Pre-season is hard work – and that obviously applies to the training camp in Schladming, too. The Wolves will have felt that especially after going to their physical limits on Monday. At the end of a high-intensity session, there was deserved applause from the coaching staff and the spectators in the stands of the training facility.
Two markers, 20 metres apart. What might look harmless at first soon revealed its potential to bring the Green-and-Whites’ players to the brink of their capability. The beep test is called so because acoustic signals regularly sound to indicate the required speed to the players. The ideal pace is indicated by the interval between the sounds, with runners turning at each marker. The idea is to complete the laps in exact time with the rhythm of the signals. However, since the gap between the beeps gets shorter and shorter, the participants have to constantly increase their pace – even more so if they’re too slow. The first time the marker isn’t reached in the required time, there’s a warning. Two strikes and you’re out! This means that eventually, you get to the point where you no longer have enough strength and the body loses the battle against the remorseless clock.
In the end, the “aerobic performance” is measured, which can be compared with the horsepower of a car. The higher the horsepower, the higher the performance. The measurement method therefore makes it possible to precisely analyse the fitness level of a professional athlete.
How arduous these interval runs are was clear to see in the faces of the Wolves’ players – and in the many bodies lying on the grass after having to endure this gruelling experience. Some players seemed to rise to it, with winger Jakub Kaminski as well as left-back Nicolas Cozza and creative midfielder Lovro Majer all impressing. But the biggest applause from the stands went to right-back Kilian Fischer, who’s been absent from recent team training sessions as well as the friendly against Como because of muscular problems. Of course, though, all the runners earned respect for this huge effort.