A Ruthless System

22 March 2016

Well here we are Boston +4 weeks and finally I have found a few moments to get back to the blog.

Although I did not attend the Championships I watched from afar as a number of my athletes flew across the Atlantic to do battle in the unforgiving Agganis Arena; some for the first time and some as seasoned racers. For all though, it was the first time to execute a race preparation week and a race plan under strict instructions. Managing that via messenger was difficult and highlighted the importance of being there in person as a coach – next year that will change.

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Next season’s World Championship RN Team places will be hard fought out

Some athletes had only been under my guidance for literally a few weeks, but I felt we made the correct decisions in getting everybody to the start line in the best possible condition given the various time scales and problems I had to work with each individual. As were the race plans, all executed to how I suggested, all gaining vital race experience with some decent results to build on.

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Upcoming talent – 2015 RN Champion Kieran Heffernan has already gone under 6.20 with limited training

So here we are now at the start of the journey for next season and beyond. Most of the team who have never had any coaching and some who are brand new and never raced – they are my favorites as there are no bad habits to break or systems to change.

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Training is simply a juggling act

With the season over a large percentage of the team will travel to Devon in a few weeks to have a run out and support the Devon 1km. We will race with no specific training and is slotted into the middle of a training cycle as to not disrupt the periodisation of training. This will be followed by a much needed team training day which will begin the re-construction of some technical flaws and see the birth of other technical aspects. It also gives me a chance as a coach to iron out any issues that have appeared in this first cycle of off season training.

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For the spring and into the summer it is a case of individuals settling in to routine and setting in for the monotonous hard graft that I know all to well, but also know produces results. Amongst work and home life and sacrificing the less important things in favour for hard consistent week in week out training it is a long road ahead, but those who want it will persevere and succeed.to-know-the-road-ahead-ask-those-coming-back-quote-1

Those under my coaching are all volunteers and are beginning to understand exactly what is required to be part of this unique programme that I have created. Using past experiences I am asking a lot as the workload will increase month by month, but with good reason. I want to get those who I have trained to the start line in the best possible condition given the restraints put upon us not being full time athletes.

Put simply I am running a ruthless system, if you’re not committed, you’re out.

Thanks for reading.

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Ollie Osborne

ꜰᴏʀᴍᴇʀ ʀᴏʏᴀʟ ᴍᴀʀɪɴᴇ | ᴘᴇʀꜰᴏʀᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴅɪʀᴇᴄᴛᴏʀ | ᴋᴇʏɴᴏᴛᴇ ꜱᴘᴇᴀᴋᴇʀ & ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ʜɪɢʜ ᴘᴇʀꜰᴏʀᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴏʀ | ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜ & ᴘᴇʀꜰᴏʀᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴄᴏᴀᴄʜɪɴɢ | ᴛᴇᴀᴍꜱ & ᴏʀɢᴀɴɪꜱᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱ | ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴍʏ ꜰʀᴇᴇ ᴄᴀᴘᴀʙɪʟɪᴛʏ ᴅᴇʙᴛ ᴛᴇꜱᴛ & ɪɴᴄʀᴇᴀꜱᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴄᴀᴘᴀᴄɪᴛʏ!