Training Log Archive: roar

Mixed feelings about IOC.
The sprints seemed to go well which was nice, though I wasn't too pushed about them. those too facts might be related.

The long I did ok. Considering the amount of training I can't be too unhappy with where I was, though it was very possible to get in ahead of Conor and Colm. Silly mistakes costing me about 3 minutes in total (maybe more actually). The relay I am disgusted with. Losing 2 mins on a 30s leg is just totally unacceptable. I know what happened now, and in reality it was the first time I was really under pressure in a relay in a while and I didn't handle it. There's no reason training shouldn't go well in May so the Shamrock should be good fun.

Weekly plan. Not too tired after IOC. Will have to sit down a make a new plan that takes into account the Wednesday hillruns better in general

Monday: Sprint relay (done)
Tuesday: Go to crusaders for the habit, easy run though
Wednesday: Scalp IMRA
Thursday: need to make a plan
Friday: eed to make a plan
Saturday: o-training, carraigshook probably
Sunday: Ballybraid IMRA then off to Barcelona in the evening. Flight is at 17:20 so will need to be quite careful about the time.

Was going running as soon as I got home so I put my Garmin on to see how the cycle home really is. Broke the speed limit a few times apparently. Oops.

Easy run in the park. Felt great for the first 5 minutes then started to feel pretty tired. Influenced heavily by the strong headwind. Felt better when I got into it though and it was really enjoyable. Intensity was a little in zone 3, but only by 2-3 bpms.

Some jogging. Had a go on the model map and then back and forwards while waiting for Conor. Didn't really know how long he had been out or anything so was a bit random.

Invitational Sprint relay. Not many spectators around which was a pity for such a well organised event. I would have like to see entries be open to anyone as well, though that would have made quarantine a bit tricky!

Went out with the goal of catching Killian. Around to 1 was fine and worked out the underpass alright, though my control was far enough over that there wasn't a route choice for it anyway. Felt good through the town and was very clean. Didn't kill myself at the start, as on Friday and allowed myself to build into it. The HR graph shows this. Saw Killian for the first time when coming back to the underpass. Tried to keep the form good for the second half then and it all went well. Saw the queens guy then leaving 16 but I took a different route choice than them for 17, and punched 17 just behind Killian and ahead of the Queens guy. Went right for 18 and got away, though nearly died on the wet grassy slope, then just ran strongly to the finish.

Pretty happy with this run. Clean and running felt good.

Jog with Marcus and Hugh down the canal to the next bridge and back again. Lovely sunny day out and was very enjoyable.

Randomizing about the castle.

IOC relays

Hugh and Marcus looked to be having a solid race together so it seemed like I would be going out with Hugh. We saw them pass the spectator after 15 mins and I knew I had a while for them to come back. People kept telling me to get into the box though and I let them stress me a bit though I calmed down once I got into the box and away from them. Hugh passed Marcus on the run in, but I had to run around Shane so he was just ahead of me on the way out. This is a long one. I had many bad thoughts about running with Niall due to the threat of Nick.

1. Started off with the map backwards. Saw 21 and took a second to work out what was happening before I turned the map over. Stuck with Shane up the road. I knew the pace was high but I wanted to keep the pressure on. Planned as far as 3 before I went into the forest. Took a slightly higher line than Shane and saw him dive into a control. Hesitated in my head but not my legs and kept going for my one. Easy control by a path in the end.
2. Went left, up to the road. Shane gone so kept it tight and tried to keep the pace. Very clean
3. Through some of the rougher stuff. Passed Regina and thought of asking about Shane but decided against it. Came out at the wet depression thing so control was easy.
4. Heard Shane cursing and blinding behind me so knew I was in a good position. Notched down the pace slightly as I knew I had to be clean at this stage. Went up the ride and then cut to the control. going wasn't the best here.
5. Straight line, out to the road, along it a bit to the green bush and into the control. Slightly left of it but no problem as I just followed the marsh. Thought I was comfy now and the orienteering was going well. Not the right thought.
6. Left 5 a bit right of my line, so came back on line and knew it would be to my left. Got most of the way to the fence and no control so turned left to search. Nothing. Looked at my map went back. Searched a little bit more right but my line relative to 5 seemed totally wrong, as I could see the control. Saw Shane haring it off towards 7. Then saw Laurence. More headscratching, another search left later and came back and saw Niall and Peter running towards 7. Things are bad at this stage. Searched further right and there it was. Oh no.
7. Lots of adrenaline, out to the path and run hard. In from the fence corner and could see Niall and Peter punching it. "Ok I have someone to run with, damn it's gonna be Niall, Gonna have to work hard to give Conor a gap over Nick."
8. Easy leg. Follow the ditch, pass out Niall and Peter.
9. Lose more time. Stayed left of the bushes then magically appeared in an open area. Thought it was the first one. Went thorough it. Immediately saw it was the second so back through the green to the control. Niall following me all the way.
10. compass, some veg, Niall broke left at some stage. I got my control in the re-entrant cleanly.
11. Compass, could see the building on the road. Coming to the bridge see Niall coming from the right. Hit the first junction and went to go into the forest but something was wrong. yeah I needed to get to the second junction. Head needs to be back in the game. Asked Niall if we could take the olive green track for 12. He took 11 in front of me.
12. I reckoned we couldn't so went up early and on the main road. Heard steps behind, it's laurence. Jumped inside Niall to the control.
13. Laurence turned on the after burners to get away from Niall so Colm wouldn't be with Nick. That left me trailing in the dust on this long easy path leg.
14. Suffering to hold the high pace. Went around the green which was a bit slower than through. Saw laurence leaving it and Niall punched it jsut in front.
15. Back out, left of Niall he was gone? Run hard, no he's there at 15 in front of me. Beginning to think of apologising to everyone for helping Niall on the course
16. Niall in front of me for this. To the ditch and then along.
17. Let Niall ahead, he veered left. I kept on line and got it but he saw me.
18. Niall on my tail. Compass, spiked it perfectly. Heard him stop behind me.
19. Upped the pace over the hill. More of a gap to Niall. I think he's got the wrong gaffle.
20. Over the hill Niall gone. Trying hard to put the gap into him to give Conor a chance. Missed it left then. Landed on another control but corrected ok
21. Another miss due to running hard but only ~10s.
22. Run as hard as you can. Not very fast apparently. No sign of Darren or Colm so I don't know what that means.
23. Continue to suffer
24. Run in, hand over to Conor.


Disgusted with myself after this. Really annoyed with my mistake at 6. Really felt like I had let the team down and moved us from 1st to 4th. In reality if I had been perfectly clean apart from 6 it wouldn't have been too bad and any one of us could have been 2 mins faster, but losing the front of the train made a big difference and running with Niall probably did too. Team tactics wise I think we got it right. Hugh did what he had to do and Conor was going to be stronger than me for the flatter running near the end. Dissappointed that we came out on the bottom end of what was in reality the most exciting IOC men's open relay in years, however I hope it continues because it was great fun.

No real warm down today. Feeling pretty horrified with myself. A bit different from the last few years.

Jog from the car to the registration where I left my big raincoat. then up to the start. Feeling really good actually, apart from a bit cold. Seemed to be a pretty good temperature though a little part of me wondered what would happen if I hurt myself.

Pretty rapid back to the car. Seemed to get a lot of energy from no where. Wouldn't have minded some of this when I was on the course.
Got into the car and turned it on immediately. Was fine for about 10 mins but then I started to shiver pretty uncontrollably after getting changed. Felt really cold in my bones, even though my skin was warm enough. Took a long time to be comfortable again.

Event: Irish Orienteering Championships
 

One go around the sample course to use SI Air again and then I put in some time for jogging to the start and doing some strides.

IOC Sprint + WRE

Had one goal today - not get caught 2 mins by Kev. Did that so was happy enough. Clean and about as fast as I am considering no intervals in 2.5 months!

Actually had a pretty good race by my sprint standards.
1. Had watched where the previous starter went, so turned left. Read the map and went right to 1.
2. Back left to 2 settled into a pace now and planned 3.
3. Couldn't tell if I could cross the fence to the south of 3 due to the circle so I went north instead.
4. Back out my entrance and across the square.
5. I had planned to go straight out of the alley and go right of the building doing less turns but didn't somehow. Don't think there was much in it.
6. Right, nearly got caught by going into the dead end but rescued.
7. Easy
8. Right. There were three kids (~8-10?) standing behind some bollards on this leg shouting a lot. I picked my gap in the bollards. As I approached, the farthest one jumped out from behind his bollard with a stick and shouted "GET HIM". I thought fine, they won't catch me anyway but then the closest one stepped out directly in front of me as I was mid stride. I met little resistance as he took a knee in the chest as there was nothing else I could do. Looked behind after and he was standing up his friends shouting at me still, then they proceeded to chase after Ruth instead. Though they gave up when they realised she was "old" apparently. Got the control fine.
9. Slowed a little to let myself calm down slightly and regain my focus. Got it well.
10. Right. maybe left I would have had better flow through 9.
11. Thought about the little path but decided against it. Saw Niamh doing similar. Saw her catch SJ Barrable as she punched it though I was a bit behind.
12. no choice. gaining on the ladies. Shoes were a little slippy on the grass.
13. Again no choice. Punching just behind Niam and SJ.
14. no choice again. Another crowd of kids at this control but they were great and shouted "good job!, keep concentrating!"
15. left, not much in it I don't think
16. left to keep the flow
17. straight but I went around the hedge. Caught my first glimpse of 1 minute man Jack Millar ahead of me.
18. Decided to zig through the courtyard and got held up by parking cars.
19. Saw Jack again. Pushing to catch him
20. Just went the way I saw. Again a zig around a car had to be done.
21. Saw Jack go left, felt like the forest would be bad so went right, didn't seem much different. Igor Stefko was talking to the kids I had had an earlier "run in" with.
22. Jack went too far, I hesitated slightly and saw the shorter gap so got ahead of him. Philip hiding the in alley taking pictures surprised me.
23. Bad choice here, went north as I missed one of the gaps to the south which made south better. Jack got ahead again.
24. Trying hard to get back to Jack. Actually don't remember which way I went.
25. Jack staying the same 30 m in front of me.
26. Running hard
27 Suffer up the hill. Saw jack hesitate at the last control and said I'm gonna get this right.
Finish. Not much acceleration in the legs. Did check that my SI Air had punched though.

Jog around on the grass with Kev making sure the legs are good to go for tomorrow.

Event: IMRA Howth Summer
 

Helping out at the hillrun tonight so no time for a run. I did walk a lap of the course and stood around a bit though. Mostly a nice evening if a bit cold. Did rain a few times too but I was geared up for it so no problems.