Training Log Archive: ColmM

With Jonny.

3Rock team, 1st leg.
Ran well here too. I started fine, slower out of the blocks than some, spiked my first one perfectly, went through the large depression seperating my route from most, also stayed right coming in, but perfect! Ran really well through this first section, had a few people with me and on different gaffles, but stayed in good contact, and comfortably spiked my first 6 or so. A small mistake, caught in the train without enough reading to 7, but realised things looked bad quite quickly, turned in and adjusted. Took the road route to 8, as most on this gaffle I'd say did. And happy with pace and map-reading through the rest of the course. Glimpsed Conor after the town section and pushed to try and pass him, but he had made a mistake, and I was lucky enough to be first Irishman back!
Team did really well too, slowly climbed positions with Andrew and Gerard. Finished in 13th, and first Irish team. IOC relay probably won't suit me as well with less gaffles and not so much technical stuff too, but I could be wrong, and hopefully it will! I didn't expect much from this relay either so hey!

QuickRoute and Splits

Jog to the start with James and then partially Andrew, discussing the relay also.

Earned myself a late start time for today, which I was happy with. Had a look around my time, felt some people were maybe catchable, and was pleased to notice Peter Bray starting just after me also.
Again, Quickroute below, so won't waffle too much. Struggled a little to get into the map to no.1, and had some moments of thinking I was a lot further than I was, but I realised about half way along and could pick it up slightly, also stuck in some barbed wire briefly too. I didn't run too hard early but Peter Bray had almost caught me by 3, and finally did to 5. I wasn't too disappointed, tried to stick in, but he was motoring. Had to leave him go to 8, but his pace helped me to push a bit harder. Solid through most of this course too, mistakes were few and far between, and running well, not much more I can ask for. Poor decision to go around the final hill to 13, but not exactly costly. Bad mistake to 15, with a poor bearing, but once corrected I just tried to focus again. Finished fine, struggled up the last hills, badly. Needed better fitness for a better result, but 9th on the day. And 7th overall is a very pleasing result. More than happy with it. Starting to show some composure for important races. Hopefully.

QuickRoute and Splits

With Mark, to the start, just in time. Mark, just late.

Enjoyed this race. The only run I can maybe slightly complain about because I didn't run that hard, at all. But, I hadn't planned to. In the start box I knew how tricky the place could be, so I went for a steady pace, and a clean run. This was good, good first controls, steady but still catching the train, and Mark. Caught him to 6, and we ran a lot together. My quickroute is below so I need not talk too much of my race, but it was solid. I struggled to keep good contact towards the end, and I was losing time with a bit of stopping and starting, but still quite good, with few mistakes, apart from the second last where I tried to hard too pick up time and forgot to read the map, rookie mistake. Finished 7th, a solid run, nothing too flashy, but no major problems either.

Quick Route and Splits

Event: JK 2011
 

with Cillin, enjoyable, beneficial.

Good Race.
I had some nerves coming into this during the journey up, but was pretty cool during the warm-up and in the start boxes. Had worked out where I was and the general buildings around me and hence what the first controls would be like - tricky!
Started happy, nailed no.1, and good route. Struggled to plan ahead early but got the first 3 well, to 4 I didn't read it well enough and missed to go inside the lower wall, but realised and lost less than 10secs. But, in return, I got the route to 5 right, and looked a little in front. Was fine through the easy ones apart from misreading the crossable wall at 7 as a path and having to go around, but losing less than 10secs again. To 10, I thought I'd spotted the shortest way but was fooled by the uncrossables, and had to detour back around the buildings, another less than 10secs miss. I saw the majority of the best route to 11 too, and was lucky enough to have people run through the path around the building to help me more. Sped up for the easy ones before the spectator and was in good shape at this point. Knew I'd had a couple but not enough to lose big time.
I tried to keep up a fast pace here too, and should maybe have planned a little too, but hesitantly spiked 17. Fine through this whole next section really, wrong side of a crossable wall on 18, and didn't take time to read it, but it wasn't enough to matter. Enjoyed my routes to 21 and 23 also, regret going around to 24, but little lost. Another 10sec-ish mistake on 26 again, not taking the time to check if a wall was crossable but not too bothered.

A good sprint, ran solidly, not overly fast, but well enough, and kept reading the detail. Passed a fair few while out there and came back first finisher, nice to have a lead! Gonna' put this one down to the 200s..

Splits