Training Log Archive: Boyzone

Slieve Donard Fell Race - Decided in the morning that we would head over to Newcastle, Co. Down for it, weather was sunny with showers as we left home. Race started from the Town Centre down the main street (police stopped the traffic) then we veered into a small park at the foothills of the mournes and then it was each for their own up the mountain, I stuck with the popular route choice (straight line), which went up (and more scarily, down) the black stairs - this is a large crag with a few foot holds, just enough to clamber up and stumble down. Felt like I didn't get my heart rate going at all on way up (must find heart rate monitor), limited by my legs as would be expected, the weather didn't disappoint with strong cross winds blowing constantly and we were treated to a horizontal snow shower, one half of all our faces were completely numb on the way up with it balanced out on the other side after the turn around at the cairn and on the way home. The ground was very slippy and I fell twice and twisted ankle also, main reason for slips mainly due to my legs feeling like bricks from ascent (not used to this severe a fell race). Still happy with my descent as I cruised past a few who appeared to not know how to run downhill (when results are posted they give ascent and descent time). Could hardly jog after finishing, a very different tiredness to last weekends classic race. Due to conditions times were slow with only two beating an hour (AllanB 2nd), not sure where I placed but Kieran called me out as 17th near summit, so I probably ended up 13th/14th ish

Results now up finished 13th, 19th to summit in 47.08, 2nd fastest descent in 18.06. Ian Bailey (Newcastle ac) who won had fastest split for ascent and descent!! http://www.newcastleac.org/

C • Downhill 14

Irish Relay Champs, Oughterard, Galway - A great race with five or six teams going at the same speed on leg 1. Each of us taking a stint at the front. I mispunched at the last gaffled control (number 16) where I didn't read my descriptions due to the all out racing that was going on and I wanted to set Cillin off in the pack. Number 16 appears on the map to be an easy control and I'm still unsure how I managed to mispunch as I was convinced I contoured around with boulder to my left, alas I didn't and so fecked up our chances of having a shot. Thinking back, I think this may be the only time I have mispunched in twenty two years of orienteering!