Training Log Archive: roar

Some running up and down before the start. Trying not to be intimidated by the horrendous start chute.

Woke up with a sore throat this morning. Possibly related to having the window wide open all night right beside me as there were 4 of us in a hot room, though it sounds like I had a better time than the people far away from the window.

WOC Long test - Men 1 - 3rd Irish

This started hella steep for the first 4 controls and I was not there for it. Walking before the start kite... Definitely questioned my desire to do WOC Long at some times in that section. Everyone was in the same boat though and eventually I got to the long leg for 5. I hadn't read ahead at all and stopped near the control before talking the highish route. I wasn't moving quick on this path though at all, felt closer to Sunday long run pace and didn't have much oomph in the legs. It kind of slowly came back though, and by the big slog up to 5 I had a gel and had some legs when I got to the open. Saw Colm at this point who looked like he was flying in the downhill open, but the gap felt pretty close actually. Also saw Cillin heading the opposite direction with a similar gap. Had a little slip on 6, 30s but was good through this quite weird loop before another climb to 10. I didn't do anything wrong here, but slowest split on the course for this leg :(

Went for the steep downhill on 12, which probably wasn't the best. Felt like I noticed the shoes a bit on this leg with the agressive descent and the path may have been better. I found 13 a right struggle then through the very rocky bits but came alive after that. Joey Hadorn came passed then too and I got a little pull from that, but mostly just clean solo nav though in great flow the butterfly and I was enjoying myself greatly. Did hesistate another 30s perhaps on one return to the centre though. Again hadn't looked at 24 at all, but it seemed a high route was decent. In retrospect down might have been better. I then didn't execute it ideally, spending more time on the steep slope which was slower than dropping straight to the path. In a weird turn of events I was as fast as Colm up the track, but lost 20s in this last section since I wasn't sure where I was. 25->27 then was all good and I felt like we were there, but then came 28. It wasn't even that uphill but I wasn't going anywhere fast. I then missed the path option to 29 as a result. Though Martin Hubmann came past and it didn't feel like he was moving super quick and that I could maybe just about hang on which gave me some motivation, but the reality was he just wasn't going that fast. I then lost a minute to Paul up the hill to 30, his route on the track is better, but still that's just running speed.

Happy with the nav, although it was weird how little I felt like I read the map. I was essentially not planning ahead at all for the long legs even though there was loads of time running on tracks, but every time I was on a track, I was focused on trying to run up it. Some small stuff probably could find 4 minutes if I tried to beat Colm but the reality is that I'm just not at the fitness level for this kind of course.

Extremely token down the hill to the car.

Straight back to Zurich after the race to leave the car back. Took the car train which was novel! It was a glorious evening so headed to the river with Cillin, Paul & Shea for a float down it and a kebab which was perfect.