Training Log Archive: Dooby

Not the best nights sleep, 3 dogs to mind and share a room/bed with! Short warm-up, didn't feel like anything longer.

Upper Torc - Muckross
Munster League

Competitor Name: Darren Burke
Course Name: Brown

1. (2:19, -0:30) (2:19, -0:30) Knew where I was going, just needed to get the attackpoint right and left the track at the right spot.

2. (1:19, -0:01) (3:38, -0:43) Followed the drain down and then but right.

3. (0:33, +0:08) (4:11, -0:40) Across the road and hit the earthbank, went right a bit before dropping down, to find the control back to my left. Explains the time lost.

4. (1:41, -0:09) (5:52, -0:55) Out to the road and run. Didn't think i'd be faster than some of the young fellas on a leg like this.

5. (4:21, +0:25) (10:13, -0:32) So only 25 seconds back, that was unexpected. In hindsight I chose a very long route but time loss not massive. Did plan the rest of the course on the way too. Went way left mostly stickig to the roads, felt the control would be easier to attack from above rather than below.

6. (3:33, -0:07) (13:46, -0:39) Up the hill, tough. Struggled to climb the bank and to keep moving uphill.

7. (1:52, -0:07) (15:38, -1:05) Up to the wall, then dropped down. Phyiscal area.

8. (1:51, -0:27) (17:29, -1:32) More downhill, and physical too. Saw Mike come out of the 1st reentrant so knew to keep going.

9. (2:41, -0:46) (20:10, -2:19) Good gap on this split too, stayed high and contoured out through the open area. Then straight to the control. Could see the hill where the cairn was from a nice distance away.

10. (1:44, -0:17) (21:54, -2:37) There was no water in this depression any time I visited it last year for the IVs. Dropped to the track and cut down from the junction.

11. (2:52, -0:04) (24:46, -2:48) Not a great leg, started ok, and felt like I was moving nicely on the track. But got scappy in the forest cutting in, fallen tree, then ended up to the left of the control.

12. (3:31, +0:16) (28:17, -2:42) Only lost 16 seconds, should have been more. Knew the green was there but still ended up faffing about trying to get through. Would have been better going straight up from the junction rather than trying to cut across.

13. (3:46, +0:46) (32:03, -2:42) Still less than 1 minute lost here to the fastest split, again a very poor leg from my point of view. Stayed low below the big boulder and got put off seeing fallen trees. Thought I might be able to get through the green down low but got stuck. Dropped to the track and then back in. Should have gone high.

14. (3:40, -0:11) (35:43, -3:17) Just another uphill leg, struggle a bit on the steeper sections.

15. (1:01, +0:09) (36:44, -3:17) Must be running speed where I lost time here. Wasn't where I expected the control to be, map is useless here, but control not in the right spot, too far southwest.

16. (2:21, +0:04) (39:05, -3:29) Running speed here again, don't like this bit, not the nicest of running. Passed Paul and Kyle on the way to 16.

17. (2:34, -0:14) (41:39, -3:43) Seeing the affects of getting from 16 to the road on my legs as a result of all the furze. Ran through the forest, not on a bearing, was expecting the veg change to be more obvious, but saw the control.

18. (3:03, -0:40) (44:42, -4:47) Stayed in the forest parallel to the veg change. Followed a few small deer paths. Then out onto the road before heading towards 18. Saw Eoin coming against me so knew to keep going. Was on track though.

19. (2:33, -0:11) (47:15, -4:58) Leaving 18 I went for the track that I mapped last year but KerryO used an older version of the map. Just went down to the road with Eoin in front, something to focus on for the running to come. 19 was a control site that i'd planned to use last year, can't remember if it made the final cut, but I did tag it for the event.

20. (3:11, -0:10) (50:26, -5:08) Just out to the road again and focused on chasing down Eoin. Caught him just at the control. Cut in from the gate.

21. (1:33, +0:04) (51:59, -5:04) Another uphill leg, but ended up slightly left.

22. (2:23, -0:03) (54:22, -5:21) Cut down to the track, met it at the junction. Eoin left the track and went more direct, but I stayed on the track for longer. My option didn't work out faster, thought i'd have gained some time.

23. (2:23, -0:04) (56:45, -5:33) More uphill, passed Eoin on the way up the road before cutting in.

24. (0:33, -0:05) (57:18, -5:49) Contouring leg, nice running.

25. (2:00, -0:04) (59:18, -6:09) Knew where I was going, more or less. I'd done some updates in this area for last year, the walls, but didn't affect the control location. Was visible.

26. (3:34, -0:12) (62:52, -6:21) Dropped to the low track via the re-entrant. Then cut back in after the junction. Climbed up, thought the cairns would have been lower, should have known them better than that.

27. (1:10, +0:56) (64:02, -5:25) CWTF How do I run 1.10 for the leg and be 56 seconds slower to the finish. I suspect the 2 finish boxes weren't synched!!!

Won by 5 ( should be 6) from joshosh. Some complacency on 5, 12 and 13. Could have done them better and should have lost more time than I did. Good turnout.

Results
Splitsbrowser

Knee very sore after I finished, right one, but still went for a short slow jog.

Knockreer and Killarney Golf Club

Plan was to go for an easy run with Niamh but her arrival time in Killarney was a bit later than I expected it to be, so headed off for a run myself. Lucky the nighto was cancelled as the head torch wasn't working when I tried to turn it on. Left small torch behind in the house, so had no light.

Started off up the hill, onto a small trail, then headed west along a trail I hadn't run on before, ended up in the golf course, and eventually turned around, getting darker as time went by.

Met a few people out walking.

Some extra water hazards on the golf course, a place i'd never been before.

Got back into more familiar territory, then turned right for extra distance but water on the road, completely covered before the bridge so turned around then and back towards the cathedral. Then did a loop around beech road and then back new street for some extra distance.

Legs felt ok, stretched them a bit during the day, which was a busy one watching winter olympics.

Avg Cadence = 88rpm

Since GOT is done with, needed something new. Got Ripper Street on DVD but wasn't sure how long the episodes were and wasn't bothered opening it. So had a look at the box and went for Shameless, S01 E01.

Felt ok on the bike, legs not too bad, and felt like they were spinning alright. That's reflected in the cadence, not too bad, but could be better.

Right knee was sore in the car this afternoon. Really need to stretch it out a lot more. Suppose i've time this evening and tomorrow.

No nighto will help as I won't be racing hard tomorrow. Does mean i've to come up with alternative training. Might go to Tomies or do something in town.

Muckross

Not quite what i'd planned but at least it was training. Parked and got changed in Ross Island, not in the parking spot i'd envisaged as road blocked by barriers due to uisce. Started running to find that the main car pakr was under at least 1 foot of water. Also water over towards ross castle. No sign of any of the paths so decided that Ross Island was a non-runner for checking control sites.

So hopped into the car and out to Muckross, 1st car park. Weather was generally good apart from one short cold shower. Cold headwind out towards Torc too.

There are a serious number of trees down in the National Park. Road by the bridge was blocked by a couple and so was the path by the lake. Got around them and followed the road through the rolly bit, road closed sign by the abby but ignored it. Went over 1 fallen tree and under another. Near the end of this section I met a couple pushing a buggy and warned them of the tree, came to the conclusion they could lift it over! Saw them again later by Muckross National School so they must have got through.

Body wasn't feeling good this evening. Knees on both legs were sore, foot also a small bit sore, lungs didn't like it, and a general lack of motivation. Not idea so for a run. Spent a bit of time considering when i'd get physio, soon I think.

The lake had flooded the track after Dundag, just at the open so had to do a short turn back to see if the parallel small path was also flooded. It wasn't so got through towards Torc.

After the run I drove up towards Upper Torc car-park to check for Rory if it was accessible. Drove under a fallen tree just before the water reservoir but just after it there was a tree down blocking the road. Spoke to Rory after and he had the same idea for Sunday, if the road is blocked there's an alternative parking venue, at the bottom of the waterfall!!!

Unscheduled rest day!

Headed to cork this morning, another day out. Weather was pretty crazy but got better the further away I got from Kerry.

Seminar ended and headed towards the regional park but car-park was locked. My plans to get dinner at home were already cancelled as no electricity there since 1230. Even if I'd got into the regional park I imagine most of it was flooded.

Hit the road back to Killarney with the intention of getting on the turbo trainer but no electricity in Muckross either. At this stage I was feeling pretty tired anyways so just gave up on training. Had to go into Mary's to cook my dinner too.

Plan for tomorrow is a run around Ross island, need to check if area is usable for junior training on Monday.

At a GIS Workshop on QGIS in Maynooth for the day so no training. Could be fun later driving home if it's still snowing. Can see some pitches from the window where I think there are some girls playing soccer, doesn't look pleasant as I could see the pitch earlier but as clearly now with the snow!

Feeling a small bit tired today but not that bad. Hamstrings felt like cramping again last night, left one in particular when I was stretching before bed.

Thought my colleague would be driving us to Maynooth but looks like i'm driving now!

Not enough time last night or enough motivation to write up the weekend so looks like it'll have to wait until the end of the week unless I get a chance today. Was a great weekend of training.

Monday - Rest (driving to Maynooth)
Tuesday - Rest (course all day in Maynooth)
Wednesday - Running
Thursday - Running/Turbo
Friday - Running/Turbo
Saturday - Orienteering (night o)
Sunday - Orienteering