Athletics Ireland Junior HP Camp Day 1

POSTED:

*Written by Joseph Ojewumi for the Boys Relay Squad

‘We have come to answer our country’s call, from the four proud provinces of Ireland’.

Educational Workshops

The Junior 4x100m relay squad is on patrol for the week. Sam Healy, Joseph Ojewumi, Conor Duggan, Dean Power, Eoin Doherty, Ray Walsh and Seán Lawlor (left to right; missing from photo - Zak Irwin , Odhran Byrne-Gildea and Sean O, Driscoll) started the week in the most productive of ways, a day of ‘educational’ workshops from a variety of speakers. Relief that evening came in the form of a long, relaxed, three course meal. The immense "neutral face" laughing at the dinner table sufficed as our core workouts for the week, while convincing the girls we were nuts.

Armed with all our new knowledge we woke up on day two, fresh as a bunch of batons ready for the day ahead of us. After peeing in Peter's Pots, our first accomplishment of the day was finishing our massive full Irish breakfast. After a short massage from the mythical Vinny ‘Nidge’ Mulvey, we made way to AIT for our first training session of the camp in ‘most unfavourable conditions’, according to Dean anyway who was quite disappointed about his fringe being dismantled!

Mental Preparation

A light morning session played to our advantage as we were well in need of our strengths to take us home through strong winds and rain. Another workshop was on the cards from Canice Kennedy about ‘Mental Preparation’ when we returned to the hotel. A good lunch prepared us for an eventful afternoon session of baton changes with our coach Daniel Piqué Kilgallon. A return to the track saw numerous successful baton exchanges, and some unwanted "sprinting middle partings" that we giggled over.

Shattered and weary after our second bout of physical activity, we began to write this blog. Looking around me right now at the lifeless beings that occupy my room, I hope tonight’s Nutrition for Performance workshop will tell me how to refuel my body for the days ahead. 

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