Training Log Archive: eoinmcc

MCO Long.
This was a horrendous run. There was no focus from the start, and no control over my technique. Don;t know whether it was the two races the day before, or lack of sleep or what, but for some reason I just wasn't with it mentally standing on the startline.
Lost 2 mins to no 1, going to the wrong boulder cluster, 100m from the control. Race finished on no 2. Leaving 1 I didn't have a solid plan for the control, didn't try and simplify the leg through some very tricky terrain on a tricky control. Lost where I was midway along, found a re-entrant (the wrong one) and the proceeded to search in vain for the control and try to relocate. I couldn't find the SE control which I was near on the map and was clueless. After too long, I figured my race was over anyway, so began to make my way to 5. Navigated to 6 fine from 5. Messed up 7, coming off my bearing onto the wrong hill. Similiar story with 8 to 2. Hadn't planned it properly, didn't have a solid, simple plan and ended up at 12 after skinning my arms on bare rock and getting caught in several meters of thick, high brambles. Came off my bearing to 13 onto what I thought was the right spur, skipped it.
From 14 onwards, my orienteering was fine, but by this stage I had already been out almost 3 hours, and had skipped most of the controls thus far. Had a small miss on 19, ~40s and on 23 ~ 30s.
Really disappointed with this run. It was embarrassing really. On the bright side, once I got going after almost 3 hours the technique was fine and the legs felt ok. Need to learn from this race so I can try and stop this sort of embarrassment happening again and that I can keep improving as I definitely need to on the evidence of this weekend.

MCO Middle
Really good middle course with technically difficult and physical terrain. Was going pretty well for the first half of the course. Lost some time being hesitant on execution of the route to 3. Lost time in the circle at 12, ~40 secs. Began to lose more time in the last section of the course as I began to get tired. Bit sloppy on 16 and 17 with small misses. Big mistake on 19, lost 3 mins. Cut in too early, crossed the wrong track and was searching around the wrong area. Lost another minute on 20, coming off my bearing too far left on a pretty short, straightforward control. Disappointed with the loss of discipline towards the end. Would have been pretty happy with the run had it not been for 19 and 20

MCO Sprint
Before this race I wanted to plan ahead well and keep control in my navigation. Unfortunately, it was my planning ahead that cost me time going to no 1 as I didn't take the optimal route and lost where I was on the map for a few seconds, +~30s. Didn't execute plan properly to 2. Only went down 1 instead of 3 lanes, giving me extra distance. Lost where I was on the way to 4, hadn't planned the control thoroughly enough, +5s. 8, began to run down the wrong street, wasn't counting off the roads/buildings, +5s. Didn't take best route to 9. The section around the castle was good, navigating well in the tricky part. 16 was bad. Went down a street too early coming off a bend and couldn't figure out what I had done, +40s. Missed the stairs up into 19, legs tired by this stage as well so speed wasn't great, +5-10s. Didn't take the best route to 25, rather than taking a more winding, direct route, should have taken the simpler, faster route. +5s. Lost about 1:30 overall which isn't what you want. Route planning and execution need to improve, along with the foot speed.

Event: 3rd Mediterranean Championships in Orienteering - WRE 2014
 

Achilles was at me so decided to miss out on the track session in santry tonight

strides

Bit o' core