Senior Squad Sprint Camp – Dublin – Recipe
“Team cook” : Josh O’Sullivan-Hourihan
Ingredients:
- Days: 4
- Maps: 9
- Controls: 162
- Average kms: 80km – 92km
- Helpers: 3
- Course Planners: 8, 6 internationals
- Photographers: 1
- Juniors: 2, 1 international
- Fun: to much to count
Day 1:
Day one saw 3 athletes on a training course designed by Anton from Sweden to kick off the training weekend. Great route choices kept the athletes thinking on their feet … pardon the pun.
Day 2:
Today the “cook” dished out a knock-out sprint simulation with different maps of different areas. It included correct time delays between qualification, quarter final, semi final and final. It was to mimic WOC sprint timing between knock-out events. Course Planner was Kevin O’Boyle for the quali and quarter final events who put a lot of thought into the planning with interesting route choices that encouraged great discussions.
The afternoon training block saw courses planned by one of Ukraine’s national team runners Olena for the semi final and final events. And boy were the stakes raised. Like in WOC and EOC races, the athletes had 20 seconds to look at route choices before the mass start.
Day 3:
After very intensive day 2 the team had a slightly “easier ” day. The morning saw a gaffled sprint interval training and the course at Dublin’s dockland was set this time by Warre, a Belgium national team runner.
The afternoon had the team training a line-O designed by Matthias, national team runner from Austria, before a fast sprint style training set by Kerstin, national team runner from Estonia.
Day 4:
And to finish the training camp, the team had two final task. At this point desert was served by the “cook” with a cherry on top. The team headed to Tempelbar & Grafton Quarter for another sprint style training and to leave everything “out there”. The course was set by Leo from Holper&Zapf course planning . The team delivered once again with some very fast foot speed.
And finally the afternoon was planned by the High Performance Manager Jens himself. This rounded up a very successful and first team sprint training.
Wrapping up:
My profound thanks goes to the “cook” for the training weekend Josh. The team piggy backed on his training, that he planned for himself.
I am also thankful to Donore Harriers to lend us their clubhouse for a team debrief and analysis evening. Josh is a member of that club and got permission.
I want to mention Ruairi ( currently injured ) who helped out and gave the team his insight on WOC this year, thank you. Not to forget Kevin, he not only planned courses but made himself available to train and support.
Finally, I can not wait to have many more of these trainings that are conceived & organised by other members of the senior squad.
Please help support our team and all the other internationals who planned and designed training for the team. It helps our national team to reach out and connect to other orienteering nations and their teams for future endeavours.
Jens | High Performance Manager | Orienteering Ireland
