Biathlete Vebjorn Sorum, a young, high-performing biathlete from Norway, shows us how his daily routine and preparations play a decisive role in his successes and what it takes to deliver the perfect performance on race day. Sorum has already celebrated several successes this season. Among other things, he achieved his first podium result in the World Cup, where he finished a strong 3rd in the singles at the opening race in Östersund. He has also achieved other top results in the World Cup and the IBU Cup. So let's take a look behind the scenes of his preparations and what happens on a competition day!
Timing
06:30. Activation
The competition day usually starts early. This is because it is important for the body to eat the first meal of the day at a sufficient distance from the high level of exertion. This is the only way the body can digest the meal well and replenish its stores. Before breakfast, the body is woken up with a light activation and prepared for the tasks ahead.
07:00am. Breakfast with the Team
After activation, breakfast is eaten together with the team. This is usually very well-balanced and contains plenty of carbohydrates. At breakfast, the news for the race day, the weather forecast and the departure times are checked again.
8:00 am. Departure from the Hotel to the Racecourse
8:20 am. Ski test with Technicians
The first important task of the day is about to begin. Together with the technicians, the skis are tested for the competition day. The perfect skis are tested against each other by means of glide tests, the best grinding for the current snow conditions and speed. The test takes about 15 minutes. Afterwards, the best ski is given to the technicians. Sorum and his colleagues have a short time to prepare for the weapon check and the shooting.
9:00 am. Weapon Inspection and Firing
Sorum is on his way to the shooting range, beforehand it is important to have his weapon checked at the control. This is mandatory before every race! In addition to the trigger weight (for safety reasons), the weight of the entire weapon is also measured. After noting your start number and weapon number, you can now start shooting your weapon. After shooting at rest, Sorum starts with the load in order to simulate shooting at a higher pulse rate (as later in the race). After about 45 shots, he has the perfect feel and the right setting for his weapon.
9:30Uhr. WarmUp
Sorum starts his warm-up program immediately after the start. He has worked on this over the summer and uses it to be at 100% physically and mentally at the start.
10:00 am. Competition Start
10:45 am. Crossing the Finishline and starting the Regeneration
After a successful race, the post-race preparation begins. Immediately after crossing the finish line, Sorum takes a recovery shake to replenish his depleted energy stores. He also starts the cool-down program and changes completely so that he can take off his wet race clothes.
11:45 am. Award Ceremony and Interviews
Immediately after the race has finished and all athletes have crossed the finish line, the award ceremony takes place on site. After the photographers have taken all the pictures of the award ceremony and all the interviews have been completed, the team bus will return to the hotel.
12:30 pm. Lunch and Discussion of the Competition
Lunch is again shared with the team, followed by a brief analysis of the competition. Particular attention is paid to the running times and the individual lap times. The so-called range time (time spent in the shooting range) and the pure shooting time are also analyzed and evaluated.
14:00h. Lunch break / PowerNap
15:00 hrs. Coffee & Small Snack
16:00. Loose Movement
In the afternoon, the muscles and the body are stimulated to actively regenerate through relaxed exercise. This usually involves going for a run as a team. This is followed by a physiotherapy session at 5 p.m., which further loosens the muscles and prepares them for the upcoming races.
18:30. Dinner
20:00. Meeting for the next Day
21:00. Packing Bags & Dryfiring
After dinner and the briefing for the next day, the equipment for the next competition is packed. As a general warm-up, the equipment, i.e. the rifle, is checked again and a few dry shots are taken to get in the mood for the next day.
22:00. Bedtime
After a long, exhausting but very satisfying day, it's finally time to go to bed. So that the body has enough time to recover, sleep is one of the most important means for good regeneration and preparation.
A competition day in the life of Vebjorn Sorum makes it clear that the path to success in the biathlon consists not only of physical and mental fitness, but also of well thought-out preparation, clever tactical decisions and consistent follow-up work. The Norwegian biathlete shows that the path to a perfect biathlon race must be paved long before the actual competition.
Many thanks for the insights and good luck for the future, Vebjorn Sorum! Vebjorn Sorum!
Pictures. Cover & picture 1 Josef Plaickner / picture 3 Vebjorn Sorum private /
Text. D.S.