Training Log Archive: ColmM

No real reason for this rest day, but why not.

Event: Irish Orienteering Student Championships, Clarabeg
 

Intervarsity Men's A - 3rd.
Was pretty psyched coming into this race, the intervarsity race (from my 1 year of experience), is always hyped up.
Pretty major issue with Coillte and parking meant I was too busy to actually make my start time, and when it calmed down I probably did just waste another 20mins because conditions were bad and I wasn't too up for it.
But eventually got to the start.
We'd heard DUO's times, and Laurence's time, so we knew pretty well where we stood and what was needed. Having Kev a good bit back, and James counting as their 3rd runner on 79mins, we knew we had a good chance, well much better than we'd been expecting. I'd also heard Eoin and had Conor had had kick-ass runs so I was really gonna have to kill it for us to be in with a shot.

I started well enough. Not sure about my route to 3, I went straight through the green, and battled up the hill. A bit behind the others on the leg, but still very much there in the race. I kept on the left-hand track to 4, but cut in very early, a little mis-guided by the fence shape, but silly regardless. I was really not sure how I was going to hit this too, but could see a woman below and guessed she might have hit it already, so headed that way with my head up. There it was, thank jaysus.
Hit the track to 5 and made sure to run strong enough, no point losing time on tracks. Smooth through 6 and fairly nailed it. I was leading at this point. Worked hard up the hill to 7, running almost all, but a couple of brief patches of walking. Eoin took time out of me on this leg, and I would guess it was on the uphills. Still in the lead, but myself Eoin and Conor were all in the mix.
I could see CillinC now, and hoped he'd lead me in nicely to 8. Looked a bit off our line, but we weren't dropping much, so I stayed a bit right, but kept looking out. We'd definitely overshot though and I couldn't see anything. Hit the gully, back up, still nothing, and see Cillin getting it eventually, we'd come below and I'd climbed up past it (1:30mins). Worked pretty hard to 9, I needed to gain that time back fast. And a bit distracted by other boulders to 10, but climb up well enough.
Countour around to 11, no doubt for me about this route. Running pretty hard, but really unsure coming into it. I hadn't seen anything to lead me in, keep searching and just spot it down to my left, 20s lost. Quick tie of my undone lace, still feeling hopeful I can pull out a strng finish and who knows, but I was a bit down at this stage. Run hard on the compass to 12, but the mist is low, and it's hard to guage exact position. As I start to go down I relocate, cross the first path and I'm in control. Cross the re-entrant beside it, down a little, but I'm not seeing anything. Down a bit furhter I think I spot an indisitinct trail, it's all very vague here, the trail and the contours. But suddenly I'm way too low, there's no excuse for that. Climb back up, and find it, with Cillin coming from the side also missing it, but I know I've just thrown the race, and with it the team hopes. Heavy on the shoulders that. Get back up and find it, but it was a big miss, at least 3:30mins. On to 13 I'm still running alright, lacking a little heart, but continuing on. Again I find it vague, but just a little low, and back up, 30s here. Down to 14, trying to follow compass well after the last two, but again myself and Corbett end up wide of it, and too high. The gorse confused me a bit, but down and back is defintely better. We get it alright, 45s lost again though.
The race really has gone to shit. I knew it was clearly over. I cruised through the last few controls, no real problems, but not particularly quick for 15, 16 (small issue, little low) or run-in. Was surprised that my splits were actually pretty reasonable here, in fact pretty good.

A good set of results, all pretty solid, and clearly most consistent, but my result essentially lost us the team Gold. I needed to come back in 1st for us to win, and going out knowing that the others had good times and I had to take it I guess wasn't the easiest, but that's what pressure's all about.
I'm strong at the moment, and my orienteering is actually quite good, but I've been weaker lately than usual in the vague areas, which Ireland can be dominated by. Abroad with more detail, it's hard to read and easy to make mistakes, but easy to know exactly where you are, and that suits me better.

collecting controls

Brown - Splits

Trinity Sprint.
Ran hard. Pretty clean, maybe still not feeling totally fresh, but not bad.
Small miss on number 5, I couldn't choose a route to 6 and missed my turn - 10secs. Maybe also a sub-ideal route to 1, 5secs. Also number 3 I made a brief wrong decision, couldn't read the detail, 5secs.
I definitely don't have good speed at the moment, but Josh was still too quick regardless, and ran easily away from us.
Not the hardest course, but possibly because I know the place by now it's hard to make it hard. Always little technical details in Trinity though.

MCO Long WRE
MCO Middle WRE

Hill tempo.
Legs pretty decent.

Recovery.
Very easy team run with CillinC and lorrieq. Legs a little lacklustre but no worries.
Finished off with 7 * 100m strides.
HR monitor, as usual, started crazy, then settled. It's always the same.

maps to come.

Jog into UCD

Intervals.
10 * 200m, 1 * 5min - UCDAC.
There was supposed to be an extra 5min before the 200s, but I was a little late so I spent the time stretching instead.
Kind of suited me. I liked this session the way it was.
Running around 3rd - 5th on the 200s. Evens were with the wind, and odds against.
Times: 34, 30, 34, 31, 33, 32, 33, 31, 34, 30.
After the 200s we were told to take the 5min steady, so I let Cian and Richie leave and cruised around a good bit ahead of next. Felt pretty nice.
5min - 1.43km (3:31/km)

Short warm down in UCD and then home. Was chatting to a french ultra-runner who has joined UCDAC, young guy and he's a big mountain-running fan, and has enjoyed orienteering in the past. Benjamin. Nice guy.