WOC Training Camp and World Cup

With the World Champs and the World Games approaching fast, it's time for some serious training!

Unfortunately, being in South Africa means that it's quite a tough exercise to prepare for any specific international event. We normally pitch up at a WOC one week before the champs and do our first and final training sessions in the relevant terrain at the time that you should be tapering for the major event. In essence, we arrive at these champs with little idea of what to expect, then do a one-week crash course, starting the actual event with dead legs and totally exhausted.

This year, I've decided to do it the other way. It's going to cost a bit of time and money, but I believe its the only way of progressing towards my personal goals in international orienteering. Over the next 2 weeks, I'll be attending a special training camp in preparation for WOC '09 in Hungary, then moving onto Finland to compete in a World Cup round that incorporates the Nordic Champs.

I've already arrived in Miskolc, Hungary for the WOC Training Camp. I'm staying in the University Hotel where we'll be based during WOC itself. The journey out here was quite relaxed with everthing running to plan. The rooms are good, should be great during WOC itself. Ahead lies 11 training session, including a couple of local races (including a Night Race! - never done a 'proper' one as yet).

I'll start posting maps, my route choices, pics of the area and other comments about the training camp in the next day or two.

Nicholas Mulder

National Training Camp

Both the senior and junior squads took part in a National Training Camp this past weekend in the Lakenvlei forests near Belfast. Although primarily aimed at the Junior National Squad, some of the senior squads members made the trip down to help with the camp, and also gain a great opportunity to improve their own abilities.

All in all, the participants managed to get 8 physical sessions packed into less than 48 hours! Unfortunately the weather was horrible, with very cold and wet conditions, particularly on the Saturday. This however didn't damper the atmosphere, with some great team spirit as well as intense competition taking place on some of the training exercises.


The photos are of Jeremy, Jess H. and Bradley competing in a Team Star Relay. Jess H combined with Salome to take overall honours in the exercise.