Training Log Archive: Dooby

Back to reality this week after the JK. Feeling a bit better today, so happy about that, but will give the track tomorrow a skip, maybe bike instead.

Did a bit of perusing over the last few years (2010-2012) JK results. My Day 1 Sprint result this year is certainly an improvement on 2012 where I was 60th and the previous two years I was 30/33. That shows that my speed has certainly increased.

Then in the other two disciplines my Middle this year was better than the last few years, as was my long distance. Consequently my overall also improved. I went from 50th overall in 2010 to 18th this year, with improvements in 2011 and 2012. So there is definitely a trend of my results getting better, but I know my shape is better.

A tentative plan for the week, depends on how I feel.

Monday - Rest (ill)
Tuesday - Rest (physio)
Wednesday - Turbo Trainer
Thursday - Running
Friday - Running
Saturday - Bike (weather dependent) or Rest
Sunday - Running (5k, County Road Champs)

Plan for the week is hoping to be in some sort of shape to race on Sunday.

Had this organised before the JK, well not long before it, but legs were feeling sore in places so time to get them sorted.

It was a tough hour, not feeling 100% going onto the table didn't help and the physio spent around 45mins on both quads, ouch. She's confident that my knee pain is as a result of tight quads, and there may some issue with the bursa as a result. Advised to ice after training. Supposedly the quads are 25 degrees away from what they should be able to stretch to, so lots of work needed to help that.

Just before going to bed I felt a slight cold coming on so took my usual precautions. A few more paracetemol overnight aswell. Had a very poor nights sleep too so that didn't help. Still there this morning. Did put on my orienteering gear in the intention of finding a run for the relay but it was cold outside as I went to the fridge (Magic's car) to get breakfast/lunch stuff. Decided it wasn't worth running if I wasn't feeling 100% as since I had no relay team I wasn't going to be letting anyone down.

Spent the morning spectating. Chest started to feel a bit funny, so not pleased about that. Will dose up again before bed and see what happens. Fingers crossed for an improvement.

Collected some gluten free baking in Killarney too on my return, nice, so got a few scones and flapjacks to work through in the coming days.

Not a very long warm up before the classic distance. Had a really good nights sleep so happy about that.

Cold Ash & Bucklebury Common
JK 2013 Long

After Craig a Barns last year I was hoping this race would go a bit better. The distance was also a scary factor, 18k is longer than i've run in any session this year. Limited long runs. So survival would be nice.

Didn't start too fast, not at 100% and not too intense either. Took a while to get into the map, lots going on between the controls early on, different vegetation and plenty drains. Lost a few seconds here and there early on. Looking back at the map it's hard to know which controls, there were so many of them. Was prepared to slow down for 14 as I felt this would be the 1st tricky control, in holy land (appropriate for Easter!). Also took 15 easy. Then into the lower loop. Took my first gel between 16 and 17. At one of these controls the back up card came out of the EMIT, I stopped to fix it, think it was 18. Really wasn't pushing hard, felt relaxed, and scarily not too interested. Body wasn't tired though.

Ended up slightly left of 19 and just after I punched it James Tullie, Nick Barrable and a couple of girls punched. Decided now was the time to up the ante and picked the the pace (considerably) to stay with the 2 lads. Scary thing was the girls seemed to be moving at the same pace.

Really had to run hard for the next few controls to stay in touch. It was fast running at this point too heading back north. Got back properly in touch at 23 as James missed the control slightly and I got it ok. Went via the drinks station on the way to 25. I'd made the decision that I was sticking with these 2 no matter what. I got a bit confused going to 28 but my line was better for the last section than the lads so saved some ground here. Missed 29, must have been close, then found the rootstock that a few people MP'd on. Then back around to get 29, I got there first. Can't remember when we caught Ben Stevens, think it was after the drinks station, he joined the train too.

Bad direction out of 32 but i'm going to blame the woman who was in my way as I tried to punch. So some time lost here. Went left following Nick to 35, no time lost to James who went straight. It was a tricky control hidden behind a big tree. Went right to 37 but lost time on it. Some controls were hard to spot, very low on the ground. This was also a control that people MP'd.

Then it was just a matter of getting to the last control and finishing. Sensible race to take the first half easy, which I ran on my own, can't have been running that slowly though if it took Nick and James that long to catch me. Overall i'm satisfied with this race, first long race of the year and it went well. It has proven my shape isn't that bad.

Ended up coming 19th on the day and getting 936 WRE points, more than for the Sprint. My overall position was 18th. Best of the Irish, Conor was next, 13mins total behind me, so a clear gap there:-) Now just need to get a nice few weeks training until IOC and it should be a good one.

Overall Results
Routegadget
WRE Results

C • Numpty 4

Day 3, Course 01 - Splits

Not a warm-day out there, that's for sure. Put a base layer on under the o-top. Arms were cold jogging to the start, lucky there was a hill to speed up the warming up process.

Hambleden
JK 2013 Middle

Again the plan was to run hard and to orienteer accurately today.

Started off with a handy enough number 1, slightly left of it though. Then was a bit unsure to 2, hit it alright though. 3 was easy using the distinct green as an AP. Then downhill before the first big climb to 4, had passed my 2min man at this stage. Did my best on the hill, then a couple of short legs to 5 and 6, slightly left of the pit for 6. Then downhill to 7. Nearly got caught by 7, thought i'd have to climb more but realised where I was based on the green bushes. As I punched 7 so did Hellsac who'd started a good few minutes in front of me.

He lead the way to 8, uphill, which he ran hard, so I stayed with him. 9 was a short leg, before turning downhill again towards 10. Hellsac in the lead at this point. I got 10 ahead of him and stayed in front for the remaining controls. 12 was ok, control was buried, but didn't really understand the vegetation until I hit the white 12 was in. Lost a few seconds on 16, stopped short, higher than the control, should have spotted it. Route to 17 was poor. Then bad direction to 18 lost me at least 30 seconds, knew i'd gone wrong early in the leg but didn't correct myself enough.

Then the last climb to 19 before downhill to 20 and the run in.

Allan beat me by 15 seconds so not impressed by that, if i'd got 16-18 anyway better i'd have been in front of him. Happy to be unhappy complaining about seconds rather than minutes. Was a straightforward course though.

Results
Routegadget

A downhill lap of the assembly field with Boyzone, Hellsac and Gerard going over our splits from the race. Body was feeling tired and knees were sore. Bought some tablets later to help with the pain!

Day 2, Course 01 - Splits

Event: JK 2013
 

Warm up for the JK 2013 Sprint. No garmin today since it's a WRE and no point wearing it just for warming up/down. Jogged over to the warm up map, ran around it a couple of time, then ran back and changed my shoes. A bit more jogging to the toilets and back, then legged it up to enquiries to get a few backup cards for the emit, and then the pre-start was pretty much next to where I was leaving my bags, handy. Legs felt alright warming up so that's always a good start.

Whiteknights
JK 2013 Sprint

Plan for this race was to run hard.

Bit hesitant to number 1 and finding a route to 2. More hesitation to 4 and to 5 and 6. Next few controls through the spectator and onto 11 all ok. Small bit of hesitation leaving 11 for 12, going under the underpass that was illustrated in the bulletin. Then lost some time in the circle figuring out where the control was. On Routegadget I put left as my route to 14 but i'm not 100% sure on that! Bit more hesitation on route to 15. And the rest was fine.

Not sure if my routes were optimum, definitely not on a few of them, but many options were either left or right. My plan of running hard was achieved and didn't make any major mistakes.

Best of the Irish today so very pleased with that. Got a few WRE points (904) aswell, and to come 17th in a big Sprint is something unusual for me, the way things are going and the way i'm thinking maybe it won't be so unusual in the future. Bit of an improvement from 60th last year!!!

Results
Routegadget
WRE Points

Warm down with Boyzone, Hellsac, and Roar after the sprint race. Ran over to the model map and back again.

Day 1, Course 01 - Splits

Right knee a small bit sore today, think i'll text the physio for an appointment next week.

Travelling to England for the JK this evening, cold over there, same as here.

I'm definitely doing 3 races, relay is a maybe as i've currently no team, but will probably look for one once there. Sprint tomorrow is a WRE and based on my intentions this year I won't be holding back. And since it's a Middle distance on Saturday I plan on attacking that. Even though Sunday is also a WRE I think that my lack of long runs will probably count against me but we'll see how things go. Will approach it as more of a race to finish without blowing up like last year. Just had a look at the course distance for Sunday and it has re-inforced my intention to just survive, 17.9km and 38 controls, the positive thing is there's only 410 climb, 100m more than for the middle distance!

Went looking at some maps this morning regarding where I went running last night. The wood is called "Pouldnaderka Wood". So 'Poll' is the Irish word for a hole, but not sure what 'na derka' means. Based on Irish names it's probably 'Hole of the ???'. The hole/depression is also on the historical maps, but only 1 is shown, and the mapped symbol is around 30m across.

3 laps of the outside plus 1 inside before intervals tonight. Chilly out. John Barrett back today and Rob & family there as usual. Had to do a bit of catching up on the 1st lap due to being last out of the changing rooms.

400s

The lads were doing 8 of them but my plan was to only do half of whatever session they were doing, just to keep the body in check. So that meant only 4 for me:-)

73
72
74
72

With 200m/c1min recovery between each one. Ran on Johns shoulder for the 1st one, leaving him behind with around 75 to go. On the 2nd I went from the 200 mark. The 3rd 400 was alright and on the last one I lead from the start.

Bit of a breeze on the home straight so that meant the 2 finishing here felt a bit harder and the other 2 had a tailwind to finish. Legs felt ok moving at speed so happy with how they are feeling overall, could do without the pains in my knees though.

Same warm-down as warm-up but starting with the lap of the inside! On my own. Right knee is a bit sore still but once warmed up it's ignorable.