Training Log Archive: Jwchter

Plan is to race at KerryO Banna Sand Dunes. I figure its going to be tough. So Rest today. Double tomorrow

Had a wee bit of time to head down to The Edge Sport in town and wanted to check out the Polar M200 GPS/HRT watch. I wanted to see if the watch is distracting my compass.
They did not have the watch so I need to go the main store.
The chest strap is restricting me and is moving too much while I am racing so I want to get the watch as a secondary to get some HRT indicator for my training session and record my GPS route for analyses.

I had the Scarr map with me while running to "debate" route choices and do some general map reading training while running

Back up the hill to work

Warm down ( and stretching which I did not time )

Last quick run for today.

Short but sweet, legs sore and stiff, right calf tender but better after the massage last night.

3 dogs attached to me, one skateboard under my feet a quiet enough stretch of road and insane speed

Event: Leinster League, Scarr
 

warm up with the master himself

I came here somewhat prepared as I looked at route-gadget off the last event and some controls.
The master told me a few things about the are and that it would be physically challenging.

So, my goal was to navigate cleanly and trust the compass.
That I achieved.

I wanted to run where I felt I could and tried to run faster where I felt I could push myself.

The first 9 control I was very happy that I picked good feature to handrail off and I was surprised that my split uphill to c6 was within range.
I need to be more fluent in the forest though in those sections.

The uphill to c 10 looked very intimidating but I was happy with my progress. I just wished I would be able to be a stronger uphill runner.
Part of my training plan now.
I was surprised again by how well I hit all the control on the hill.
Yet this was hampered by me falling into a bog hole which caused a nasty cramp in my right calf, followed by a sharp pain.
I had to fight very hard to keep going and wiped away my tears.

I stumbled downhill and decided to take a more challenging route to the south of the control. It was very slow going and I should have taken the route I was thinking about first. It turned out Darren took that and was fast with on that one.
I lost about 10 min to c13 as I difficulties to hit that control right.
Made surprisingly good progress to c 14 through to control 17.
I was a little hesitant to make a route choice to 18 and messily bananad through green uphill to the control. Unsurprisingly, this took a long time, I thought I was faster than I actually went.
Good run to 19 & 20. On the way, a girl wanted to know where she was. Too far off her nearest control, map upside down and no compass.

Good compass work and a second confused where I came out on the forest road to 21 clean to 22 through to 24, made a left swing to control 25 even though I felt I should have stayed straight, tired now at this point and 2 hours in the hills. Nearly home my brain thought, one last control it thought, you have it in the bag it thought.
Wasting another at least 10 min to what should have been an easy enough control.

I cried, I cursed, I did better than the last time and I did better than most.

From 15 starting, 5 DNF-ed and I came 5th.
The time really did not matter that day because I am proud that I achieved my objective and did not give up.

Brown - Splits