It was interesting. The Novices, I died. The Inters, I died. The Seniors, I died. Good season :)
Below is the stuff plugged from my training log:
All Irelands Novice XC Champs.
The plan was simple. Go out easy and pick it up, come through like a train and secure a Donore Team win....
Started off easy, sitting in around 60ish. Jogged up the first hill and took the first lap casaul. After the hill on the 2nd lap I upped the pace slightly and began to pass runners at ease. By the time I had got to John again, I was in 41st and moving like a freight train picking up places. John was going mental at me as I was finally nailing a XC using sensible tactics....
Then somthing happened and it all went to shit. My legs refused to turn over, my lungs tightened up and I found it hard to breath. Keith Daly went by me and I couldn't go with him at all.
I was leaking places like a sinking ship. Last lap, I was dead on my feet, I didn't even have any fight left in me. Fergal came past me. Couldn't do a thing.
Really really disappointed. I thought I was well up for the race but I guess I'm mentally tired from exams.
The top 4 guys for Donore, Mark 7th, Ken 31st, Keith 37th and Fergal 50th finsihed 2nd team and picked up silver medals so a pat on the back to the lads. The advantage of a strong team I guess.
Full Results
Pissed off, bitter, pumped for the Nat Seniors.
Started off easy, sitting in around 60ish. Jogged up the first hill and took the first lap casaul. After the hill on the 2nd lap I upped the pace slightly and began to pass runners at ease. By the time I had got to John again, I was in 41st and moving like a freight train picking up places. John was going mental at me as I was finally nailing a XC using sensible tactics....
Then somthing happened and it all went to shit. My legs refused to turn over, my lungs tightened up and I found it hard to breath. Keith Daly went by me and I couldn't go with him at all.
I was leaking places like a sinking ship. Last lap, I was dead on my feet, I didn't even have any fight left in me. Fergal came past me. Couldn't do a thing.
Really really disappointed. I thought I was well up for the race but I guess I'm mentally tired from exams.
The top 4 guys for Donore, Mark 7th, Ken 31st, Keith 37th and Fergal 50th finsihed 2nd team and picked up silver medals so a pat on the back to the lads. The advantage of a strong team I guess.
Full Results
Pissed off, bitter, pumped for the Nat Seniors.
With this minor mishap, I sorted the head and was up for the National Inter Champs. A hard fought mud bath. My training log is blunt and too the point.
National XC Club Champs!! :P Woop!
Go on the Donore!!
Anywho, the course was a mud bath. Never seen anything like it before in my life. Manky ouvit!
Finished up 43rd in a battle of attrition. Not really happy but came through strongly over the last two laps.
John, Keith and Ken monstered it. I suffered around and surived to get the last space on the team. Downsy was giving me dog abuse the entire way around. Gave it everything. Just wasn't strong enough.
Am now bollocked.
Go on the Donore!!
Anywho, the course was a mud bath. Never seen anything like it before in my life. Manky ouvit!
Finished up 43rd in a battle of attrition. Not really happy but came through strongly over the last two laps.
John, Keith and Ken monstered it. I suffered around and surived to get the last space on the team. Downsy was giving me dog abuse the entire way around. Gave it everything. Just wasn't strong enough.
Am now bollocked.
What I didn't say in my log was that I got home, showered, went out for a beer and spent the next 48hrs in bed except for 2 easy runs. I was still pale on Tuesday. It really was throw everything, including the kitchen sink and the adjoining pipework at it. Very pleased with it.
The next and final race was the National Seniors on Saturday. It was a 7 lap sufferfeast.
Plan was simple, go out easy and build into it. Disappointed, but not sure I could have done any more.
National Inter Clubs.
The plan was to go out easy and build into it.
So thats exactly what I did. I ended up in a bunch with Travers, Mark, Shane and Ken (all donore). We were packed around 40th, just crusing. We tipped through lap one, still in 40ish. The things began to heat up. However, I let them go and ran my own race.
I was running ok on any of the ups or downs, but once it got flat, groups would just string past me. I kept plugging away at it, counting down the laps. The all of a sudden I was on my second last lap. So I tried to push on as was the plan. Ended up racing a DSD guy over the final two laps. He got me in the end, just had more of a kick.
Bit disappointed with my run. I'm sore, but something was missing. Maybe I took it too easy or was too conservative when racing.
Lap times
2:29 (short run to the start of the main loop)
5:45, 6:01, 6:02, 6:14,
6:13, 6:18, 6:09.
Full Results
Live and learn.
The plan was to go out easy and build into it.
So thats exactly what I did. I ended up in a bunch with Travers, Mark, Shane and Ken (all donore). We were packed around 40th, just crusing. We tipped through lap one, still in 40ish. The things began to heat up. However, I let them go and ran my own race.
I was running ok on any of the ups or downs, but once it got flat, groups would just string past me. I kept plugging away at it, counting down the laps. The all of a sudden I was on my second last lap. So I tried to push on as was the plan. Ended up racing a DSD guy over the final two laps. He got me in the end, just had more of a kick.
Bit disappointed with my run. I'm sore, but something was missing. Maybe I took it too easy or was too conservative when racing.
Lap times
2:29 (short run to the start of the main loop)
5:45, 6:01, 6:02, 6:14,
6:13, 6:18, 6:09.
Full Results
Live and learn.
With the third race, it ended the XC season, excluding the colleges in 2 weeks time.
All in all I can't complain with the haul.
Leinster Novices
Induv 18th
Club 4th (3rd Donore)
County 2nd
All Ireland Novices
Induv 66th
Club 2nd (5th Donore)
Dublin Intermediates
Induv 3rd
Club 2nd (1st Donore)
All Ireland Intermediates
Induv 43rd
Club 1st (4th Donore)
County 2nd
Inter Club Champs
Induv 64th
Club 6th (4th Donore)
The end result is that I can only run 4 XC races next year. Inter Clubs, County, Dublin and Leinster Senior. More time for the hills. Smiles all round
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