Training Log Archive: KathrynB

Mourne's write up done

With Harry and Clodagh. Meant to go longer but stomach was not cooperating

Run into the Orienteering Freshers training via the sports centre with Rue on the lead - such a great doggo to run with

Back home

Into uni. Running a bit late so breakfast was only 10 minutes before this

With Robin and Liam
Kind of overestimated the length of this route so called it a day after 45 minutes to try keep things sensible

30 mins recovery on the pitches during athletics. Feeling a lot better than I expected and knees and achilles feeling a lot better.

20 mins Aquajogging then a few lengths swimming.
Knees and R Achilles a bit sore from the weekend so wanted to do something easy for them. Went and iced them in the tep after

Mourne Mountain Marathon Day 2
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After a good night sleep we woke up to a break in the rain that had occurred over night. So breakfast was quickly had and everything packed away in perfect timing before the rain started to come down heavily just as we were ready to go. So we got our grid references and started marking the controls on the map only to quickly find that due to the river running down our map from the now torrential rain, the ink from the pen wasn't going to stay on the map. So we started, found some cover at the end of the dam to dry the map and draw on a few more controls (the any order ones) before giving up on the ink and just running with only a handful of controls drawn on. As we were climbing to no.1 the cloud came in low and caused confusion on the hillside. However, crucially for me and Clare we nailed the control in the mist to get ahead of eadaoin and Emer who had been too high. A long track leg to the next control was just a bit of a grind but nothing difficult. The long leg from no.3 to no.4 was interesting - we were at no.3 with eadaoin and Emer but we took very different routes. Ours- down into the valley and path it along the edge of the reservoir then over the saddle of the hill. A bit of a rough descent into the valley but then a really nice route apart from this. During this leg the cloud lifted and the tops could be seen again. Coming up onto the saddle into the control we were greeted with a lovely inversion over Newcastle where we were going to be finishing. Got into control 4 the same time as Eadaoin and Emer, which was a surprise as the leg was 1hr45 and we both took very different routechoices. They then got ahead on the downhill to the next control and were then ahead to the finish.
Rain cleared so jacket was off, and was just left with a v wet, but warm Kathryn.
This next bit is what made me realise we really didn't need to be spending time drawing the controls on the map at the beginning, because for the rest of the course we just consulted the grid reference sheet when we were approaching the control for the control ahead - quick and easy and then just remembered where the control point we were heading for was.
Think I ate a bit better this day, but unlike yesterday, I felt strong at the end. A lovely gently downhill leg through grass and marsh I could put my head down and run, then the downhill track at the end was the road to the finish. Think Clare was struggling a bit more at this point (hip and stitch), but we hit the finish just 1 min down on Eadaoin and Emer and into 4th overall.
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Won a lovely £50 voucher and a great weekend was had.

Mourne Mountain Marathon Day 1
Partner: Clare Stansfield
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Didn't really know what to think coming into this. I've done the GMC before, however this one was different as we had to carry all our kit and just seemed generally bigger.
Quite last minute with all the packing/gathering spare kit from people/just being generally unorganised.
For this event we had to bring our own map, then were given grid references for the controls at the start, therefore when our Strat time came we spent quite a while (10 minutes) marking on our controls. Looking back I think this was quite unnecessary and just wasted time - should have marked the first couple, then started as we could have easily marked the rest as we were moving.
Anyway, confusion with the map at the beginning meant we lost time just moving out of the starting field.... (OS-style map that we're not used to). Hit no.1 and then up the river to no.2. Small lack of concentration coming up the river meant we left on a track too early causing some unnecessary terrain running through the woods to get to the open hillside. But even apart from this, looking back there was a better route choice. Saw Emer and Eadaoin (started 8 mins behind) below us on the open hillside so knew we couldn't really be making anymore mistakes. Clare took the map after this next control ("lets do a control each" *I never saw the map again all weekend*) and we set out across the hills. A couple of the controls it wasn't obvious where the exact site was as the grid reference didn't seem to match the description we were given, but not really any time lost on these.
We were both running well from here. Overtaking a lot of the many walkers on the course and generally enjoying the glorious weather that was gracing us. We took a small break at no.5 to have something to eat and gather some energy before the cliff that Clare had decided we would climb on the way to 6...
This cliff seemed good (I did agree on the route) - it was a lot shorter than the other option and got us just straight up onto the ridge and then a nice ridge run to the control, however this was really steep, and therefore took a long time and a lot of energy to climb. Saw Eadaoin and Emer behind us as we were climbing and they arrived at no.6 just behind us.... damn. I started to struggle after this. 3 hours hit roughly at no.6, then a steep downhill took it out of me. Luckily we were almost done at this stage, but it did mean Emer and Eadoain got ahead, so we finished 12 minutes down on them, in 4th (1 min from 3rd) overall.
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Luckily the expected rain held off in the evening meaning a v sociable evening was had with the other Irish orienteers.
Definitely think I packed correctly - I did have a few too many layers, however only because it was such nice weather on Saturday, if it had rained then I would have appreciated what I brought, so no objections here.

Wasn't allowed to do the session this evening so just 30 with Amber

Easy lap with Robin and Eadaoin. Not feeling overly great

IMRA Drumgoff - 3rd (Leinster Champs)
Navigation race so kinda a mixture between orienteering and hill running. Bring your own maps and we were told the controls beforehand, and mass start, also all mostly track running, but some bits of terrain.
Navigation was no problem, sometimes hard to see actually what the control sites were on the map, but found them quickly when I was there. Took good route choices the entire way and didn't feel like I was particularly tiring so much. Ate every 40 minutes, but could have done with some water.
Was kind of with two others at no.2, but then the guy ahead took a slower route to 3, and I was faster on the tracks than the guy behind so didn't really see anyone for the rest of the race.
Cloudy and bad vis on the tops

Easy jog down to the gym testing out my bag for next weekend

60mins on my lunch break with Clodagh. Aimed to do more than this, but it was just a bit of a drag for the both of us.

45 with Liam and Meabh. Followed by stretches up in the gym

UCD Athletics
WU, Drills, 3x8mins[2mins], WD
V good to be back and with such a good group of girls as usual. Keeping the session pretty stead as recommended.
Me: "I'm going to do one", Emmett: "ffs Kathryn, do 3" (the session was 4)

Recovery jog around the small campus lap with Eadaoin

SHI Relay - Whiteford Burrows - 6th
Kirstin Maxwell, Me, Bex Harding
Got told on my way out that it was really difficult so just take my time and do my own thing. Really fun race. Read the map and the contours well, thought it was easier to read the shapes and stuff than it was yesterday, and the areas of woodland and other vegetation made things pretty obvious. Only one small timeless (20s?) on the control before spectator, other than that was just a case of trying to run fast.
Roanne started just behind me and overtook me at the far end when I seemed to have a longer gaffle. Was more or less together until just after spectator when she powered round the last loop faster than me. Pretty happy anyway.
Good run by Bex on last leg meant we came in 6th (2nd Scot). Happy to see I was faster than 3 of the Scotland W21's too.

C • Good stuff! 2

SHI Individual - Broughton Burrows -5th
Didn't really know what to expect from this - on one hand I knew it was going to be pretty technical which suits me, but on the other hand I have just been feeling so unfit recently I didn't think I could compete against some of these guys.
Went a lot better than I expected anyway - didn't loose too much time until the last few controls. A couple of small mistakes before that, mostly not being confident int he control circle, but nothing major. Mistake at the end of the long leg, then one other after that.
Was kind of rough terrain, but went off at a steady pace and kept it going. Not as fast as the top guys but pleased that not much time loss meant a decent result. 5th overall, 2nd Scot.

MOR Hill Intervals
Went for a 20min jog then joined them for the last 3 hill sprints due to racing tomorrow, then jog back to the car

Culbin with Kirsty
Nice route -Section through the terrain over a hill. Feeling a bit rough but good to get it done

BASOC O-Training
Some map memory with Izzy. Good catch up