Training Log Archive: Magic

A bit of messing around in the bog adjacent to the finish/start - proved to be the wettest I got all day. Fortunately the morning mist had lifted.

IOC Classic, Mahon Falls, M21E,
As always, this was my main focus for the season, so was really looking forward to it. However, not everything went to plan today. However, the area was much better than I had been expecting (although not rough enough for my liking) and again the map was pretty decent. In most places. Also not really a fan of trying to work out which bounder in a sea of boulders that your control is going to be behind when there are no other attackpoints.

The main place I had issues with the map was at the start, where the moraine contour detail was both difficult to read and hidden by stony ground. Dropped about 90 seconds on #1, which is never a nice way to start a race. Clean but often hesitant through the rest of the technical loop until I stupidly turned my brain off at #10 and dropped another 90 seconds by looking too early and too low.

Good for a while after that and please with my running and lines but again a miss at #10. Thought I took a safe approach but passed the crag without seeing the control and ended up 25m (vertical) further down the hill before I saw it. A minute lost on that leg and probably another 30 seconds over the next two due to the effort required to get back up the hill.

Another good section until #27 where things just didn't fit for me, ended up overshooting and relocating on a sheepfold, though I dropped about 30 seconds but it was closer to a minute when comparing splits. Pleased with how hard I was able to push from there to the finish. it wasn't enough though, Conor won again (with a cleaner run), ending up about 3 minutes ahead.

Again, reasonably pleased with the performance and the result, was running better today and attaching well in places. Could easily have done Conor's time today, but I think he lost some time as well. Also a shame it wasn't a rougher/steeper area as it was too fast for me. I can't expect to stay ahead of all the kids for much longer though.

Out to the falls with ColmM and Eoin (I think - my memory is failing), Ciara joining us on the way back.

C • Warm down 2

A few controls to collect. Got a lift to the top of the hill and was met at the bottom. That's the way to do it. Mad warm while moving.

Long Course1 - Splits

Got to the race in plenty of time but sill failed to leave enough time to get properly warmed up.

IOC Middle, Coumshingaun, M21E,
The area was much more runnable than I had been lead to believe, yes there were a lot of stones but as the there was so little vegetation it was easy to place your feet. Hills also weren't as bad as I was expecting, although I struggled on them due to the lack of a sufficient warm up. Biggest surprise though was the map, which was good and consistent throughout, my only real grumbles being there being too much stony ground shown shown (hid contours) and that contours weren't smooth.

A few disappointing legs on the course (#11-13 were very easy and #15 involved running past #2 to relocate). My run was decent enough, only dropped any real time on #9 where I went too high (think the control may also have been a bit low?) and several other small wobbles. The wee bit of forest at the end was also a bonus bit of fun. Doing Conor's time would have been a stretch so pleased enough to be able to get second, but only just ahead of a large pack of kids.

A very enjoyable warm down trot along forest roads.

Course 1 - Splits

Event: Irish Orienteering Championships
 

IOC Sprint.
My annual Sprint outing and it really showed. Managed to keep ahead of myself for the first third but thereafter very clumsy and not picking the smooth or quick lines. Not that I was quick, three minutes down and there wasn't much I could do about half of that discrepancy.

Also DISQed myself by crossing an olive green area, despite stopping to read try and read the map - it was obscured by the circle, line and an earth-bank symbol. Told them at the finish but they weren't worried. However, as the top three have since been DISQed for crossing the same bank (admittedly for later in the course, on the second map, where it was easier to see (which is when I worked out it was uncrossable).

A much more fun course and area than I was expecting, result and navigation were probably on par to what I am capable of for this sort of carry on. Shame that there were so many uncrossable feature issues as it was a good race otherwise (think the cartography didn't help in many places).

Sprint Course 1 - Splits

IW. Frosty again but a cracking morning. Nice and easy.

HFW. Easy. Ready for IOC.

IW. Had a leach stuck to me most of the way in, until he decided to make a full on attack and sprinted past, got his 20m and stayed there for the last km. Cyclists are weird, it's just a ride to work.

C • 'just a ride to work' ?? 2

HFW. Headwind was surprisingly cold but happy enough just to take it easy and rest the body. Think it's in pretty good shape for the weekend. We'll see.

IW. Following wind, Wahey!

HFW. Headwind, but I did manage to miss the rather nasty wintery showers that were blowing through all afternoon.

IW. Nothing to see here. If you've just read this then you've just wasted 10 seconds of your life. You will never get them back.

C • Dammit, now I read it twice... 2

HFW. Wind (against).