Training Log Archive: Magic

Event: League 7
 

IOC Middle, Camaderry, M21E, 5.3km, 200m, 16 controls. Really excited about this as the mist came right down shortly after we arrived at the area (right on top of the Wicklow Mountains) reducing visibility to a maximum of 50m. Started conservatively ensuring that I hit the first two safely, then things went wrong. A brief gap in the mist and I thought I spotted my next control site across the valley, off I set, got half way and realised that the distance wasn't right, but had committed myself by that stage. Wasn't surprised to find myself some 300m from my control when I did make it to the wrong boulder. Idiot boy.

After that I decided to be steady and clean, hope for a decent position but conserve energy for tomorrow. This worked well for the next leg but dropped another minute of so at #5 (a boulder amongst many, many other boulders). That was as good as things got though...

After #6 we crossed the valley and headed into the peat hags. These looked clear enough on the map (well they would have been had the printing been good enough to real them) but in reality there were many more (admittedly smaller) ones on the ground. Spend many a minute running around in circles (with Allan Bogle for most of it) trying to work out what was what and where I was.

And that still wasn't the worst of it! Things got a lot worse a few controls later and drastic bailing out to the top of the mountain was the only option. Despite the mist (visibility for most of the course was 100m or so) it wasn't the deciding factor, not being able to interpret the map was. Even being careful with the compass and trying to mark off features didn't yield any results towards the end of the course.

So an unpredictable day, I didn't have any luck but I obviously didn't make any for myself either. David ran a very clean race to take a surprise victory in 42 minutes, whereas I finished all the way down in 15th with the kind of mpks that I haven't done since 1985!

The random results have also completely messed up the Attackpoint rankings! I think a 1:7500 map would have helped, the mist didn't make all that much difference (to me at least) but adjusting the the terrain and the mapping style is what was really needed (peat hags generally had to be about 1.5m to be mapped). Fun, but not in the way I was hoping.

C • ??? 4

Middle 1 - Splits

Event: Irish Orienteering Championships (4 days)
 

IOC Sprint, Maynooth campus, M21, 2.1km, 22 controls. No intention of putting too much effort into this and nor did I, enjoyed it though and ran at a nice steady pace so that I could keep on top of everything. Although having said that I did fail to realise that two controls were on the opposite side of an uncrossable feature, however the area was straight forward technically so it only resulted in a few seconds of time lose on each occasion.

The course made as much of the limited options that were available and the map was beautifully drawn. Enjoyable, and at the price I was happy to run around for a warm up. Finished 11th, 1.42 down on ColmM (who stole a victory off Dooby on the run-in!). Possibly the shorest (non training) course that I have done sine 1985!

Sprint 1 - Splits

A bit stiffer than would be ideal after yesterday, but it was so worth it. Now to rest for the weekend.

Training run around Caerphilly Woods, running the event that Clare planned a few weeks ago that I wasn't able to make. Thoroughly enjoyed myself on a very pleasant evening. GD44 challenged me to go straight so I did, and found some really nice bits of woods (and some not quite so nice, but still passable). Some quality bits of woodland and loads of mining features, map was very much a work in progress but great to be able to run on it.
Map

C • Challenge 1

Hoping to do a fell race but got stuck late at work. Need to do some running!

IW. Quite possibly the most champion that I have ever felt at quarter to eight in the morning.

Event: Black Mountains MBO
 

Just about right again, will be back hoping for some self propelled momentum tomorrow.