Training Log Archive: roar

Jog up the road and a little up the small track where I met Gina taking some photos.

IMRA Fraughan Rock Glen

Made it both up and down. an improvement on last year. 8th not too bad either.

Started a bit fast probably. Tried to find the right place in the group onto the little track and it seemed ok. Hit the road and a few people flew past me. I felt dead already which was a bad sign. Hitting the big climb up the river 2 more came past me and I was walking very early. Hung on and tried to keep pushing and survived. Over the first ridge and I got to run a bit but was walking again as soon as we hit the spur. One more guy came past me but he didn't get too far away and I hung onto him. Could see people scrambling up the cliffs to the right but kept a good line left. Saw Conor and Don as I crested to the "flat" bit. Suffered the top bit trying to hang on to the guy and was only a few seconds behind him at the top.

Let the legs loosen on the first bit and past the first guy out. Took the same line down as I did up and it seemed good. I had the fear and wasn't going as fast as I felt I could due to last years injury here but picked up a few places. Could see people down in the valley to my right having a bad time so kept pushing. Caught Paul Keville on the steep felled part and was gaining hard on Brian McGuickan. Within 150m of him when we hit the track, but then we hit the track and he flew away. I tried to hang on knowing I'd kill the path. I lost sight of him, killed the little path but relaxed when I couldn't see him at the big straight bit.

Good fun

Up and down the track with Conor as far as the lodge. Legs tired.

Bit of a jog with Conor. Legs a bit tired

O-intervals in Glendasan with Conor.
Legs were feeling pretty bad. Plenty of climb and I suffered. Probably because it was tough though. Nice day out, if a bit windy and had a really fun time. In true Glendasan fashion orienteering uphill was much easier than downhill and there was one control we never really found the site of. Conor running a little faster than me but I was able to keep up navigating.

Jog up the hill with jonnyq, CillinC and conor. They ran away from me though. Then back down with conor.

Scarr IMRA race.

Started easy as my legs were a bit wrecked. Some people went past me up the first hill. Started to open it up a bit along the flat bit beside the forest and picked up a few places. Passed Mike on the little descent where I tried to be fast while still as relaxed as possible. Then onto the major climb. The first bit had been burned so the going was good. People started to come past me, though only for a minute or two, then I was holding my place. I never stopped running while most people started to walk. I passed a guy and then the heather came back. Everyone slowed down a lot and I was a bit stuck in the line of walkers. Was popping out into the heather to get the overtakes and gained a few places. Made a big effort up a steep hill in heather to pass Mike and 3 others. I paid for it then as the runnability got good again. Managed to suffer on. Up on the top it was just surviving for me. Was trying to stay close to one guy and managed that. Counted the downcoming runners and I was in 36th at the summit. Not too bad.

Then the lovely descent off Scarr. So nice. Lets the legs flow, pushing a bit. Had a great fall where I misjudged a jump but just turned it into a roll. Guy behind me was well impressed and came up to me afterwards to ask how I did it. Passed a good few people then got up to the mid 20's I think though I lost count at some stage. The flat bit was pain but I was running quite well really, then the last bit down the road I could see Angus and was trying real hard to get him but no dice. 2 positions behind him in the end.

Really positive today. Kept a good posture on the big climb and I love the rough ground! Legs were pretty shot from the weekend but I was still able to run pretty well.

1.5 laps of the field. Feeling tired

Plan:

Monday: Day 3 Shamrock (done) (frisbee was cancelled due to weather)
Tuesday: rest / climbing
Wednesday: Scarr hill run!
Thursday: cycle / crusaders session.
Friday: Easy run
Saturday: cycle?
Sunday: Fraughen rock glen, fight the nemesis of last year

With Gina and Conor. Fairly tired but not terrible really.

Well, a fairly successful and very fun shamrock for me. Seems the fitness is getting back to being good. Middle race was very good. Long I wasn't fantastic but some positives to take, fastest split on an uphill leg, really strong finish.

Day 3 was intense, seriously hard racing with Conor. We both had it won only to throw it away. Came down to the run in where Conor fell so I got 2nd by 2 seconds overall! Full write up tomorrow.

Map

Report

What a race. The end was super tense and great fun. Conor made me work super hard and I didn't handle it perfectly. In the end it was a bit of a lottery and I got lucky. Still ecstatic and lay on the ground shouting "YES!" while conor lay beside me similarly loudly "F#@!".

1 - Splits