Training Log Archive: Dooby

3 bad nights in a row. Body is definitely suffering. Not convinced training is a good idea at the moment but not easy to put my feet up either.

Got a bit wet starting out but grand for the rest of the spin. Windy, again, headwind heading out to Beaufort, tough. A couple of bikes around so that helped my effort. Passed a good few between Fossa and Tomies coming against me. So they were a motivation to put some effort on my way back to see if I could catch any of them. Basically I was chasing ghost bikes but if chasing ghosts helps me train better then it doesn't sound as weird.

Caught up with the bikes at the Ross Road. And from checking Strava that group are on a Mizen to Malin spin. Not sure the Gap of Dunloe would be the direct route. That challenge would certainly be on my Bucket List.

Then had another bike in front of me after Hegarty's so put another dig in to catch them up the ramps to the jarvey car park. Then the hill home was fun. Stats are good coming home with the wind.

Now to see how tonight goes and if my body recovers...

Event: CorkO Summer League, Warrenscourt Wood
 

Short warm up, flat out and back then up the hill.
Feeling grand.

Warrenscourt Summer League

2 trips to summer league events this year, that's a lot. And my last one so no more affecting the natural results order.

Hard up the hill to 1 before more climb to 2. I could have climbed the hill better to 2 if i'd cut in later, ended up in lots of briars and needed to be more physical.

More climb then to 4. And then some forest and rough ride running to get to 5. Thought I ran downhill to 6 ok but got a bit stuck getting into the control. 7 and 8 were road running, felt long, especially getting to 8. Had a run of fastest splits from 7 to the last control, but not so fast on the run in. My HR seemed to plateau in the low 160s for the last few controls.

Even more climb after 8 and then some forest running to 10 and then downhill to the track for 11. 12 was the last of the orienteering, was a road run from there to the finish.

Plan was to race and felt I did that. Did struggle on the hill to 2 but was better on the later ones on the course. Had a nice gap to 2nd place in the end but if I give those quick juniors a chance they'll beat me! Looks like Conrad was running well towards the end but had a few errors that cost minutes.

Was thinking about exploring some of the forest for the warm down but that would have involved more climb. Legs feeling ok, so happy with that.

I think this might be a bad week, or at least it's starting badly anyway. Work night out on Friday but I won't be out too late! Sleep didn't really happen last night, one of those nights that I accept can happen from time to time, stressful, so too tired today.

Monday - Rest
Tuesday - Orienteering
Wednesday - Bike
Thursday - Run (if legs are ok) or Bike
Friday - Rest (work night out)
Saturday - Run
Sunday - Bike

Very lazy morning and got even lazier after lunch. As a result did feel like I needed to do something outside so cut the grass after Erik had his bath. Just got it cut ahead of a shower!

Bad legs. Or at least that's today's excuse! Could feel that they were tired and despite my brain attempting to get them to put more effort in they wouldn't cooperate. Is there is a positive in that if you have tired legs then you must have done something for that to happen. Thursdays race is probably still there and an easy run yesterday may have fooled me into thinking they weren't too bad.

Not the warmest of mornings and had some drizzle to contend with a couple of times.

A few bikes on the road, mainly coming against me. Was hoping to see more than the 1 bike I passed around Dinis as felt that if I did see a bike in front it would have pushed me more to pass them.

Stomach felt a bit full side starting out. Made baked oats with blackberries for breakfast. One has time when their ‘alarm’ goes off at 630. Need to sweeten it up for next effort and to find a better dish to put in the oven.

As usual the 7.15 start time for a league race didn't materialise. So a bit of waiting around.

Skinsuits are made for cycling, they aren't comfortable standing in, and getting into them would help if you are a contortionist, but when on the bike they do work.

Kerry County Road League 2019 Round 2
Sliabh Luachra

7th

There is no flat on this circuit, it's either up or down. Rolling would be another word for it.

A4s had 3 minutes to the A3 group who had 3 to the scratch group. Only 7 in the A4 group which dropped to 5 on the 2nd lap. During the 2nd lap one of the other Killarney lads in the group ended up solo out front for a while, but was reeled in towards the end of the lap. There were a few of us taking turns on the front but based on the laps we weren't killing ourselves too much.

I thought getting to half way on our own would be good but it wasn't until the 5th lap that we were caught by a mix of the scratch and A3 groups, not the full groups, just a few from each. Rested up a bit before they caught us so had something in the legs for the inevitable increase in pace.

Actually wasn't too bad. Did need to work hard up the hill past the start/finish at the start of the last lap to stay with the group and then went closer to the front of the group for the 1st junction, happy to be able to be let do that as there is a tough downhill left right turn followed by a sharp uphill left. No way i'd be technically as good as the good guys through that. So got through that fine.

The hill before the last turn was when it really started to hurt and couldn't stay with the larger group which broke up into 2 groups of 3 in front of me, with myself and an A3 from Sliabh Luachra next on the road. A Killarney A4 was just behind us. Dug in on the 2nd part of the hill after the turn before the downhill to the main road back up to Gneeveguilla. That junction with the main road could have been dangerous as the marshalls that were there for the rest of the race seemed to be on the missing list.

It was just myself and the A3 together for the run to the line, there were bikes behind but I was more worried about finishing at this stage. I took the lead after the junction then the A3 came through. I left him there until a few hundred metres from the finish before kicking on, he didn't stay with me. By the looks of the results someone else came past him so good idea to kick on.

Pleased with how the race went. Not in that bad a shape and main aim of the race was to get the HR up. Think I felt something in my calves before the last lap, like an early cramp, but thankfully didn't translate into a cramp either during or after the race.

Short warm down up as far as the garage and back.

Eating dinner at 10 isn't easy. I suspect it'll be hard to get to sleep later.