January Training Camp 2023

Millicent Dickinson | Monday, January 16th, 2023

2023’s September Training Camp will be remembered for many things, most noticeably maths chat and wet feet. Sixteen Hareys + POD made the trip down to the New Forest for a week of hard training, variably successful revision, and puzzgrids. Olly Tonge showed us that orienteers can be useful sometimes, coming up with inventive routes on our inclusive runs. Although, his affinity for water features suggests he might be better suited to triathlon. Not to be put off by the swampy conditions, lack of ASDA delivery, and subpar drying room, a total of 14 runs were achieved.

The highlight would have to be POD’s inaugural training camp relays. TAdolphus proved that he did in fact once run 2:00 flat for 800m with some spicy 250m legs, only to return a few days later with a convincing win in a “stretch and roll” session gone rogue. A lack of kilo challengers did make me worry if Hareys were getting boring. However, Patrick Winter came to the rescue when he ate 1kg of bananas in 4:00.1, which was 1h10 quicker than Olly, hugely better than an unsuccessful Alex Burns and marginally quicker than Jeremy’s mile PB. Burnsy and Olly were less impressive than the valiant, albeit unsuccessful, attempts of fried onions and coco pops by Lawrence Hollom and Tadolphus. The MVP would have to go to Will Yates, providing us not only with a Breakfast Club on tour, but the “best quiz I have ever done”, with inspired rounds including kilo challenge recipes, and famous namesake Hareys.

 The boggy terrain provided Phil with no shortage of challenging sessions to give us, including some long reps along a questionably non-aquatic path on Tuesday, hill repeats on Thursday, and a Phil classic “2 x 10 mins, hard, then hang on” for those who were left by the Saturday. All in all, a highly successful training camp for all who attended, with the benefits hopefully seen in our upcoming races.