Training Log Archive: Dooby

Jog up the track to the start of the mornings session.

Le creux qui sonne

Another DISASTER. Lost track of where I was between 2 and 3, a lot rougher than it looked on the map. If I was the mapper it could have done with some undergrowth lines, so that confused me a bit. Found something, a hill, and thought it was before my control, but it wasn't the hill. Decided to bail up to the track and then came back in a track further on to get the control, I was too short. A couple of controls later I lost it again, knew where I was on a track in a depression, ran on a bit but lost track of which depressions i'd passed. Reckoned I was close but decided to bail and went back to relocate from where I knew where I was. Turns out I was correct.

Next control then was another clueless moment. Short leg but about 200m after leaving the control I was unsure of where I was, i.e lost! Should have been straightforward but didn't know where I was or how i'd got there. Decided bailing was the best option so ran a long way back on tracks/road to the car.

Straight uphill to the start of this afternoons session. I'd to play catch-up at the start as I forgot my compass, realised after lads had just set off, so quickly back to the car to get it.

Le creux qui sonne

Started off on my own but after a while ended up running with Roar. He got away from me and then I caught up with him again. Again it was more enjoyable to run with someone as it forced me to up the pace and concentrate a bit more. Still messed up early on but better session this afternoon overall. Was a downhill session which was nice:-)

Done some training over last 2 days in this place they call France. Not as bad as my memories of last Octobers training/races. Although I didn't like montagne de Bange this afternoon, low visibility and rocky.

2 sessions yesterday and 2 today. Probably 2 more tomorrow and then easing off for the rest of the. No session has been run hard.

Jog up from car to start. Lot of climb gained. Probably includes some wasted time.

Prépoulain

To start with myself, Roar and Conor did the leg that took Marcus 17mins back in May. I ran it in 8 minutes, then spent another 3 looking for the control. Expected to find a proper control but only found a white tag in the end. Also wasn't sure exactly what feature I was looking for, but 8mins would have found me the control in a race. After that went and did a few more controls.

Almost stumbled into a wasps nest.

Spent a bit of time trying to find the 2nd last control, but again no control, and there was a lot of rock in the area. Missed the last control badly, relocated a good bit downhill from where I wanted to be. So climbed back up and got the control.

Montagne de Bange

Marked a course I found on the web onto my map, so plan was to run that, only about 3km. DISASTER.

Map didn't make sense for 1 or 2 so that was a good start. After that things got better, wasn't having too much trouble. Then I went for the northernmost control, hit the path as planned, and after that I don't know where I went. Bailed and headed back to the car. Didn't help not having any markers for the controls but really didn't know where I was when I bailed.

But even before I bailed I wasn't liking the area as much as I did last October, seemed greener with less visibility.

Le Revard

Went and did a loop of some controls that I would have visited last October. Decided that it would be a good way to get started, actually find controls that I struggled with last year.

Went ok for first part, nothing too serious. Then on the way back I decided to cross the road and try and get one on the other side of the road but completely lost it, no idea what happened!

So good start went south fast.

Jog along a track to the start of the afternoons session. Scared the shit out of a girl out jogging!

Le Revard 11

With Roar and Magic. We each took it in turns to lead the leg. Some of the leading didn't go so well. Map was definitely iffy in the places. Felt I pushed myself more in company.

Travelled to France today, early start, alarm went off at 4.30 and didn't get to bed until around 1 due to having to wait for Magic to get to the hostel, he got lost in Geneva!

Definitely a different climate, shorts went on as soon as I hit the hostel, really warm. Went for a bit of a stroll along the lake after dinner, nice.

Gear is in the car, I presume everything I need. With my reputation it's probably not a good idea to travel to WOC with only 1 pair of O-shoes but they don't appear to have any holes in them that I can see.

Looking like an easy week. Don't have time this evening to train, got too much stuff to get sorted. I suppose the few days off won't do too much harm. Got physio in the morning anyways to give the legs a once over, they feel fine anyways.

Can I log packing as training?

Took today off. Legs felt alright during the morning, tempted to do something, but instead started getting some gear together as planned. In the afternoon they felt a bit more tired.

Event: Scottish 6 Days Oban 2011
 

Mick Dineen Cycle (organised by Valley Wheelers AC)
Ballingeary-Mouth of the Glen-Topf of Coom-Kilgarvan-Kenmare-Lauragh-Healy Pass-Glengarriffe-Ballylickey-Pass of Keimaneigh-Ballingeary

Avg Cadence = 72rpm, Avg Speed = 29kph

Started off a bit damp, and there was the odd bit of light rain during the day, but other than that it was a nice spin. Some wind at times though.

Cycled with Brian Flannelly for the cycle. Heading up to the Mouth of the Glen we pushed for a small bit but my legs didn't like it so much, they hadn't warmed up yet, but they did react better when they had got going after a while. Road was narrow and rough in places. We waited at Morleys Bridge for some TdeM crew who had stopped for a puncture, but they took a while so we headed off and joined up with a few more lads as fas as Kenmare, the group increasing in size on the way.

Good spread of food in Kenmare, decent brown bread and lots of buns. Enjoyed that stop. Then off towards Lauragh with a group of hardcore TdeM lads, so the pace was saucy all the way to Lauragh. We lost them on the descent into Lauragh, speed and then got distracted by a crash. 2 lads went down on a tight bend, one lad I saw was covered in muck but upright. Then onto the Healy Pass climb, my 1st time, overall it was an ok climb. Tucked in behind a lad in a red jersey and he paced us up at a nice speed. When we finally saw the top ahead I attacked and gained a few metres, the road then turned and increased in gradient, got caught in the wrong gear so lost momentum, Brian came passed and I wasn't able to catch him, 1st blood to Tipperary but i'll have my revenge come September. On the descent i'd some fun around the bends, leaving Brian behind. Joined up with a few TdeM near the bottom and then we regrouped in Adrigole.

Then on to Glengarriff at a very fast speed, ridiculous if you ask me. We were going 30kph plus uphill on a big road, wasn't under pressure though. Then there was a steep descent where I jhit 78.3kph. This must be a max speed for me, don't recall ever hitting such speed before:-) Lost the lads on the way into the village as I eased up to hang on for Brian. We then stopped, had a 99.

Bigger group leaving Glengarriff and pace was slow up the hill leaving the village. Don't like this hill, it annoys me. Once it had levelled out and even a slight decline, pace upped nicely. We were averaging around the 31 mark as we went through Kealkill on the way to the last climb. Then I hit a pothole and punctured, front wheel. So had to stop, Brian stopped too. Took 12 minutes to sort the wheel out.

Then it was just the 2 of us for the last bit of the climb and descent before the flat few km back to Ballingeary. The puncture happened with only 15.5km to go!

Enjoyable spin, legs are tired afterwards, but they could have put in a few more km's if needed. This bodes well for the Sean Kelly but a couple more weeks on the bike would have me nicely primed. Nice bit of climb too, 1334m. So that's more than Carrauntwohill.

Not sure what to do training wise this week. Got all day tomorrow to do something and Tuesday evening. Must pack for France too. May do something light tomorrow, will see how the legs feel. Didn't feel too bad towards the end of the spin today, which is good. Got physio on Wednesday so something to look forward to. Then will travel back to Cork Wednesday night before early flight France direction on Thursday. So will hit the forests in France on Friday:-)

Tralee-Listowel-Ballybunion-Ballyduff-Ballyheigue(via coast road)-Tralee
Avg Cadence = 64rpm

Nice easy spin today. Pace only upped from Ardfert back to Tralee, other than that the legs were just turning easy. Although coming back from Ballybunion HR increased to around 140 when I was on the front as there was a headwind.

Puncture in the group early on so that lost us some time. Other than that it was a very leisurely pace from Tralee to the 1st stop in Lisselton, at about 30km. Nice break there. Then back on the bikes. We'd a tailwind from there to Ballybunion before turning into it back towards Ballyduff.

Stopped in Ballyduff for a quick discussion on what direction to head, Coast Road to Ballyheigue was chosen. The pace was slow along here as 1 of the girls was having trouble keeping on, so we eased up. We then stopped at the end of the coast road, where the road went right to go around Kerry Head. The question was asked who was on for Kerry Head, the leader Tomás said he was heading back to Tralee, but I said i'd go around Kerry Head if anyone else wanted to join me. No one did! So back to Tralee it was.