Training Log Archive: roar

MMM day 2 with Shea - 3rd on the day and overall

Much better day for me anyway. Slightly stronger than Shea but once we swapped weight very slightly we were nicely matched and kept going strongly to the finish.

After a nice sleep, and some tasty breakfast we could see the rain coming in and got the tent down and bags packed before that came. Bit of playing with Paul and Adrian where they we trying to start behind us but we let them saying we'd just burn them off.

Started with an 8 control cluster so that tactic was already right. Got 2 controls marked before the rain came and it became harder and harder to mark them in, with 11 and 12 being the faintest circles possible for me.
Selected the contour around Binian option so save the legs after yesterdays death. Wasn't the best choice, bit too long and didn't save that much climb so Colm and Mark caught us some unknown amount of time to that one and got ahead enough that we could see them but not use them for nav. I was going much better than Shea on the downs then of which there was a very one to the 2nd. At some point here, the SI card snapped on Shea's wrist. Thankfully number 1 was a manned check-in and from then on we manually punched, but no splits :(
Back over the gap to Ben Crom then which was a tough climb, but we could see the course was much shorter today so we went hard. Saw Paul and Adrian going the opposite direction in the cluster which felt very even at the time. Going could potentially have been bad down Ben Crom then but we got really nice trods and sheep tracks and moved really well with some beautiful compass work too.
Then a nice long leg on tracks, got under the 6min/k mark a few points. Could glimpse Colm and Mark ahead a few times here too. Then some dropping and contouring into the last part of the cluster. Got these controls nicely and I felt amazing really, working hard up the hills. Took some weight from Shea then for the last bit. Lovely downhill which I had a great time before the last few.
The wall/river junction had rubbed off Shea's map so I fished out the descriptions to double check all of these end ones. Pretty easy navigating really and just trying to keep moving quickly. Last bit down the road was quite the suffer but we got it done.

Put some time into Adrian and Paul and moved up to 3rd overall. Pleased with that having worked quite hard for it today. Will probably do this again I guess.

Food:
1: flapjack
2: powerbar
3: gel + jellies
+ many interspersed jellies
also 1/2 electrolyte tabs in 2nd and 4th 500mls

MMM day 1 with Shea - 5th on the day

Suffered big time towards the end. Got the eating a bit wrong. Only had a gel at the 2 hour mark, which wasn't enough for the full hour until 3 and never got out of that hole after that.

Felt good starting off, marked in number 1 and headed up, marking in the rest as we went. Route choice felt good to 2 but lower was better looking at the splits. Tried to pace ourselves sensibly up the first big climb and looked at routes for later legs. Went a bit high on 3 really and lost a few more minutes, enough that we could see Kev and Conor who started 10 mins behind us, though we thought it was maybe 16 or something. Got some rough going climbing into 3 but moving ok. Then up and over to 4 after some debate about the around. Wasn't bad actually. I was going a bit quicker than Shea on the downs here but he was a bit better on the ups. Checked in at 4, skipping the queue so that Conor and Kev wouldn't see us.
Picked the around option so save on climb as we felt there was still a lot to come. Moving well, though trying not to go too crazy. Shea lost his bottle here sometime so when we went to fill up we only had the one, and were in for a dry patch. Wrong route choice here to 6 as well, going left up the super steep hill, with Conor & Kev climbing behind us, though we did find a new bottle for Shea. Was in a bad place at the top of this but came ok after a few jellies. This was when I needed to eat something more substantial once the warning signs were there. Actually had 6 marked in the wrong place but happened across it fine, then for the massive climb to 7. Had the powerbar before this hill and jellies up it so I got progressively better the whole way up. Then some nice downhill to 8. We hit the river a bit high and Conor caught us then as we were drinking, though Kev didn't. Slog to the cluster and Shea was out of food so I gave him half flapjack as I was eating mine. That didn't go well for me!
Contoured Slieve Muck and tried to put some time into Conor and Kev running on the flat but then going to the lower control we missed the gap in the crags and ended up struggling through deeper heather. This was when I crashed and Conor caught us again, though not Kev.
Basically walked to 11, trying not to get sick and gave Shea the tent poles. got though that and was at least able to jog down to the river afterwards. That was well gank so didn't drink from it. Last climb then and just suffered behind Shea. We weren't looking up though and walked straight past 12, only seeing it when we looked back to see Kev and Conor punching it.
Chased them down the hill, at the same time not killing ourselves as there was a tomorrow. Caught them at the unmarked track while they hesitated. Shea knew the area and brought us out to the dam nicely where we just tried to keep moving at a sensible pace, putting a bit over a minute into Conor and Kev.
That left us in 5th for the day with Colm and Mark waay ahead, but only 10 mins down on Paul Mahon and Adrian Hennessy in 3rd and 8 down on Conor & Kev.

Disappointed with the dying after feeling so good to start. Beautiful campsite though and once we got the tent up and some food into me I was good to go again. The rain held off until night and it was nice and warm so a decent sleep too.

Food
1hr: flapjack
2: powerbar gel
2.5: jelly babies and pastilles
3: ride bar
3.5: jellies
4: 1/2 flapjack
Stomach was gone then and couldn't eat any more.

The Wall. Trying lots of the new reds today and being relatively successful. Feeling strong.

Bit of Wednesday Church. Glorious day for it too. Felt good running up the steep side stopped on top for a bit for views and came down the alternate steep ride.

Bag testing on Sorrell on the most beautiful of September days. Glorious sun and next to no wind, much to the chagrin of the paraglider on the top. Used Don's OMM, with some different packing methods as I was told it was quite uncomfortable but I thought it was grand as long as the pot isn't sticking into your back. Only 3kg today but found it very comfy. Legs felt a bit sluggish early on but then got into it. Went for a rogue route around the back of Sorrell where I thought there was a path but it's just an overgrown stream really so that was a tough slog. Nice to be out though and no real trouble from the hip.

Booked to go to Greece for 10 days of running with Marcus in November. Something nice to look forward to.

Nice and easy with Gina in Russelstown. Testing out the hip. Maybe feels a bit different on the right side but not sore anyway. Legs the usual super itchy after a few days off. Otherwise feeling very good.