Training Log Archive: ColmM

IOC Classic - Gold!

I was first starter so I knew I was in for a long solo race and took the opportunity to relish it and really focus on the navigation - and hopefully put down a marker for the day.

I started smoothly, moving strongly across the terrain, but completely focused on really clean navigation. Ticked off the first 5 really cleanly and feeling confident. Just an enjoyable experience in such gorgeous open contours.I had planned to go straigh-ish, maybe slightly right of the lineto #6, but I looked up and was drawn towards what looked like nicer running left of the line early on, and then the route really grew on me as it avoided the re-entrants and the running wasn't too rough. Looks like it worked out really well (or others made mistakes), because I got it cleanly and put it a minute into the field on this leg. I picked what felt like a solid route on the long leg (25mins!), left of the line and then staying quite high hoping for good running in the second half of the leg. Heading high and straight for the left of the lake was good, the climb up from the lake was brutal, but it worked out nicely enough and I tried to make sure I kept pushing the whole way through the leg and again was rewarded with a nice split.

Took my time reading the features on #9, because I felt this and #10 were both danger controls. However, after feeling like I navigated perfectly into it no control appeared, and I found myself searching (2mins lost). Discussed concerns about it at the end and started to feel confident this was in the wrong place and this was confirmed by control collector Corbett later in the day.

A little unsettled on #10 and took my gel (which was vile), hadn't kept great contact on the first half of the leg, but picked out some crags and a re-entrant halfway and kept better contact from there to get it all good.
Clean through #11 & #12, and made sure to stay right and enter the forest late on #13, I knew transitioning into here would be tricky sow anted to play it safe. I changed my mind halfway and cut in a bit earlier to follow the yellow line, but ended up left and lost maybe 90sec in the wrong open.

Settled the head and focused completely on being clean, and despite dodgy lines entering both #14 and #15 I got them both cleanly. Leaving #15 was a pain, but got out and got across the open smoothly, dropped into the control from high, but once again struggling to be certain in the forest. I hit the right spot but searched the crag with no success and started it relocate before realising it was on the clearing above me (45sec).
Once again, settled down, knew this was the crucial section and got #17 smoothly, spent some time making sure where I was on the road to #18, and finding the ride - but very smooth otherwise. Used the ride to #19, all smooth again, feeling confident in the forest. To #20 I was very confident and moving nicely through the forest, came along the bottom of the open, into the crag, and no control. Again a moment of panic as to what clearing I could be at, before checking the description to see it was on the hill (30sec).
Smooth on the last 2 forest ones, working back to the road, and then pushing into the finish.

I knew it had been a pretty decent run, lots of smooth navigation, lots of very clean controls, and I'd felt very strong in the terrain throughout, but I also knew I'd dropped the guts of 5mins in total which felt like a lot. But I did also feel like mistakes would be somewhat unavoidable in that vague forest, so there was certainly still a good chance.

As the day went on and people came back, it slowly became clear the time wasn't getting beaten which was exciting news.
Really cool to eventually win the classic and to do it with a dominant run on such an iconic map. Chuffed with it!

C • Congrats! 6

IOC Middle - 3rd (+26sec)

Good race, very clean, but just on the wrong side of a tight race, will have to settle for bronze.

5sec on #6
10sec on #9
maybe 10sec on #10 route
10-15sec on #14 route (no path!)

shakeout

IOC Sprint - 4th (+51sec)

Started strong, got the trick on #1 fine, and negotiated the rockery pretty well. Navigated pretty well through greenery and the forest early on, probably lost 2-3sec on route to #10, but clean again the whole way through to #18.
Pushing pretty hard but revelling in the intensity of the navigation distracting from the running - love this style of forest sprint. To #19 I tried to push hard given it was a running leg, was clean, but didn't go close enough for the si air to register (never made that mistake before), and had to double back, maybe 3-4sec.
Had already planned my route to #20, nailed the initial line, and then just got confused at the path somehow. A little in the red already, and didn't take the time to double-check and followed the path left, got more confused, and went outside the olive green. Nothing made any sense, when I realised I ran a little up looking for a gap in the olive green, didn't see one, so turned back and went back around (another wrong decision). Finally got into it and hit it.
A little flustered I got confused on the right exit, but got it after a couple seconds hesitancy. Missed the planned route to #21 for a little more loss, but not too bad a readjustment. Got back into it and clean on #22, #23, some hesitancy leaving #23 but nailed down the route quickly. Went left on #25 which I think was good. All good and ran in hard to the end.

Didn't realise the extent of my shocker till I started comparing splits. Lost 53sec to Josh & Ruairi on a 20sec leg, and wound up 51sec behind Josh at the finish. Before this point I had been in the lead, 8sec up on Josh (who was running quicker and would have most or all of this). Certainly can't say I would have been won, but it would have been there or there abouts with Josh just for a moment of madness. That's the game we play but still very frustrating to let that happen.

Anyway, onwards and upwards, more to come.

travel home

Easy jog round the track to catch up with a few. Could feel my knee after about 500m, disappeared when distracted by company, and then felt it a tiny bit at the end too. Really not sure what to make of it, isn't too bad and will be able to race at the weekend, just don't want it to become a thing.

Knee has been twinging a little bit since Friday or Saturday, doesn't feel too serious but also doesn't feel like it's just going to disappear. Would like to run today for a number of reasons, but it being a taper, rest made sense anyway.

Easy run including a barber stop - got butchered. Knee twinge still evident but not bad.