Training Log Archive: Focus

This morning i went to Scarr and walked a kilometer or so just snapping pictures.
Then in the evening i went mountain biking on 3rock for 2 hours 15mins. I really got the hang of things by the end and wish i could go again. They've felled a part of the forest that we always run through on the winter weeknight runs. I'd prefer to change the route anyway.
This week was a week of cross training (obviously) to ease back into running. It never started out like that but after wednesday i figured it should be done. I'm glad because my legs had some mild aches on Saturday from the weeks exercising.

Awesome day and great weather.

I rode up to Carrickgollogan (42m27s, 10km, 125 avgbpm/151 maxbpm) on a mountain bike to do a Dublin training session for anyone who would come out. Laurence and Jonathan kindly put out tags for me. The beginners did a 2km track course just to get practise doing the beginner track junction stuff. For the rest of them i did a traffic light course and there were some dodgy control sites (out of date map) that made it difficult in places for them.
There were 12 people out and it was a good first training session for the Dubliners. Hopefully it builds up steam into the winter and more people feck out of their beds on Saturdays for some orienteering. Carrickgollogan badly needs a remap so i'll try and do it this winter.
After this training session i did 1hour and 50mins of mountain biking around the trails. It was some great fun. Of course i tried a jump and fell off into brambles.
34min cycle home on the roads i think. So about 3hours biking today.

My willingness to go training yesterday was a good sign that i'm ready to start training again. Time for a few build up weeks starting on Monday.

Goddammit! I waited for hours since lunch time for a guy to drop over an MTB bike that i'll borrow over the weekend and he never came. I was gagging for some biking all day, i even recharged the head torch just in case it came late, but now it's just much too late to ride for 2 hours on 3rock.
Just cycled to Stillorgan and back to buy some junk food.
Hopefully tomorrow i'll get the bike but i've a feeling he forgot and went away for the weekend to race in a downhill mtb race.

the totally awesome bike that is really top quality arrived tonight. can't wait now for the morning!

I took a 1hour 35mins cycle from my house to Kilternan, up to Glencullen, around the back of 3rock and home.

I did 5 hours mapping on Ballinastoe for the November race.
On the drive home i found a good flat marshey area just west of the Sugarloaf that is good for marsh runs, marsh intervals, marsh football, other marsh stuff.

49mins cycling 13km from home to the gate at Pine forest. I locked my bike and went for a walk for about an hour scoping out the area for winter training. Technically it's more useless than 3rock but physically it's good for doing terrain runs in. I found a small forest patch that looked visually similar to Trondheim forests.
Then i freewheeled down to Finns where i got free dinner and watched the ending of The Empire Strikes back with Hans and Sam. They were screaming whenever Luke Skywalker lost his light saber and looked as if he might get beaten. I might have let out a yelp here and there myself.
After i dragged Finns attention away from the movie he showed me the footage of Sundays escapades with the Ticknocturnals (as i'm calling them). Some good stuff, he says he might cut something out of it but it's also practise for making the O ad next month. Seamus-cam was hilarious when Colm and Ruairi chased him. I think for a second he was trying to put the camera on his face to catch his excitement as he left them for dead. Get that man on attack point!
Then i cycled home. My motivation to train hard is high, i think a few more days of forced rest will have me all set and committed for the winter months nicely. Sure i'm unemployed, what else am i going to do. Full time training!

I cycled 5mins down to the Glenalbyn pool to swim for 30minutes, then took a detour 20minute route home.
I'm getting a little better on my front stroke, but i'm still crap at swimming. My front stroke is just so hard to keep up for more than 50 meters. I have to stop and catch my breath every time.

C • Swimming 4