Running (off-road) warm up/down 25:50 3.52 km (7:20 / km) +3m7:18 / km ahr:130 max:166 shoes: VJ Bold 8
Watched the mass start and saw Shea royally screwing up the first control. Immediately knew I had to get out of there to not get the big nerves so started my warm up a bit early but got it out of my head. Limbered up nicely and wasn't feeling too tired from the long. Towards the end then I stayed near the spectator and watched the teams come through silently praying everyone else had made a mistake somewhere to let Shea back but no luck. Then into the pen.
Orienteering race 32:49*** 5.57 km (5:53 / km) +81m5:29 / km ahr:163 max:172 spiked:15/15c shoes: VJ Bold 8
IOC relay
Shea came back just behind Josh. Colm H had come back a small bit ahead so I had a few targets. Started fairly hard wanting to catch Zac. We had the same gaffle to 1 but I got it slightly nicer and got ahead already. Could see Hugh ahead then heading to 2 and focused on hunting him down. He hesitated before the control and I saw Regina leaving the re-entrant I knew it would be in. Punched and continued hard down the path. Zac had a different gaffle and got lead astray by Hugh so was gone but I didn't look back.
Passed Gina and used the depression lines to try to reduce climb. Heavy enough climb up to 3 and I knew I was going to be paying on that last loop. Was very slightly high but no problem. Still slow up to 4 but got it well.
At the high point, surveyed what I could see in front of me. No one behind, Elsa from the mixed Swedish team just in front and in the distance a possible CorkO top? Took a slightly left route for 5 and the tree on the hill made it easy.
Was suffering with the lactic here and had a tough time running away from Elsa but opened the gap slowly. 6 was grand, use the big depression and then over to 7. Got a little distracted by Gina who was in the middle of a mistake and climbed a but more than necessary out of 6 but that meant I saw Bill E coming out of 7 on his route choice, though I was still a good bit behind. Little unsure of my lne but ran it confidently and I was fine.
Took the same route as Bill but was struggling now. Caught and passed Victoria S who was also on an open premier team and spike on 8.
Spectator control was high up and I could see Bill as I was running towards it. Body was in a bad place though and I struggled to get much out of it. Last loop was a real suffer fest and I lost a few seconds on 13 going around the back as my brain just wasn't up for reading the map.
Tried to get some leg turnover down the hill and the run-in but not much forthcoming. Up from to 7th to 3rd but still quite a gap to 1 & 2.
Kev had a stormer of a run to close the gap to CorkO and UCD but he had too much to do so we finished 3rd. Great to be in a solid competitive relay with <2 mins from 1st to 3rd. Would be nice to be at the other end of the podium though!
Running (off-road) warm up/down 5:54 0.6 km (9:51 / km) ahr:99 max:114 shoes: VJ Bold 8
Kind of cooling down but mostly spectating and chatting.