The ‘Gothenburg’ training camp is designed as a ‘self-help’ tour. Athletes attending will be expected to plan their own training. They will also be expected to be generally well organised, capable of preparing their own meals and self sufficient whilst being supervised by an experienced coach. For more information, have a look at the Gothenburg Page on the JROS website.
Report by Ryan
This summer I was selected to go on the JROS Gothenburg tour run by Mark Saunders. This was my first JROS tour and I was suitably quite excited.
However excitement was quickly joined by sleepiness as I got a coach to Heathrow with Alasdair leaving Sheffield at 22:45...
Sunday 19th August: We met Harry at the airport and at 10:20ish local time we landed in Gothenburg, except for my bag who very inconveniently decided to stay in London and so it had to fly out in the afternoon. Mark then picked us up to go to the Savedalens AIK club hut where we were staying for the week, a very nice building in a great location by a lake with jetties and diving boards. The club had hosted a middle distance race that day so those of us that were there went and collected in controls; fortunately I had packed my compass and some o clothes and shoes in my cabin bag! This was a good intro into the terrain, especially finding that the marshes are much more grim than in Stockholm. Later that evening I went to the airport to pick up my bag with Mark as he picked up Tim who's flight got in just before my bag's.
Monday 20th: Harrison McCartney planned a long legs course for the morning and a control pick for the afternoon. The long legs course was useful for route choice in this terrain and the control pick helped with accurate compass skill and picturing the detail.
Tuesday 21st: Joe and Felix planned a course with a variety of technical exercises built in but sadly I messed up at the beginning so had to cut out a lot of it so that I didn't end up taking ages and keeping everyone waiting. The afternoon training went better, we did O-intervals with Savedalens for their club night: in groups of 4 with a mass start and gaffling with 3-4 control intervals. I was in a group with Pedders, Megan CD and Harry so it was pretty tough just keeping up!
Wednesday 22nd: In the morning we did relay training adapted from courses from a Tio Mila a few years ago. The mass start and trains we did meant trying to stay focused and run hard, being accurate when others make mistakes. In the afternoon we did a clock relay near the club hut which was good fun.
Thursday 23rd: This was initially meant to be a rest day but we didn't rest that much. I went on a nice chilled 90 minute run but that ended up turning into a 2 hour run... oops. Then we did sprint training in Gothenburg in the afternoon which I was abysmal on, both technically and physically. It was the turn for me, Harry and Noah to cook dinner which I think went down ok, its certainly different cooking for 20+ people compared to cooking for 4.
Friday 24th: Line course, then trains then a downhill mass start course!!! (Not gaffled!!!) Some good all-round training. Followed by diving boards in the rain.
Saturday 25th: The actual rest day. Mass start relay training (again!) with Savedalens and Goteborg Majorna where we realised how knackered we were! In the afternoon we had a micrO inside and around the club hut with phone timing for start/finish and pin punch at the controls. I came 2nd to Harrison purely by the fact that literally everybody else mispunched... That evening Noah, Tim and Lucy hosted a top quality date night including a starter of garlic polarbrod.
Sunday 26th: We ended the camp by doing the Gothenburg District Long Distance Champs. The courses were quite short for a long ~6km for the H18 course but the area was pretty grim so the distance crept up. I was happy with most of it but did a stupid route choice at one point which lost me time.
The Gothenburg camp has been an awesome experience; the training helped developed my ability to run hard and focus, and getting into the terrain has helped my skills for orienteering back at home as well. The camp also made me more independent and (hopefully!) a little more organised by the end of it. I would massively recommend any top year 18s and bottom year 20s try and get selected to go because it truely is a superb week.
I'd like to thank Mark and Alice for organising the camp and JROS for providing funds for it. Thanks to my parents too for paying for my flights and my contribution to the food. Thanks again to Mark for his guidance and car and making sure we stayed alive, and to Megan, Sasha and Harrison for training with us and offering their advice too. Finally thanks to YHJS and SYO for the progress they've helped me make to be able to go and make the most of the week.
