Training Log Archive: Magic

Mourne Mountain Marathon, C Course, Day 2.
It's nice not having an allocated start time as it always takes longer to get everything packed up than expected. Although i would have been quite happy to head off at about 3am as i didn't sleep a whole lot. Cold night, although not hugely, but also had a muscle in my back complain whenever I settled down so then had to move to easy it off. Glad to eventually get out of the tent and was treated to a wind free sun rise.

Quite a short course today but a lot of it was in rough terrain so Nicky struggling whenever she couldn't see where she was putting her feet. However she didn't do any more damage and was running really strongly when the conditions allowed. Again think no nav issues and pleased with the route choices. First team to finish (they weren't ready) despite being one of the last starts.

Did enough to hold on to the lead, though we did have a scare when we saw the second place team in one of the scatters and thought that they had started after us and were gaining! Very enjoyable weekend (even being cold is part of MMs). and another great MMM.

C • Adventure Race? 4

Event: Mourne Mountain Marathon
 

Mourne Mountain Marathon, C Course, Day 1.
A bit nippy starting out but mostly an alright day, with some spitting rain at times towards the end, though we finished before the mist came in (but only on the high peaks). Think we got all the right routes (including the un-mapped path to the dam in the Silent valley) and spiked all the controls, so a good day and nice to see that we were leading by a few minutes.

Unfortunately Nicky twisted her ankle about a third of the way around (she doesn't cope well in rough terrain) and descents were taken very cautiously thereafter (with the added benefit that it meant that my quads were protected from any abuse).

Arrived in the camp site with it trying to rain and the wind was blowing, so it was difficult and cold getting the tent up. Took a while to warm up and needed the hot lunch and tea. Long afternoon/evening trying to keep warm followed.

Short leg loosener before the trip to the MMM. Ground a lot softer than yesterday's.

Unusually flat and fast (?) run for me. Felt comfortable and the change was nice, though the ground was pretty hard underfoot.

IW. Lovely morning, but the wind must have picked up over night as there were sticks everywhere and 5 trees down across the TT, two of which had to be climbed over.

HFW. Most of the trees cleaned up, just the one in Haley Park still in the way. No stick clearing though. Made it back before it rained.

IW. Lovely morning altogether, but traffic not very kind.

HFW. In a desperate rush to get home before the rain started. Made it.

MDC run from Tonypandy. Rain well and truly set in and the somewhat reduce numbers were not exactly full of high spirits! Planning on a route up through the wind farm but the rain and expected wind meant that a forest based run sounded like a better idea. OS map was useless to spent a time trying to find out way through the (very nice) woods to the next track, but failed and so returned back down the original track. Very wet and would have appreciated another layer. Vast amounts of food after eventually warmed me up.

IW. Decent tail wind and even with the legs feeling the weekend I was expecting to be a bit quicker. Threatening rain.

HFW. Tired legs but so nice not to be aching from illness. Poor timing at all lights gave an average time. Plenty of wind but it was unhelpful.