An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 23 hoW to inCrease Your ChanCe of suCCess: attend the sofQ prep & orientation Course This course is conducted annually in May/June. It is one week in duration and gives the SOFQ candi- date an excellent insight into the SOFQ process and operational service in the ARW. The weeks training concentrates on developing the candi- date's ability to navigate in mountain terrain both in day and night and in all weather conditions. Heavy emphasis in also put on the candidate's physical and mental preparation in advance of SOFQ. This tuition is provided by ARW Task Unit Members and ARW Strength & Conditioning coaches in co-operation with DF Physiotherapy. talk to your Commander Time is the number one reason why many candidates do not complete the SFP. Talk to your commander and explain the demands of the programme. In many instances, Commanders may facilitate the completion of elements of the SFP during duty hours. Explain to your commander that most voluntary withdrawals from SOFQ MOD 1 can be attributed to candidates NOT preparing adequately and emphasise the importance of fully completing the SFP. train as a group The SFP and process involved in preparing for SOFQ MOD 1 is very demanding on the candidate. During this period, and while on SOFQ, it is very difficult to maintain a work-life balance. If several candidates from your unit are intending on par- ticipating in SOFQ MOD 1 then group training is strongly advised. Talk to your Unit PTI and ask for assistance in conducting the training sessions for the group. Where possible try to conduct your hill training days in a group for safety reasons. use rate of perceived exertion (rpe) to monitor training load: RPE on the Borg Scale is an excellent tool for moni- toring training load (this is explained fully in the Tactical Athlete Conditioning Programme on the ARW IKON Site). Consistently high training loads without adequate recovery will lead to injury. The RPE allows the candidate to monitor his/her train- ing loads, thus reducing the risk of injury. some advice from the physio DF Physiotherapy has been working closely with the ARW over the past 12 months in an effort to understand, measure, adapt to and inform on elements of training to ensure optimal performance and injury prevention. From this experience, some of the key learn- ing points from DF Physiotherapy for SOFQ Candidates would be to re-iterate the need to prepare adequately for the level of strenu- ous physical activity involved. The Sustain- able Function Programme offers an excellent and measured approach to building resilience for undertaking the SOFQ Course. From an injury prevention perspective, con- tinue to remember to train smart and train hard! There are times when the training you are undertaking may lead to an unexpected recovery period, where your body needs time to heal from injury or illness. This will never be convenient! Recognise this challenge and face it head-on by being proactive in seeking treatment where needed. Remember that recovery is a time where your body is improving, in order to be become better, stronger, faster for the next challenge. The Taper Days of the SFP are an excellent example of added recovery in order to allow your body to be at its best for SOFQ. Keep an eye out for the Tactical Athlete Conditioning Programme Injury Prevention module which will help identify areas of your movement chain that are sub-optimal. The module will equip you with the necessary information and tools in order to improve your movement and avoid injury, so that you can train harder and for longer. This can be found on the ARW ICON page. Best of luck to all Candidates! final thoughts: On completion of SOFQ, successful candidates can look forward to entering the ARW High Performance Support Programme where dedicated Strength & Conditioning Coaches work in co-operation with staff from the Institute of Sport Ireland and DF Physio Service in order to support the needs of the Tactical Athlete. Keep an eye on the ARW IKON page for more updated infor- mation and training programmes.

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