Double Win

Biked out to Bull Island.
Conversation ensued with Guss.
Me: What time will win it?
Guss: Aah about 60, probably sub 60. But sure you'll decide yourself
Me: Sub 55 possible?
Guss: 57 is doable.
Me: Grand job. Chat to you later.

26 minutes 20 seconds later I float through the spectator control. Happily orienteering away, really enjoying been back on a map....

The first half of the course I set off at a comfortable pace and was orienteering along nicely. I had a wee slip on number 2 and got very nervous, not been sure where I was on the map, I recovered and got under way again. Splashed through the marsh going to 6 and hit the wrong side of the hill. Recovered going to 7 but slipped up number 8 is well. After that I was clean through to the spectator control.

On the flip side of the map I picked up the pace slightly catching Don, Greg and Declan. Declan hung on and we tipped along at a good pace. By 23 I had a big gap on Declan as he was nervous about 22 and stopped to double checked the control code.
Clean and fast I missed 26, over shooting and letting Declan back into the game. He led 27 but I fought back to take 28. It was game on. We were looking at each other as we headed for the last, unluckly we both missed it. Declan veired left but I saw the control, i took off and got to the last before him. It was good to be put under pressure at the end of a race.

0:57:56

Looks like Guss was right :) 5min clear of field

Back to the Hills

Finally, since last November I returned to the mountains to get a proper test to see how my winters training had paid off. The annual Maulin Winter League hill race kicked off this morning.

As usual my race prep involved getting up as late as possible, down coffee and bailing into a car.

Arriving in Crone carpark, I began to get excited. Bumped into the usual friendly faces and got people pointed out to me who will probably be up in the running. While getting changed I heard Gerry telling guys to watch out for me. This put a smile on my face. Fear is a great thing.

Warming up the first hill I didn't feel too hot. So i found a flat section and slowly increased the pace before some down hill sprints to get the legs ticking over for what would be a fast start.

Finally got onto the start line and a guy by the name of Ian was there, according to Gerry, ex world champs team. I'd watch him but I reckoned I could take him. He didn't look like he paid Maulin the respect it deserved. The route was called out and someone shouted go; we were away. Brian Furey took us off hard up the climb. I decided I didn't want someone pacing me so I took control and went to the front but dropped the pace to something I could hold. Luckily the gamble paid off and they sat in behind me. Across the flat bit I stole a quick look back and we already had a gap. It felt good to feel the burn again.

Up the second section I let Ian take the lead. Sitting in behind him I let him go. Running hard up the road I sat close to some randomer and tailed him. I then caught a glimps of a blue top and I began to question who it was. At first I assumed it was Brian, but he didn't have the blue top on him. I took a small glance over my shoulder and my heart plummeted. Peter "the beast" O'Farrell had appeared out of nowhere. He completely demolished me on the same course last year. I decided to slot the negative taught and just get on with the job at hand.

I went to one side of the track to get away from the other runner who was picking up the pace. I caught peters eye and I moved back to where I was. Running along the track we hit the grassy bank. The red guy got dropped, Ian got a gap and Brian passed me out. After suffering up the climb - painfully slowing to a walk and saving my energy, allowing Peter and Brian to get a gap on me. Once i hit the track at the top I opened the pace and caught back up with Brian. I was suffering but I knew that all the pain ended at the summit. After that it was just a matter of holding it together and decending hard. All i had to do was make it to the summit. I suffered up the last bit trying to stay in contact with Brian.

Summitting the top I saw Brian take a bad spill and dust himself off but he lost his flow. What really interested me was the race that developed in front of my eyes further down the mountain. Peter had caught and passed Ian! Ian had had a big lead at the top but it had been swollowed up in the space of 200m! Seeing this I put the foot down and caught and passed Ian. By the end of the MTB switch backs I had my eyes on Peter, Ian was out of the picture as far as I was concerned. At the base of the Maulin Ride I caught Peter. I sat in behind him and let him set the pace. He still managed to get a gap at the top, my main concern been the 2km fire road at the end. I allowed myself to recover on the climb. I no longer cared what happened behind me. This was now between Peter and myself.

Taking the decent at my ultimate limit I closed the gap again. When we hit the road he had 10m. The gap seemed to be stuck at 10m no matter how hard I tried. A voice in my head finally goes, "sure second place isn't a half bad result. After all, this is Peter who has beaten you". When that taught was processed I completely flipped out. All that mattered was closing that gap cm by cm. There was no way in hell he was going to get across that line first. I had somehow managed to pull the competitiveness out of me; kicking and screaming!

I accelerated and was on his shoulder. I surged again and got in front but as I did, the pace slowed dramatically. He kindly pointed it out that the pace dropped and that Brian was slashing the gap on us, he also may have suggested that I was dead on my feet but this could also have been me messing with my own head.... Needless to say I upped the anty and slowly began to pull away from Peter, millimetre by millimetre. I needed to know how far I had left, so when I saw the T junction I threw down what I had left going sub 2:45min/k around the final bends.

Turning the last 180* turn I glanced back and realised that I had a tiny gap. I accelerated to the line, I gave it everything. I just managed to sneak the win. I rocked across the line and ended up in the carpark, on my hands and knees completely spewing up my guts :P

Quality effort. Really happy with the win :D

Leinster Seniors XC

Well with the weather dry and clear I lined up in the Leinster Senior XC Champs down in the country lands of Kilmacow. It was a good course with a nice hill in it and a good crowd to watch the races. The 6 laps (or the 6 hill climbs) really took there toll as the race went on.

The tactic, going against everything John said was to go with the leaders and see what happened... So i hung on in there and suffered through the 10km to finish in 11th position, could have been a possible 9th but i ran out of course to give chase. All in all 33mins for a 10km XC course was very pleasing. Someone took a video of it is well!

The week that followed was one of project work and easy running. As well as a meeting with Paul Mahon. Adventure racing legend. The up coming summer should be fun.

Friday night saw a night MTB session in the Wicklow mountains which had so beautiful views. 40k of sweeping trails and hard pack snow is hard to beat.

Sunday dawned and so did the All Ireland Intermediate XC champs in Lough Key Forest Park in Roscommon.

In a nut shell, i went off to hard, the course was marked out incorrectly, we went the wrong way, we were 2.5km short. It was a fine mess up by the AAI.

Run was a disaster and my attitude during the race was a disgrace.

39th from 115. If i was 20sec faster i would have been top 20...

Winner was 24:13 while i crossed the line in a pathetic 26:57; Fail.

The only positive note was that was lap times were pretty tight -

3:42, 3:58, 4:06, 4:06, 4:06, 3:53, petty there were slow :P

Longer Days

As the spring approaches, there is more light in the morning and evenings which should mean more training time but instead i am beginning to get lazy and stay in my warm bed.

Laziness is probably due to the mentally taxing projects for college and the new modules the 2nd semester brings. In college terms, there are still no sign of results so the wait continues.

For racing, i have been approached by the Irish AR Legend that is Paul Mahon! He needs a land navigator for the up coming season. After some serious taught on the races and distances as well as training commitments involved and the effects I belled him back and count down is on to the Achill Mountain Marathon - the weekend after the Irish Champs!

Racing this summer will be all about recovery. Keeping my body ticking over till the next race.

The prelim calender looks like this (note its highly likely to change!)

13 Mar IV's XC, Cork IT

20 Mar IV's HR Glendalough

26-28 Mar Spring Cup (WRE) Denmark

2-5 Apr JK (WRE) England

23-25 Apr IOC NI

1-2 May Achill MM Mayo

23-27 June Le Raid North France

26-27 June Irish Rogaine Wicklow

17-24 July WUOC Sweden

31-2 Aug Beast of Ballyhoura Munster

13-16 Aug NAM Kerry

18-19 Sept Mourne MM Down

I'd also like to attempt the Wicklow Round and a go at the Wicklow Way.... As well as Euro Trails for Hill Running and possibly World Champs

For training, the club transfer has gone through and i am now a member of Donore Harriers AC. Needless to say, the DIT crowd gave me a right slagging with them all been members of Clonliff and what not.

Training with Donore is going well and i feel myself getting stronger and faster. The first test is tomorrow at 14:30 with the Leinster Senior XC down in Kilkenny... Should be epic!

Back to projects.... again

Bliss

Well with the exams over all thats left now is the hideous amount of hours that needs to go into the numerous projects and assignments between now and May.

Training is still going well. Hit a few low points but you can't be breaking records every night of the week!

Since Jan 9th the volume is staying consistent with the added flavor of speed work. Generally knocking out 100km a week. I was also lucky enough to find a perfectly painful 4km hill loop... fun times!

I think 100miles is still a little outside my reach at the moment. My time management is way to crap to fit it in :P

Whats orienteering again?

Snow Snow Snow

With January well and truely under way and the exams apon us, all i can think about is the possibility of them been canceled due to the bad weather and how tragic it would be! I would have very little to do except knock out laps of the park, add a couple of fartlick session and sleep.
Even the track is frozen!

Running in snow is tough on the legs - although i did get a novel idea for another blog. Stair running for leg strenght, or in the case of dublin - Mulitstory Carpark Reps!

Back to the books....

Zero Ninner Out

With 2009 now gone. The figures speak for themselves!
Running 143hrs 1,623km (24%)
Orienteering 96hrs 824km (16%) 2,081 controls

Add in biking, strenght, rock climbing and the rest - total for 09' is 570hrs

To my shame, 853km of those was between Oct and Dec. Basically since i got the finger out and started to train with Donore Harriers.