Training Log Archive: ColmMIn the 1 days ending Apr 20, 2014:
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| « | » |
| » now | ||||
| |||||||
| Su |
Sunday Apr 20, 2014 #
9 AM
Running 15:00 [1] 3.0 km (5:00 / km)
slept:8.0 shoes: Asics Gel-Fuji Fellrunner
12 PM
Running warm up/down 20:00 [1] 3.0 km (6:40 / km)
shoes: Inov8 X-Talon (Dec' 13)
Jog down to the start with Conor and Darren, then a jog around the warm-up area.
Orienteering 1:51:38 [5] *** 20.0 km (5:35 / km) +400m 5:04 / km
spiked:29/31c shoes: Inov8 X-Talon (Dec' 13)
JK Long - 12th (+18:42, 120%)
Results
Good race.
Well, much better than my last Long distance performance (MCO). Finally feel like most of my winter training has paid off, clearly was still weak today over the last 3-5km, but in general the endurance was there.
Started smoothly, and caught #1 thanks to the rocky ground surrounding it. Got on my way, and was clean through #2 and #3 to get me going. Suddenly looked up and saw Conor (6mins) on his way to 4, nice for me anyway. 4 was clearly one of the trickier controls, so I didn't see any need to try and push on and catch him, he could just lead me into it. Came down though, in control, and hit the marsh just before it, Conor was faffing, dropped to a control, wrong code. Shite, that was going so well! Back up and around 45s - 1min lost there.
Conor lead 5 and 6, and 7 despite varying lines. He went off on a weird bearing to 8 though so I thought I was going to be alone. Feeling good through the soft terrain though, and checking off a lot of bigger features, came over the small hill with the cairn, and down into 8, only to see Conor coming along from the other side.
I took over then and due to some nice ground picked it up a small bit on the easy #9, was feeling nice, and the orienteering was good. Looked up and saw the big marsh below 10, so came into that very nicely. Leaving this the thunder and lightning began and Conor and I briefly discussed catching Darren (who had actually messed up 3 as well really badly and was in fact behind us). We went off our route (or at least my route) to 11 though, and we were a bit right, still it was nice running, and I was happy to lead out, so not really anything lost from it. I went over to 12, he went around, he was slightly quicker, but I catch him in the circle regardless.
To #13 I decided to go around, basically as far around as you could, and Conor was going to half-ass it, drop and climb a bit, but not the full thing.
I ploughed on, feeling solid and knew where I was, but went a little off my line and missed 2 of the indistinct paths I wanted to hit. Subsequently I ended up in a big re-entrant with rough running, and then also misread the contours to go further off my line. Conor came up from behind me again and we went into the control together.
I left 13 strongly, and decided on an easy-ish but high route for a relatively vague #14, executed it pretty well, and picked up the pace a notch to start to pull away from Conor as I was still feeling fresh and the running allowed. Little uncertainty but got it okay in the end.
Up to 15 the uncertainty became full blown "I'm just following my bearing", and I couldn't pick off anything, slightly overshot and found another control, as I turned back I saw Conor heading downhill having hit it. Balls.
In I went, and down to the quarry. Started to feel the distance a bit in the quarry and began to hit up my gel, lost a little on slowness and routes on the first two in there, and generally felt tired around the whole quarry chasing down Conor.
Leaving it he was beginning to tire and my gel was kicking in so I picked it up knowing we were nearly home, and overtook him as we neared 22. Navigation still good, and picked everything pretty cleanly, but couldn't find much other than crossing a few small paths to 24, saw the marshy gully, but I was too low and had to climb back up, another 30-45s wasted. Straight down to the road, and across for the final few controls. Up the hill, then across the hill, took pretty safe routes for the last few as I began to tire, but continued to push on.
Reached the finish. Woop, good stuff.
Happy with my race for sure, much stronger and better endurance than before. A tough oul race, and I know I'm much more able for long distances now.
Still a lot of work to be done. Primarily I need more strength which I hope to build on with more consistent gym sessions next Autumn, and more running in the hills. Also primarily a bit more endurance, no worries, just need to do a few more of the tough long runs, not the easier ones. But also clearly my speed improvements will be crucial too. I can't keep with the good guys. All of this together and I expect next year will be a lot better too.
This is a good beginning though.
Results
Good race.
Well, much better than my last Long distance performance (MCO). Finally feel like most of my winter training has paid off, clearly was still weak today over the last 3-5km, but in general the endurance was there.
Started smoothly, and caught #1 thanks to the rocky ground surrounding it. Got on my way, and was clean through #2 and #3 to get me going. Suddenly looked up and saw Conor (6mins) on his way to 4, nice for me anyway. 4 was clearly one of the trickier controls, so I didn't see any need to try and push on and catch him, he could just lead me into it. Came down though, in control, and hit the marsh just before it, Conor was faffing, dropped to a control, wrong code. Shite, that was going so well! Back up and around 45s - 1min lost there.
Conor lead 5 and 6, and 7 despite varying lines. He went off on a weird bearing to 8 though so I thought I was going to be alone. Feeling good through the soft terrain though, and checking off a lot of bigger features, came over the small hill with the cairn, and down into 8, only to see Conor coming along from the other side.
I took over then and due to some nice ground picked it up a small bit on the easy #9, was feeling nice, and the orienteering was good. Looked up and saw the big marsh below 10, so came into that very nicely. Leaving this the thunder and lightning began and Conor and I briefly discussed catching Darren (who had actually messed up 3 as well really badly and was in fact behind us). We went off our route (or at least my route) to 11 though, and we were a bit right, still it was nice running, and I was happy to lead out, so not really anything lost from it. I went over to 12, he went around, he was slightly quicker, but I catch him in the circle regardless.
To #13 I decided to go around, basically as far around as you could, and Conor was going to half-ass it, drop and climb a bit, but not the full thing.
I ploughed on, feeling solid and knew where I was, but went a little off my line and missed 2 of the indistinct paths I wanted to hit. Subsequently I ended up in a big re-entrant with rough running, and then also misread the contours to go further off my line. Conor came up from behind me again and we went into the control together.
I left 13 strongly, and decided on an easy-ish but high route for a relatively vague #14, executed it pretty well, and picked up the pace a notch to start to pull away from Conor as I was still feeling fresh and the running allowed. Little uncertainty but got it okay in the end.
Up to 15 the uncertainty became full blown "I'm just following my bearing", and I couldn't pick off anything, slightly overshot and found another control, as I turned back I saw Conor heading downhill having hit it. Balls.
In I went, and down to the quarry. Started to feel the distance a bit in the quarry and began to hit up my gel, lost a little on slowness and routes on the first two in there, and generally felt tired around the whole quarry chasing down Conor.
Leaving it he was beginning to tire and my gel was kicking in so I picked it up knowing we were nearly home, and overtook him as we neared 22. Navigation still good, and picked everything pretty cleanly, but couldn't find much other than crossing a few small paths to 24, saw the marshy gully, but I was too low and had to climb back up, another 30-45s wasted. Straight down to the road, and across for the final few controls. Up the hill, then across the hill, took pretty safe routes for the last few as I began to tire, but continued to push on.
Reached the finish. Woop, good stuff.
Happy with my race for sure, much stronger and better endurance than before. A tough oul race, and I know I'm much more able for long distances now.
Still a lot of work to be done. Primarily I need more strength which I hope to build on with more consistent gym sessions next Autumn, and more running in the hills. Also primarily a bit more endurance, no worries, just need to do a few more of the tough long runs, not the easier ones. But also clearly my speed improvements will be crucial too. I can't keep with the good guys. All of this together and I expect next year will be a lot better too.
This is a good beginning though.