Training Log Archive: Regina

Slieve Croob.

Considering how bad the weather was, I really enjoyed this course. I knew I enjoyed the area at the JK. Nice and runable and enough features but not too many.

Training had not gone well for a few months before and I was going into this pretty unfit so the plan was to limit the mistakes.

1. So obviously I made a mistake on the first control. The marshes weren't really making sense to me and I was nervous I hadn't gone up enough when I got the the first one. I should have just popped around the spur but ended up being too high instead. Not great.

2. Decided to limit mistakes by handrailing the next control- straightish to the fence then around the hill and down.

3. Compass. pretty good.

4. Kind of contoured around as opposed to going over. This will be a theme of the day.

5.Plan was to kind of contour to the greenish area then climb up beside the big line of crags (I make most of my mistakes going uphill so having big features to help me is usually for the best) meant to go across the spur but I think my legs were just moving way too slow and I just didn't do it. Got to a bend in the path and assumed I was just below the control but I was across from it and ended up making a bit of a parallel but realised it early enough. Zach Harrinton was here and I think he got to the control before me.

6. The spur it was on was pretty obvious (as obvious as anything can be in belting hail) Saw Zach go a bit right and I punched this before him (I think?)

7 was pretty unmissable really. Just get above the first set of crags and don't climb too much.

8. Followed Zach's direction out of this but soon realised it was not at all right. Corrected and popped down over the hill. The craggy reentrant was super obvious before the hill and I knew I was still a bit right of the control so knew I had to turn left along the crags. Saw Zach coming from the direction of 9 leaving this control. Told him to get it together.

9. Up the spur. Beside little hill. Above massive crags. Up to knoll. Enjoyed this control.

10. Turned out of this control. OH DEAR GOD. Feels like I'm being attacked by pellet guns in the face. Decided to go down the big re-entrant to get out of the wind as much as possible but it brought me well off straight line. was getting a bit tired at this stage. Was aiming for the crossing point. Saw a train of lads crossing the fence so aimed for their crossing point. Turned out there wasn't one so had to drop down to the real one. Lost a bit of time here. Decided going across under the stony part to take my gel but my hands wouldn't cooperate. Managed to get it out but getting the wrapper back in was another problem. This wasted a lot of time. Should have just shoved it down my top of something. going across the marsh saw Ruth standing still for a long time. Went over to see if she was ok but she was just putting on her fifth layer. Obviously she had gotten frozen out of it. Thankfully my extra cushioning was serving me well today. Up the hill and over to the second knoll to the control.

11. No point in climbing, went between the spur and the flat hill, down the marsh to where the mandatory crossing point was marked except it wasn't there. Panicked a little because I couldn't see it and assumed that I was at the higher one and hadn't descended as much as I thought. went down way too far before looking back up the hill to see someone crossing at the TOP of the crag where I had been. I was really annoyed by this. Looking at the track this cost me 5 mins. tried to contour across from the crossing point but lost a bit of height but followed the drain up to the control. Ruth was here again after my big mistake.

Tried to read to 12 but couldn't really see. Had to huddle to figure anything out. contoured around and it was where I expected.

13. I didn't want to lose any height. Crossed to the bend in the wall then across the stile. Two spurs and in. Came below to save those precious metres.

14. Down the spur, kept the flatter area on my right around the spur and spiked the control.

15. Tried to up the speed down the hill but It was in the middle of some crags and I nearly splat myself in the circle. Ended up babying down the crag. I'm a super pro orienteer guys.

16 pretty handy.

Run in was a bit strange and I think I lost about 15 secs to hesitation (and exhaustion)

Was talking to Roar coming down from the finish. We both sounded ridiculous. Weren't able to speak. Good fun.

All things considered was pretty happy with my run. Few bobbles here and there and Wasn't as fit as I wanted to be but of all of the events at the weekend this was the one I wanted to do well in. I really enjoy the Long distance orienteering and when I get a bit fitter I think it will be what I'm best at so I'm going to put my energies into this over the next year or so. It's by far the most rewarding of all the disciplines for me.

Routegadget

Event: Irish Orienteering Championships
 

This is a pretty accurate graph of my fitness over the past few months. Depressing. Will try to get back to where I was in January. Think I'm nearly finished working ridiculous hours in work so hopefully will be able to get my life back in order.

C • graph 1

Lovely surprise today: My garmin I was expecting next week came today. Woo! Just in time for the IOC. Will finally have hr details!

Week of the Irish champs. Not going to lie feeling awful for it. The winter's training seems to be down the drain due to the last two months injury/sickness though I tried to keep up some amount of training it wasn't enough. Because of this I'm not expecting anything from the Irish champs. The aim is just to be clean, not get injured and just enjoy it. My orienteering has been woeful recently and i need to just go back to basics with almost everything.

Mon: Climbing
Tue: Not doing a session because realistically it won't do anything for me. Plan is to do about 4/5k of just drills and strides. Try to get this new run down.
Wed: easy run. Again focusing on form.
Thurs: rest
Friday: IOC sprint. Should be good fun!
Sat: IOC long. In an area I really like so should be enjoyable
Sun: Relays. I will be on CNOC2 (if there exists one??) if not no run :(

C • relays 1

Family relay event in Newcastle Demesne. MPed. Phooey