Training Log Archive: ColmM

ABOM Middle - 20th.

Best race of the weekend, happy with this.

GPS: https://events.loggator.com/DeqzsQ#!

I stayed high and took a moment or two to make sense of the hilltop contours to 1, but I saw the round crag ahead of it so was fairly comfortable going in, though was expecting it to be on the 1st boulder.
Was feeling strong, and wanted to be relatively aggressive, but naturally was needing to give the area a lot of respect after yesterday. Stayed on the compass and picked off a wall, a boulder, and some open to 2, and got it confidently.
Hadn’t looked ahead enough though, and while trying to go straight out to 3, I got a little stuck in thorns and bailed left instead of right / straightish. Ended up in some rough open which wasn’t the nicest, and between this and crossing the river a couple of times, plus planning a few legs ahead, I lost the guts of 30s on this short easy legs, hit possibly some time invested as I did get it alright.

Aimed to go right of the green to 4, and filled in the details of the route as I went, felt very confident in the terrain, and aside from coming over the crag and back down, this was a good leg. I’d planned ahead as well and dropped low and climbed back up to 5 which worked very nicely.
I was feeling good now and wanting to keep this flow going, but conscious of making mistakes after these feelings yesterday.

6 was relatively easy, and I stayed a little low but kept my eyes out for the big crags and dropped down the re-entrant into it. I couldn’t make up my mind on 7, in the end decided I’d get on the compass and try go straight to the road and see where the crags took me, this was a bit risky, but the recent bouldering did prove useful as I did make it up some stuff I may otherwise not have, and from the road it was easy enough in.


On 8 I was trying to keep moving aggressively, but was a little off my line and not entirely sure of my height and was a bit lucky to spot it out of the corner of my eye. Back up and around to 9, wasn’t risking the low route (which looks to have proved quicker). Was a little scrappy coming in, but not the biggest loss, maybe 15-20s.

Liked the look of the terrain left of the line to 10, but probably cut across the re-entrant a little early and did a little extra climb coming in. Lovely forest to 11 and just really enjoying the orienteering and trying to get a bit more planning in.

A bit left leaving 12 and not climbing early probably cost a bit, as well as coming into the control from below, again a small miss in the circle, but not huge.
Nice route I thought to 13, but left and made it easy following the re-entrant in.
Debated around to 14, in the end I knew I was running well and around was much safer so went for it. Also feel it was the best route for me at least, and ran hard and smoothly through it.
Small hesitancy coming into 15 as there was no clearing through the green, just some elephant track - though it did go straight to the control.
Stayed low out of 15, and once across the stream started climbing and ploughed through the green, nice enough line and nailed it on entrance.
Had planned to come out into the open just north (?) of 15, and follow the white & grey for most of the leg to stay in nice running, but got a bit caught in an elephant track leaving the control and battled through a heap of green early on. Once I got to the bare rock I could get moving again, it just took a little while. Ticked this leg off coming in from above, and then tried to work hard on the TV control. Read the map to the last, and ran in to hear I was coming 3rd. Pleasant.

ABOM Long

Had a small miss on 1, and lost a little time, but generally started very nicely, and was very smooth and navigating well through 4 & 5, so confidence was high.
Got carried away though, and coming up to 6, I got distracted by people up above and knew I was climbing too high but went up anyway. Took a good bit of faffing before I committed to dropping down and found it.
Was smooth out of 6, and halfway to 7 was happy with the route. Got a bit stuck in the 2nd half in thorns and greener stuff, this felt very hard to avoid, but a little finer nav and you can nail the grey sections. Coming in I was happy too, but lost contact just before and took far too long to relocate because I was right there.
Smooth and Nice route to 8, down left to the path bend. Lost some time and 9, and lost a good bit more on 10.
Pulled it together a bit from here on, and took safer routes because the area was very tricky. Got through it mostly okay and not moving too badly, but not moving great either.
Had 2 gels on 11 & 20, and didn’t run out of energy so much but legs weren’t their strongest, and body felt a bit beat up later in the course.
Got caught by the Olav train at 23 and held on (roughly) till 24, this was interesting to see.
Enjoyed it overall but a very tough long distancez

ABOM Sprint

A pretty little Portuguese village sprint. Planned a couple ahead early on and generally kept quite on the ball with this. Was navigating quite well, just a little hesitant and not aggressive at all.
Struggled to get the legs really moving, but getting the navigation right was probably a bit more important. Certainly not helped by having a few too many beers last night which was a bit stupid, but this is also the first instance of this sort of carry-on in 2019, so go me in that regard.

Not all that bothered about the sprint, but for me, around 2’30 down has historically been a relatively good race in a decent field for me, so given the circumstances (really hungover from a silly night in Salamanca), I think this is probably a bit positive.

ABOM Model

Took this very chill, but got into the map quite nicely. Some scrappy bits, but also some just lovely terrain.

Chilled in Fairview with Corbett before our flight. Few strides to finish.

Easy endas with Jack McL once more. Another nice one.!view over the city is surprising.
Still some tightness, mainly in the hips, but pretty good.

Mostly stretching & rolling, mostly hips.

Rathfarnham - 4x1km [2’00]
Cut it back a bit to recover a little more before the weekend. Hopped straight in on the first, and then running with Gael for the next few which was nice.
Feeling a bit stronger than last week.

Easy day today. Few grass laps of bushy, and feeling a bit fresher than the last few days which was nice.
Cold and wet out.

Wanting to at least get the ankle work routine back.