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Chronicles of a fish: the days of surf and turf
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Kurt_Godel wrote: »Nothing scientific or reasonable about this question- just for the fun of it:
If you could change numbers in your training log to different numbers, what would you change and why?
What kind of numbers are you referring to?? Time spent training in each discipline? Or...my race times? Power? Speed? Pace? Sleep?
(Heading out to a play - The National Theatre of Scotland - so will respond after I return.)0 -
What kind of numbers are you referring to?? Time spent training in each discipline? Or...my race times? Power? Speed? Pace? Sleep?
(Heading out to a play - The National Theatre of Scotland - so will respond after I return.)
Whatever numbers you would like to be different, and why! But it doesn't matter at the moment- Art trumps Numbers so enjoy the play!0 -
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Add your reply here.
Of the logs on this forum the most likely people to get a KQ are Dory, Zico and Peter. It's no coincidence that they are all some of the most dedicated athletes you'll find and have managed to set their lives up in an abnormally focussed way for years to allow them to get the training done.
The real dedication is in the setting your life up to allow you to do the necessary training
"abnormally focused"
Love it! How eloquently and accurately put. 
:)Kurt_Godel wrote: »Whatever numbers you would like to be different, and why! But it doesn't matter at the moment- Art trumps Numbers so enjoy the play!
Will address this with pleasure tomorrow. And the play was totally fab!Oh, I've a question too. You've been doing your TRX and core work now for a few weeks, are you seeing/feeling any benefits in your bike, run or swim work?
It seems so strange from my perspective, but I have noticed an improved core while I am swimming. I honestly have not noticed any benefits in my bike, and I'd say the jury is out with the run. No doubt my abs are stronger/firmer for the work, and I believe my triceps and biceps in particular have reaped some rewards as well.0 -
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Kurt_Godel wrote: »Nothing scientific or reasonable about this question- just for the fun of it:
If you could change numbers in your training log to different numbers, what would you change and why?
Numbers...and keep in mind I am answering this as it specifically relates to triathlon, and nothing else. Four numbers come to mind:
The first number I'd like to change is my age - I'd prefer to be in my 20s. Why? Because I think if I had been introduced to triathlon in my early 20s I might have been competitive at the pointy end of things - and what fun (I think) that would have been! As it stands, I only started running for fun 5 years ago, and only started cycling 3 years ago. I'm a bit late to the dance and I think I've missed out on some really good years I could have had, plus I think it hurts me now in multiple ways when competing against the gals who have so much more experience than me.
The next number I'd like to change is the number of KQ slots allocated, and the way they are allocated. Why? Because in my gender and age group, I will essentially have to win it to get a slot. From my perspective, zico and Peter potentially have a greater chance of snagging a spot (Peter did last year but let it go) since the allocation is based on pure numbers of participation in each age group and not on the talent within.
I'd also love to change the hours I work...meaning, I'd love to work less. Why? Because I'd spend more time training in a more relaxed fashion instead of always having to keep such a tight schedule when I need to do this and that. I'm always rushing to and from....and always squeezing things in to get it all done. I'd also get more sleep if I worked less. Or at least I think I would.
And the last number I'd like to change is my bike power. Why? Because it's horribly weak and not really competitive with the ones I want to be competitive with. I think I train really hard, but I am also aware of my fear of failure - fear of not hitting/exceeding training targets. If I look at my bike training numbers, I tend to see a trend that appears I may hold back early on in sessions - I tend to "throw the kitchen sink" at the last interval. A disaster for me would be not ending on the highest (or near highest) power number. Is my fear of failure, then, influencing my effort? If so, perhaps I need to risk failure more often to reap power rewards. ???
As a side note - some who follow this log might be muttering under their breath that I am not spending enough time on my bike. And to that I say, you are correct, but it is by design. This month is all about the run. I have to trust in the plan - every plan is just an experiment, really - and fingers crossed this one is a successful experiment for me. There will be plenty of bike time coming up - many century rides on the schedule, including an overnight extravaganza in May that includes 2 full days of riding with over 200 miles covered and 20,000 feet climbed. 0 -
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Sunday, February 14th, 2016 - VaLeNtInE's DaY!
Run
Okay, we are totally and completely embedded in the deep freeze here in the land of Dory. Very...very....very....cold. Dangerously cold. So, that meant this 2 hour and 15 minute easy run was going to have to be done in the climate controlled (and extremely comfy) basement on the dreadmill. whoop whoop! And, to commemorate the 1 year anniversary of my fractured femur, I wore the same running shoes that I wore at Donadea when the break occurred. They're a fetching little shoe, mainly in black but with hues of pink peeking through the mesh body and in a US size 6.5. But I digress...
My strategy was to structure this run as I did 2 weeks ago, which was to start off super slow and easy, then to build into something reasonable. I positioned my antique wooden box fan at an angle to maximize the breeze, turned on the fairly useless treadmill fan that is designed to cool someone much taller than me, plunked down two bottles of water and some nutrition, turned up the tunes, and away I went. I did this run as follows:
For the first 2 hours: I started out at 6.0 and upped it .1 every 10 minutes
Then for the last 15 minutes I did this:
5 min @ 7.2
5 min @ 7.3
1 min @ 7.4
1 min @ 7.5
1 min @ 7.6
1 min @ 7.7
1 min @ 7.8
This run felt great, especially the final 30 to 40 minutes. I feel I fueled this perfectly - took a gel at 60 minutes, 2 shot bloks (3 shot bloks = 1 gel) 30 minutes later, 1 shot blok 20 minutes later, 1 quick disc 10 minutes later. I have zero complaints on this one, and was tickled to death how much stronger I got towards the end. (yay me!!)
Actual run: 15 miles in 2:15:14 for an average pace of 9 min/mile
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Swim
Ugh. I really need to add some water to the tank, but I am too afraid to use the outside spigot in this frigid weather. It should be warmer tomorrow, so fingers crossed!!
10 minute warmup
10 x (3 min @ 1:24, 30 sec rest)
5 minute cool down
This went totally fine. My day was a bit compressed with work in the morning and a social engagement in the evening, so I only had an hour in between the run and this swim. However, the 1:24 intervals felt fairly easy and the body is in pretty good shape. Well, in good shape other than a kink in my neck from sleeping on it wrong. !!! Not fun, especially when it's on your favored side to breathe.
Actual swim: ~50 minutes in the tank0 -
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Thursday, February 18th, 2016
Run
This was to be a recovery run to loosen the legs, so I did this sneaky lunchtime style in easy breezy fashion. Top setting for this one was 6.0.
Actual run: 3.64 miles jogging on the treadie
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Run/swim combo
Run...
Dreadie treadie time!!!
10 minutes easing into 7.6
20 minutes @ 7.6
15 minutes @ 7.9
10 minutes @ 8.2
5 minutes @ 8.5
I intentionally didn't give this session much advance thought because I knew it was going to push my recent running fitness. (translation: my running sucks) Aaaaannnnd......holy cow were those last 5 minutes a push! But I got this done in pretty good shape. I tried to keep myself as relaxed as possible, and I tried to conserve my energy along the way. Happy I could actually move at an artificial pace of 7 min/mile when 55 minutes into this run. Fingers crossed this is the beginning of me getting some speed back.
Swim...
10 min swim
10 min buoy
10 min buoy-band
I hopped in the pool fresh off the treadmill and took this nice and easy. The swim was a mixture of free and breast at 1:33, and both the buoy and the buoy-band were a bit of arm work at 1:30. Water felt great tonight!
Actual run/swim combo: 7.73 miles in 60 minutes on the treadie, and 30 minutes in the tank0 -
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This session went totally fine - no issues at all. One very interesting thing, however, that I noticed - (listen up, Kurt, if you're out there!!!) - with the spiffy and turbulent 1:14 sprints, the "uglier" my stroke was, the faster I seemed to swim. Huh. I have had zero open water instruction...I am a pool swimmer...so this was sort of a revelation for me. Obviously if I'm open water swimming in a flat lake or still body of water this technique would not be effective, but now I know what all the choppy fuss is about when swimming in an agitated mess.
The biggest message I get from this is that (check it out folks, relevant to everyone on the forum!) swimming is a learning process every time you get in the water, no matter what level/experience you swim at.
So what was ugly about your stroke Dory? I presume you are talking of powering through the water at the expense of grace (my default style of swimming!)? Which begs the question... why not do both? All ears here, looking forward to learning more later on 0 -
Kurt_Godel wrote: »The biggest message I get from this is that (check it out folks, relevant to everyone on the forum!) swimming is a learning process every time you get in the water, no matter what level/experience you swim at.
So what was ugly about your stroke Dory? I presume you are talking of powering through the water at the expense of grace (my default style of swimming!)? Which begs the question... why not do both? All ears here, looking forward to learning more later on
The ugly was the shortened, quick stroke I was using to combat waves and turbulence. Shortened in the sense that there was no real reach so that the underwater pull began much sooner than it does when I am ever so gracefully gliding across calm waters. 0 -
The ugly was the shortened, quick stroke I was using to combat waves and turbulence. Shortened in the sense that there was no real reach so that the underwater pull began much sooner than it does when I am ever so gracefully gliding across calm waters.
Ah, proper swimming! Into a gale of whitecaps smacking your face, against the tide, falling out of high waves and punching straight into the next. Must sign you up for the Leinster OW season, no wetsuit required 0 -
Saturday, February 21st, 2016
Bike/run combo:
Bike...
Duration: 03:00:00
Description:
TRAINER option:
30 min warm up
10 min single-leg drills
5 min easy
8x
(3 min big gear + 1 min easy spin + 2 min one gear harder + 1 min easy spin + 1 min add one gear--this should be biggest possible gear, such that it is very difficult to turn over 45-50 cadence + 3 min easy spin)
5 min easy
3x
4 min @ 125 watts + 3 min @ 135 watts + 3 min @ 155 watts + 1 min 165-175 watts
9 min easy
Hahahahaha. "4 min @ 125 watts + 3 min @ 135 watts + 3 min @ 155 watts + 1 min 165-175 watts"....starting 2 hours and 18 minutes into this session and immediately after 88 minutes of grinding in the 3 biggest gears on the Cat. Hahahahaha. Oh my...I knew when I saw this that this was a huge reach for me...but what the heck, right? Oh myyyyy.....
Okay, so I had the option of doing a 3 hour proper ride, or doing 3 hours on the trainer. Ugh. I've been nursing a bit of a sore throat, and it was insanely windy outside, so I took the option that I thought would serve me best today - the trainer. The 8 x 11 minute big gear set went pretty well. I didn't bother tracking my power, but rather I kept an eye on my cadence since the gearing was a given. For the 3rd biggest gear I targeted 60 rpm...for the 2nd biggest gear I targeted 55 rpm...and the for the biggest gear I targeted 50 rpm. All seemed to go well, and I felt my effort was consistent and appropriate.
And then came the 125w-135w-155w-165/175w set.
KABOOM!
I knew pretty much immediately that this was never going to happen. Nope. So I went to Plan B, which was to try my hardest, never give in, crank it up one gear for each increase in targeted power, ignore my screaming thighs, and hold my head up high when it was over. Job done. Oh how some of my numbers weren't even close to the targets, but the effort was there. Personally I think the targeted power numbers were too ambitious for me, but when I suggested that as a possibility, I got the impression from my almighty leader that she didn't really agree with me. ??? Actual numbers as follows:
#1:
4 min - 79 rpm...122w
3 min - 71 rpm...137w
3 min - 66 rpm...135w
1 min - 61 rpm...134w
#2:
4 min - 77 rpm...121w
3 min - 70 rpm...130w
3 min - 65 rpm...134w
1 min - 56 rpm...140w
#3:
4 min - 77 rpm...123w
3 min - 70 rpm...136w
3 min - 65 rpm...133w
1 min - 62 rpm...146w
I'm a bit surprised at how low my cadence is above - I wasn't really "aware" of it at the time. I do know I tend to prefer a lower cadence as I tire, so I'm not sure if it was a function of fatigue or just a bad choice in gearing....or more likely I thought I'd have a better chance at a higher power number if I could grind it out rather than spinning in an easier gear. But whatever it was, these are some lower than expected cadence numbers.
One other thing I'll note here, and this is not to excuse my data in any way as we will take these numbers as Gospel and let them tell the story as it appears...but, during my last trainer session (last Wednesday?), my right Garmin Vector pedal came loose and totally off while I was pedaling. And over Christmas holiday my brother noticed my pedal was loose as well when he was giving my bike the once over. ??? I'm not totally sure what is going on, but obviously this isn't right. The other part of this story is I have not done a Garmin Vector calibration in months. !!! So, in the deep recesses of my mind I'm secretly thinking how hilarious it would be if my power data is off. I'll be looking into this pedal thing, and I'll be calibrating the Vectors the next time I hop on the Cat!
Run...
After a super fast t2, I was treadie trotting and not hating life. Total shocker! My legs didn't really protest as much as I thought they would, maybe they were just happy to be off that damn bike. I started out at 6.0, then eased into my 6.6. 20 minutes done, and I was totally famished.
Actual bike/run combo: 3 hours on the Black Cat, followed by 20 minutes on the treadmill
Sunday, February 22nd, 2016
Run - Track!!!!
20 minute warmup
3 x {4 x (200 FAST, 200 super easy), 1 mile at HMP, 90 seconds rest}
10 minute cool down
Spitting rain and a slight wind out there today, so not the prettiest of days to be out running. But the good news is, I had the track all to myself!!! Yay!! I prefer to suffer alone, and suffering I was on those awful 200s. Barf. I hate sprinting. I hate the way it makes me feel like I'm going to vomit. I'd much prefer running slower for longer distances than wanting to puke over shorter distances. But, I suppose sprinting is a necessary evil for us all! Suffice it to say, the 200s were nauseating, and the last four 200s in particular were the most miserable. I took the liberty of embracing the super easy 200s at face value.
The first mile at HMP was fine, but I was clearly over dressed for the occasion. Because it was raining, I had my running rain jacket on over a long sleeved top. I had already noticed I was smothered during the first set of 200s, so during one of the easy 200s I converted my uber cool running rain jacket into the uber cool running rain vest option. (what a great jacket/vest!!!) However, on this first mile at HMP I was roasting in the long sleeved top that was under my newly converted vest, and I wanted it gone. So....let's just say I'm hoping there are no surveillance cameras at the high school track because if there are, they got a little show today by yours truly. Off with the vest, off with the long sleeved top, back on with the vest. Glad I wore one of my better looking sports bras today!
Any way...here are my times for those 3 x 1 mile at HMP:
7:18, 7:08, 7:09
Not bad paces....but the only thing is, I'd never be able to hold that sort of pace for 13.1 miles, I'm not fooling anyone. My HM pb is 1:35 from over 2 years ago. That's a 7:15 pace on a hilly course. Not in my wildest dreams am I capable of that right now. I'm still pleased with today's session, but let's not get carried away.
Actual run: 9 miles in 1:18:30 on the track in the spitting rain
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Swim
10 minute warmup
5 x (10 minute, 30 sec rest) - all with buoy-band
5 minute cool down
I did this in the evening....and I did the buoy-band as one long 50 minute swim at a setting of 1:27. I know I was supposed to take a quick rest every 10 minutes, but I didn't feel like it. I just wanted to keep swimming, swimming, swimming.
Actual swim: 65 minutes of swimming, swimming, swimming in the tank0 -
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My understanding is that the vector relies on being fitted at the correct torque to give you a good power reading.
Yep, I've been scouring the Garmin Vector data and just watched a video on pedal installation and you are absolutely correct! If you do not tighten down the pedals appropriately (preferably with a torque wrench to a specific torque spec), then you will undervalue your power. I merely hand tightened both when my brother noticed how loose the pedal was around Christmas and again last Wednesday....plus I wonder how long before Christmas I was pedaling on a loose pedal!Kurt_Godel wrote: »To be honest your PM numbers have looked very low for a long while. They don't stack up with how your training "reads". Even the results of your 125w-135w-155w-165/175w set... 125W is recovery/easy effort for most*, whereas you look like you were struggling to hold it, and then to increase the effort.
Might be worth a trip to your bike guys to check its set up correctly?
*I'm basing this on the perceived effort that comes across in your log.
Trust me, the effort has been there. I'll get this pedal thing sorted then we'll see if it's me or Vector putting out the low numbers! Thanks for opening the discussion last week on my low power - I'm not sure I would have given it much thought if you hadn't. !!! 0 -
Trust me, the effort has been there. I'll get this pedal thing sorted then we'll see if it's me or Vector putting out the low numbers!
I don't think there is much doubt about the low power numbers, or about the honest training effort. The girl who ran through a broken femur would not struggle to get 1 min at 134W having done 4 mins at 122!0 -
Garmin here in the states has the best customer service of any product or service I use, hands down. In fact, I dare say there is another business I deal with that comes close. Bottom line, my right pedal is "broken" and they are replacing it for me at no charge (their idea, not mine). I've had the Garmin Vector pedals for nearly 2 years, almost a year beyond their 1 year limited warranty. Obviously they want me safe, and obviously they want me happy....and they are ensuring me of this in very swift fashion. I'm a happy Dory. And the bonus is, the rep told me without a doubt my power would have been reading low with this pedal. HAPPY DANCE!!! 0
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Tuesday, February 23rd, 2016
Gym
Sneaky lunchtime TRX action. My side planks are getting pretty good. I sort of pretend I'm a gymnast when I'm doing them. Don't ask.
Actual gym: ~35 minutes planking it
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Swim/run combo
Swim...
10 minute warmup
5 min buoy-band, cruise
30 x (90 sec @ 1:19, 30 sec rest)
5 min kick
5 min cool down
The worst thing about this swim was all the finger nails I lost to the grate on the wave machine that I kept swimming into. Ugh. I've never had such short nails - not good. But the 100s went fine. Not much else to say!
Run...
And...onto the treadie with my google eyes. I kept this at a constant 6.6 for 60 minutes, and it went fine. Nothing too exciting today to report!
Swim/run combo: 90 minutes in the tank, followed by 60 minutes on the treadie0 -
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Kurt_Godel wrote: »So... I have a vote, I've been following the schenanigins so far, and blessed if I can't find a valid reason to vote beyond the caricature that is Trump. Wifey want's a household Saunders vote coz she likes his cuddliness- fair enough. However I think that "Yes we can" 2008 turned out to be as pointless a manifesto as the long wall paid by Mexico 2016 ... can you help me out at all?!?!
Hahahaha! Trump, now that's some scary sh*t right there. Hey, at least he had the decency to give his "poorly educated" supporters props last night. Classy guy! 0 -
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Kurt_Godel wrote: »Bloomberg runs as an independent I'm all over it.... otherwise whats the choice (but its all entertainment really...)?
I'm still desperately waiting for someone to ask him about his hair. 0
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