Training Log Archive: O-ing

Umuna. Relay. Very tired, and the course went up and over the ridge umpteen times. Basically just going through the motions.

Hill Park Dale. M50, 2nd by 1.45. This goes down as one of those days, the great opportunities that come by ever so infrequently that slip through an infirm grasp. There are far too many on my record [Irish O Champs 1980, 1984, Cork City Sports 85, World Cup 94, APOC 94, Easter 2000, Aus Champs 02] and very few taken. In this case it was my navigation which was totally inadequate for the task at hand. The technicality of the area was apparent straight away with massive granite boulders and cliffs in very runnable open terrain. Started tentaively and survived the tricky first couple (with the lead). Came unstuck on the easy 3rd, got on the wrong line of rock and had to go down to the fence to relocate (-4 minutes, HR drop from 150 to 130).

Resolved to finish the course cleanly after that and held it together till the control after the long leg no. 9. Paul Pacque was quicker through this section and by now was 5 minutes ahead. Must have lost concentration after the easy running because another needless 2.30 minute tripped me up here, significant given the winning margin. Careful back through the big granite and across the paddock into the easy bit. Too %$#^$%$# easy: another #$%^%$# 2 minutes on the really easy third last, looking in the wrong bit of detail completely. Absolutely deflated at this point and wondered if I'd make the top 10. A bit surprised so when my time went up on top. Wandered into the paddock below the start and happened to see Paul run across - I calculated he had at least a 10 minute lead, so resigned to my fate. Paul nearly handed it back to me with an 8 minute error on the same third last control but came in just in time. What a debacle for us both.

York, Sprint Distance M45-54. 1st by 23 seconds. Ran well. Caught Ian Dodd by no. 3 and had him close behind to the finish (he got 4th behind Darryl Smith and Ian Taylor).
1 Eoin Rothery 12.53
2 Darryl Smith 13.18
2 Ian Taylor 13.18
4 Ian Dodd 13.56
5 Mark Darvodelsky 13.59
6 Hamish Goodwin 14.15
7 Phil Walker 14.30
8 Grant McDonald 14.41
9 James Lithgow 15.02
10 Bruce Peat 15.11
11 Russell Blatchford 15.14
12 Robert Whitla 15.17
13 Nick Dent 15.26
14 Mike Turner 15.38
15 Melvyn Cox 15.4
16 Alex Davey 15.47
17 Larry Weiss 16.16
18 Andre Scott 17.11
19 Alan Horn 17.21
20 Steve Sutherland 18.22
21 John Harding 18.49
22 Bert Colombini 18.57
23 Colin Price 19.57
24 Chas Lane 21.5
25 Peter Orr 22.26
26 Cleve Armstrong 22.34
27 Peter Effeney 24.27
27 Tom Leung 24.27

easy.