Training Log Archive: ColmM

Shakeout & shopping for breakfast

trek up to the start

Shamrock Day 2 - dnf

Was uncertain of how the distance would feel. Confident I'd be well able as it wasn't that long, but conscious that I could be tired from yesterday and my R hamstring was tight, so I set off steady, with the intention of picking it up to hard in the middle all feeling fine.
This was going alright. Cruising a bit on the first 2, got them cleanly, opened up a little on #3, and paid the price with a parallel error. Slowed it down a little then for 4 and got it cleanly.
Climbed more than intended on 5, not ideal route, but got it grand anyway.
Had decided on a right-of-the-marsh route to 6, Guess I was a little worried the marsh would be very slow really, and felt the entry to the control would be nicer from the right, but was sacrificing a bit on what would be more nav and not as nice running at the start.

Anyway, set about it, and had picked up the pace a bit now to get moving through this further section, but immediately paid the price as coming down towards the edge of the marsh I went straight over my left ankle. Fun.
Heard a brief crack, and had 3-4mins of fairly serious pain and lying around cursing my luck. Bearing weight seemed an issue, but after this initial period of pain, it seemed alright to get some weight on, and I could tell pretty soon it wasn't going to be the most serious of my ankle injuries, so at least I've got that.

Made it back anyway, and waited around and watched people.
Really a shame as I felt I had just gotten into alright shape with plans for it to only get better, but trying to be optimistic this won't be too big a setback. Basically chatting a loada shite to myself in the afternoon to big up the confidence.
Also a big shame cos this is a stunning area, and missed out on a great planned course by Marcus. Map was really good too. And genuinely would like to come back here and try race it myself sometime soon, who knows if that will happen.

Anyway, my initial assessment is now (Monday eve) it is still very swollen and bruising is setting in. A bit sore to walk on but not too bad. All in all, it can bear quite a lot of weight, incl. jogging on the spot, but really dislikes certain twisting motions. If I'm diligent with rehab and strength work, I would like to think I can be back running on roads within 2 weeks.

Day 2 - Course 1 - Splits

Event: Shamrock O-Ringen
 

Shakeout. And what a morning for it. Clouds rolling over Carrauntoohil.

Shamrock Day 1 - 4th

Started off strong but steady enough to 1, it wasn't hard and moved through it cleanly and onto 2. All good.
Leaving 2 I wasn't willing to check my compass because I felt too rushed I guess, and came a bit left, it took me a while to realise on the hill before 3, even though I started off climbing, but even after realising I came down way too early at the mapped crag, and must have lost close to 1min.
I'd been running pretty hard, so I settled it down on 4 and got it fine, and set about making work of 5.
I read early on that I needed to climb an index contour, so planned to just roughly run to the stream feature halfway, and climb a bit in the process, and once at the right height it should be easy. I could have climbed a bit more probably, but I had done a bit. After crossing this stream I tried to get into the contours, but was really struggling to make any sense (the map was really very dodgy here). After a little struggling, I decided to compensate for the climbing I'd done and dropped it back it down - not sure why. On the way down, I clicked where I was, below the two big mapped crags, way too low. Climbed back up, but must have dropped again the guts of 1 minute on this.

I got 6 quite well, and amn't quite sure where I lost time, but I was possibly just slow leavining 5 after the long climb up.
Moved well through 7 & 8, despite a small (15s) hesitation on 8 as I was unsure was it to my left or right coming down. Thought I had put in a solid climb, but still got a lot of time put into me here.
Moving well through the shorter legs and was able to reel back some time on others. Leaving 12 I ended up along the edge of the steep stuff more than planned and dropping down through it, which wasn't the nicest, but didn't work out too badly. Not really reading the map enough, and coming down I started making parallel errors, and then dropped a little too low - when in reality the marsh behind should have made it very obvious (20-30s). Tried to finish strong from here, and that was relatively successful.

Overall, mixed. Feeling much fitter and stronger than last month, but still out of practice with the orienteering, and making unnecessary mistakes. Probably worth noting all the mistakes were really on the longer legs.

Day 1 - Course 1 - Splits

Lovely rest day to start the month. Traveling down for a bit of O.

home from pub, via chipper. welcome to my life kids.

commute

Nice run with Cillín, roar & josh.
Another pretty evening in the park. Looping back towards the main entrance to drop people off at their respective times.

Cycling: Commute 15:56 [0] 5.95 km (22.4 kph) +41m

Bout halfway home ended up racing some fellow punter so was quicker than usual.

decent group

Curragh - 2nd

Started steady, clean enough into 1. 2 was easy, trying to keep moving along. Clean through the first section and working well enough. No real miss until 7 when I went right which was a bit slower, and overshot the turn into the green as well (15s or so).
Tried to move well across 8 & 9, and looks like I was alright up the hill.
To 10, I toyed with the idea of doing wide right to the path and avoiding the sharp hills, but in the end I went straight and saw out the tough hill. Worked hard over the crest and felt in control of the navigation coming towards it, but drifted right towards some people at the last second, and faffed there for a little, before running back towards it and not seeing it (60-75s).
Moved on well enough from here. Was worried Ruairi would catch me, but never saw him. Ran hard & clean the to be safe.

Ducked in on a left route to 14, and right route to 15 up the path. Worked from here to the finish, but making sure to read the map enough and particularly conscious that 18 was the last real tricky control. All g though.

Pretty happy overall. Was too far behind Colm to have been up there with a clean run even. But looks like I was moving 2nd best so can’t complain.

C • 46kg 2

Long - Splits

Commute

Last minute change of plans. Always sad to miss bridge, but still got a nice run in at least. Lovely evening, maybe a bit too much sun in the eyes.
Wildly overestimated the run home from the American embassy and had to loop back to get more. Then ran into Nicola on the Luas lines. How lovely.