Training Log Archive: Dooby

Event: Shamrock O-Ringen 2011
 

Long walk from the car-park uphill to the start. Got there with time to spare but didn't do any thing when I got there, just prepared myself mentally for the climb to the 1st control!

Saying this is trail running but 1st part was road and then second part was track, then mountain.

Shamrock O-Ringen, Day 1
Seefin

Had an idea where 1st control was based on where i'd seen people heading off and from map in -2 box. Went left to 2 but missed the control near the end. Wasn't sure where I was when I hit the re-entrant before it so missing the control wasn't a surprise. Could have lost more there I reckon but came back and saw it above me as someone else punched it. Caught my 4min man here so he must have had more problems. 3 was easy and then followed a track through the grass towards 4 but ended up low so a tough uphill to the control. 5 was a nice downhill leg and hill was easy to spot with the boulder.

6 and 7 were fine, used sheeps head way marker as an AP for 7. Then back across the hill to 8. Ended up high and saw a control below me, took the decision to go down since it was going to be one of my controls since i'd a few on this slope and it was 8. 9 and 10 were fine but found it tough uphill to 11. Next couple of controls were straight forward too. Back across the slope to 15 and saw 9 and 8 above me so used them as APs. Then downhill to 16 before heading back to 17 which I overshot slightly to the left. Then 18 was close before the run-in.

Wasn't too happy when I finished as I reckoned i'd lost too much time making mistakes. But it turns out that my time was the fastest (by 7 seconds from a Belgian visitor). Marcus was around 5mins faster than me but was N/C due to him making the map.

Routegadget:
http://orienteering.ie/gadget/cgi-bin/reitti.cgi?a...

Walk down the road from the download to the car-park. Feet were starting to hurt near the end. Shoes are not meant for the road.

Day 1 M21E - Splits

Bartregaum looked stunning this morning driving to work, framed with blue skies behind it and a small tiny cloud just near the top. It was screaming out to be visited (run up) but sadly my car was taking me to work, and i've got to rest today before the Shamrock. I suppose I don't have to rest but it's probably a good idea.

Tralee-Castleisland-Farranfore-Castlemaine-Tralee
Avg Cadence = 79rpm

Lovely evening to be out doing something, warm and sunny:-) At least talk of the weather this evening was positive.

Pace was handy until we got to Castlemaine, cruising at a nice speed. So felt fine doing that, taking my turn on the front. Group of about 9 so that helped push things along.

Through Castlemaine 2 lads went off the front, got about 200m on the rest of us but no one was prepared to do anything. Myself and John were on the front as we hit the straight stretch before the climb and John suggested that I string the chase out in order to catche the escapees. So hammer went down and I headed off in pursuit, on my own, bastards let me off. Or else I pushed too fast too soon. So I ended up catching the 2 lads solo.

Then the climb started and after maybe 1 turn on the front, took a breather to catch my breath first Sean dropped off, leaving myself and Donnacha on our own maybe 200m ahead of the rest. We covered around 1.5km and then I saw the 4km to the summit marker on the road. That killed my enthusiasm so let Donnacha on his own and I eased up. Covered another km before the lads chasing (3) caught me but Sean wasn't with them. I joined up with this group and Donnacha was coming back at this stage. Was much easier with the group than as 2. I did the 1km-500m stretch on the front but no one seemed too eager to take the last 500m.

Over the top and onto the descent where the pace upped nicely, you have to make use of gravity. I want to push the descents as it's something I need to improve on, sick of lads sailing past doing downhill. Pace was still high when we hit the low straight.

Donnacha (there are 2) sprinted for the line just passed the Tralee town sign and I gave chase but other 2 lads didn't, so 2nd! Need to get more race aware.

Tralee-Camp-Tralee
Avg Cadence = 77rpm

Only decided on this spin just before I left work, was promised a bacon & cabbage dinner in Killarney so couldn't cycle all night with that waiting for me, so this I knew would take just over the hour.

Nice evening, sun out, but there was a bit of a headwind all the way to Camp, strong at times. But I pushed on in the knowledge that it was going to take me home at a nice clip.

The hill up from the low to high roads in Camp was short and sweet, attacked the first part nicely and then around half way up it started to hurt, but wasn't under too much pressure.

I enjoyed the spin back to Tralee then with the wind behind me although the hill at Curraheen (Keanes) did hurt more than I thought it would, other hills were fine. In reality all these hills are short drags apart from the Camp one!


I'm a bit annoyed with the new cycle lanes on the Ardfert Road. I only realised yesterday that there is a yield triangle painted in the lane at all the junctions off the road. Why would cyclists have to yield to cars entering the main road, they surely have right of way??? Will talk to the Town Manager about this, he happens to be my big boss too.

Came across a flyer for the Rás na Ríochta at lunchtime, it's on July 16th. I've never done something like this before but want to.
http://www.adventureracingkerry.com/rnr/the_course...
Now how do I practice mountainbiking when I don't have one, might take a trip to Ballyhouras next week some evening.

http://www.adventureracingkerry.com/rnr/the_course...
It's 47km in lenght, 23 on MTB, 17 on mountain, 3.5 in a canoe and 0.5 run to finish.

Very tempted...

Also might consider www.sea2summit.ie in November too.

Glanageenty
2 laps, first clockwise and second anti-clockwise

Felt relaxed enough starting off, though i'd be more tired, especially my left quad but it behaved itself for most of it. Was pleased with how I managed the hill after the river on the first lap, got pace back faster on the flat bit above it. Did feel the quad then on the long descent so I think I could have pushed harder here if I wanted. Back down through the forest to the car and it was slippy in places there.

Turned at the car and headed back up the way i'd just descended. Never done it from this direction before so that gave everything a different perspecitve. The hill in the open would make for good hill reps, an idea for another day. On the way back off the open I went over on my left ankle so that slowed the next bit of the descent down to the river considerably. Once back on the flatter stuff the ankle felt a bit better so kept going.

On the second descent along the river I met a runner coming against me, recognised him, James Doran, lad who won the race in February. So head decided that it needed to beat this guy back to the car, but that thought didn't last long. The second hill up from the river across the road wasn't so bad. But the bit in the forest was a bit tougher, nice gap between them though. Got back down the hill and onto the path back by the river. Was looking at my watch a lot, wanted to get the 2 laps close time wise. Hit the open area with a couple of minutes left and I ran hard up the hill here and then eased off for the last bit downhill.

Lap 1 - 32.17
Lap 2 - 32.42

So would have probably gone faster on 2nd lap without the ankle issue. Avg HR was higher on second lap though.

Quads are a bit tired this morning! But only myself to blame for that, was a nice run yesterday though.

So it'll be the bike this evening and Thursday (may or may not play ball that night with the speed merchants). Leaves me tomorrow and Wednesday to come up with a plan for. Maybe Glanageenty tomorrow I think (2 laps) and then more bike on Wednesday. That'd give the legs 2 days off the ground before Shamrock on Saturday.

Left my Gamin at work, smart!

So didn't go outside on the bike since i'd have had no speed to go by or distance, so onto the turbo and used my normal watch. Finished watching Nacho Libre. Quads still tired.

Also the cut on the back of my left hamstring is still there after Lake District. Knew there was one there but only bothered looking today. How I managed to cut it I don't know, a branch maybe.

Torc (same run as a couple of weeks ago)

Ran quicker today but started at the bottom of the hill rather than Torc waterfall as car-park there was full, so it meant no warm-up before the climb began.

Thought legs felt a bit tired on the first hill and on the flat area between it and the old kenmare road open section. Chest also felt a bit off, was puffing on the old kenmare road. Then ahead of me before the path off up Torc I noticed a ton of people on the path. Narrow and with a boardwalk at times it was going to be fun getting passed these large groups. Took the first group inside a corner plowing through marshy bit next to boardwalk and dove passed a few more when I got the chance. Because of the people I tried a bit harder so HR was up. Then another group had to be passed and after that i'd pretty much clear road to the top.

I've now determined where the hardest part of the climb is, there's a steep section, and I reckon i've it sussed for future runs, so that i'm prepared for it, rather than hit it and stop.

Got to the top and tried to stretch left quad but same as last time, the hamstring felt a bit crampish, so not sure what the issue there is.

On the descent I felt that I hammered it, tore down keeping the HR up. First group that I passed got lucky for, they'd pulled into a platform for viewing and also got lucky for the 2nd big group, they were at a lower platform. Got a big scream out of a woman there though as I flew passed:-) There were more stragglers beyond them but I got passed cleanly.

Back onto the old kenmare road and I relaxed a bit. After turning off it and into the new loop in the route the hill hurt more than last time, and left quad was a bit tight, but didn't cause trouble. Descended on the road through the open forest faster too.

Had the extra bit at the end, from the bottom of the waterfall back to the car which had a slight drag, which I felt. Happy with the run considering yesterday and not much sleep last night.