

Thu 14 May — Ice hockey (preferred) OR easy 40 min Z1

Fri 15 May — Strength 30 min OR rest

Sat 16 May — Itärastit Stormossen, Kilpilahti (11:00, Porvoo) — optional extra race

Kilpilahti = coastal/rocky terrain, excellent Kotka-type prep. Race Rata B at Z3 controlled. OR substitute: Night-nav long run 90 min — start ~21:30 with headlamp ready, dusk→dark transition practice.

> ✅ Done (2026-05-16): Jukola 2026 Training 1 at Vehkovuori (Kotka area) — course BCAD 7.3 km optimal / 11.07 km GPS in 2h08 elapsed (running 2h06:56, 1:19 at controls across 14 stops). 14 controls + finish. Better-than-planned substitution: actual Jukola host-area training on Jukola-style terrain.

> - Key takeaway: C3→C4 macro leg (44:52, 4.19 km) was a bad route choice + nav mistake — exactly the failure mode to drill out before race day.

> - HR sensor faulty first ~15 min (showed 70–90 bpm; real effort higher).

> - Splits archived in [orienteering-splits-2026-05-16.md](orienteering-splits-2026-05-16.md).

Sun 17 May — Uudenmaan AM-keskimatka (optional) OR rest

If you raced Sat: full rest. Else: consider the AM-keskimatch (Espoon Akilles) as specific prep.

Week total: ~3.5 h running + 1–2 races. ~25–28 km.

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WEEK 5 — Specific + volume peak (18–24 May)

Mon 18 May — Kuntorastit #5: Virvik (Porvoo) 17:00

Rata A, race hard Z3–Z4. Familiar terrain — exploit it, push pace.

Tue 19 May — Easy recovery 40 min Z1

Wed 20 May — Threshold block 55 min

15 min warmup → 3 × 8 min Z4 (164–176) / 2 min easy → 10 min cooldown. On trail. Biggest LT session of the block.

Thu 21 May — Ice hockey (preferred) OR easy 35 min Z1

Fri 22 May — Strength 30 min

Sat 23 May — Race-sim long run 100 min (OR: 53. Uudenmaan Rastipäivät — Rajamäki)

Option A: 53. Uudenmaan Rastipäivät (proper competition). Option B: solo race-sim — first 10 min Z4 (pack surge), next 70 min Z3 (forest steady), last 20 min Z3–Z4. Ideally with map. ~14 km.

Sun 24 May — Easy 30 min Z1 OR AM-pitkä (Rajamäki) if you didn't race Sat

Week total: ~4 h running + 1–2 races. ~27–32 km (volume peak).

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WEEK 6 — Specific peak (25–31 May)

Mon 25 May — Kuntorastit #6: Seitlahti / Seitlax (Porvoo) 17:00

Rata A, full race effort — dress-rehearsal. Treat this like Jukola. Warmup properly. Post-race write a 5-line AAR: biggest error, best leg, mental state.

Tue 26 May — Easy recovery 30 min Z1

Wed 27 May — Mass-start sim 60 min

Find 3–4 running friends OR just use imagined pack: 15 min warmup → 2 min all-out Z5 (mass-start surge) → 25 min Z3 steady → 2 min Z4 spike → 10 min Z2 → 6 min cooldown.

Thu 28 May — Ice hockey (preferred) OR easy 40 min Z1

Fri 29 May — Strength 30 min (light) OR rest

Sat 30 May — Last long: night-nav 90 min with headlamp from start

Full headlamp session start after dark (~22:30). Forest. If possible, a different forest than usual — dis-orientation practice.

Sun 31 May — Rest

Week total: ~3.5 h running + 1 race. ~25–28 km.

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WEEK 7 — Pre-taper / sharpening (1–7 Jun)

Mon 1 Jun — Kuntorastit #7: Hörikänkallio pohjoinen (Askola) 17:00

Rata B, Z3 controlled — not race. Familiar terrain. Focus fully on clean navigation; speed is secondary. Last tune-up.

Tue 2 Jun — Easy 30 min Z1

Wed 3 Jun — Short race-pace 40 min

15 min warmup → 3 × 4 min Z4 / 2 min easy → 10 min cooldown. Keeps top-end sharp.

Thu 4 Jun — Light hockey (if Thu slot) OR easy 30 min Z1 + 6 strides

Last hockey of the block if at all — no contact-heavy drills.

Fri 5 Jun — Strength 20 min (very light) OR rest

Sat 6 Jun — Helsinki O-Games (optional) OR long run 60 min Z2

If you race: Rata H45, Z3 controlled, clean nav priority. Otherwise: easy trail 60 min max.

Sun 7 Jun — Rest (skip Helsinki O-Games WRE on Sunday — too close to Jukola)

Week total: ~2.5 h + 1–2 races. ~18–22 km.

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WEEK 8 — Taper + Jukola (8–14 Jun)

Mon 8 Jun — Skip Kuntorastit Epoo/Holken AND skip hockey — TAPER. Easy 30 min Z1 only.

Even though it's the usual Monday race and potentially a hockey slot, this week's priority is Jukola. Tempting — don't.

Tue 9 Jun — Easy 35 min Z1–Z2 + 4 × 20 s strides

Wed 10 Jun — Rest

Thu 11 Jun — No hockey this week. Easy 25 min Z1 + 3 × 30 s pickups at Z3

Fri 12 Jun — Rest / travel to Kotka

Shake-out walk 15–20 min on arrival. Map study: terrain type, typical Kotka forest (coastal, rocky, some open granite).

Sat 13 Jun — JUKOLA OPENING LEG — RACE DAY (team Fiber Highway)

Realistic leg time: 2h00–2h15. 13.0 km optimal · 125 m climb · twilight → dark. Expected handoff to leg 2 ~01:00–01:15.

Pre-race day (Fri 12 Jun): travel to Kotka, light shake-out walk, map study, lay out gear (headlamp + spare batteries, compass, watch, race bib, shoes, energy gels).

Race-day timing:

• ~17:00: late lunch — proper meal (pasta/rice + protein), ~600–800 kcal
• ~21:00: light snack 2 h pre-start (banana + bread/oats), 300–400 ml water
• ~22:00: start drinking 200–300 ml every 30 min until warmup
• ~22:20: ~40 min warmup — 10 min easy jog + 4 × 30 s strides + compass check + map-orientation drills
• ~22:50: headlamp on standby (sunset Kotka 13.6 ≈ 22:50). Test it briefly — strap snug, battery confirmed.
• 22:55: to start corral, gels stashed, water flask (200–300 ml) ready to grab
• 23:00: mass start

Race plan (~2h leg):

• Opening 60–90 s (mass start): go with pack at Z4 — NOT Z5, you have 2h ahead. Don't get trampled, don't try to lead. Settle by 500 m.
• Controls 1–3 (first ~25–35 min, twilight): compass bearing + pace count, not map-chasing. Pack is still dense — patience.
• Headlamp transition (~35–50 min in): light fades fast in forest. Switch on as soon as you have to squint at the map, don't tough it out.
• Controls 4–9 (mid-leg, full dark): Z3 sustainable (148–163). This is the longest stretch. Relocate proactively if unsure — lose 30 s, not 10 min. Take gel + sip water around 60 min in.
• Last 3 controls (full headlamp): settle, clean exits, no risks. Don't chase shadows.
• Finish: Z4 strong last 500–1000 m to the changeover. Hand off the map cleanly to the leg-2 runner.

Carry on the run:

• Headlamp (on head from before start)
• Compass
• 1 energy gel or chews
• Small water flask 200–300 ml (Jukola may have drink at 1 point but don't rely on it for leg 1)

Error budget: ≤5 min total nav loss. That's the only metric that matters. Beating any specific clock time is secondary — Fiber Highway's overall position depends on you handing off cleanly, not on time-trialling your individual leg.

Sun 14 Jun — Recovery walk 30 min. Watch finish. Hydrate.

Week total: ~1.5 h running + Jukola leg (~90–100 min race). ~15 km + race.

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Summary

• Total running volume 8 weeks: ~160–180 km (plus races)
• Kuntorastit races: 7 (weekly Tue) — primary specificity work
• Long runs: 8 (longest = 100 min race-sim on 23 May)
• Night-nav sessions: 2 (16 May dusk-into-dark, 30 May full dark)
• Strength sessions: 6–7
• Threshold/tempo sessions: 4
• Mass-start sim: 1 (28 May)

Key principles I'm applying

1. Race is the training. Kuntorastit every week beats any interval session for an orienteer.

2. Frontload quality, taper hard. Weeks 4–6 are the work; weeks 7–8 are rest.

3. Night-nav twice. Kotka mass start ~23:00 → light fades fast, headlamp definitely needed.

4. Navigation-under-fatigue is the weakness. Session selection biases to tempo-on-trail + race-sim with map, not track intervals.

5. Hockey stays (you've built around it for years) but drops in week 8.

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Your action items

1. Confirm this plan — tell me to finalise, or request edits

2. Slot Kuntorastit events: each Tuesday check IRMA (area=13) and paste the exact race into the weekly slot above

3. ~~Confirm Jukola 2026 team & leg assignment as soon as locked in — opening leg is physically distinct from other legs~~ ✅ Done 2026-05-16: Team Fiber Highway, leg 1 (opening) confirmed. Official specs: 13.0 km / 125 m / twilight→dark / elite 73 min.

4. After each Kuntorastit: update orienteering-results.csv and note biggest_error_leg — we track whether errors drop across the block