Toiler's Constant

Dory Dory · 02-01-2013 5:50pm

^^^^ Way cool.

Kurt Godel · 02-01-2013 6:12pm

Wed pm 10.5k jog

The family are away, so I decided to make hay and get out for a recovery jog, around the backroads on the Hillbrook loop that was a staple during my marathon days. Kept the effort right down, and shook out any residual stiffness in my shoulder and neck.

Dory Dory wrote: »

^^^^ Way cool.

Absolutely, I have to say he is a very inspiring young man, its not often you meet someone the best in the world at their game. Priceless stoke analysis too.

shotgunmcos · 02-01-2013 7:16pm

Dory Dory wrote: »

^^^^ Way cool.

+1. His gold medal was for me, the most inspirational Irish medal of the games. I was trying to explain it to a friend recently how gobsmacked I felt watching it

Kurt Godel · 03-01-2013 8:10pm

Thurs 1:40 turbo

My knee was a little niggly after yesterday's run, but a turbo session just now has it pain free. Sweated a small pail while watching "Cloud Atlas" again, it gets even better still with repeated viewing- as all great works of Art do.

Kurt Godel · 04-01-2013 4:52pm

Fri 2,750 swim

The kids were with me at the pool, so one of two of these intervals had slightly longer wall breaks as I monitored them. Otherwise, I was concentrating on stroke and head/feet position. So much to learn.

5x100 off 1:50 1:43, 1:47, 1:44, 1:45, 1:47
5x100 off 1:55 1:39, 1:46, 1:48, 1:49, 1:51
5x100 off 2:00 1:44, 1:48, 1:48, 1:51, 1:48
5x100 off 2:00 1:47, 1:51, 1:50, 1:55, 1:58

Kurt Godel · 04-01-2013 7:37pm

Fri pm65 mins turbo

Put a fluffy towel under my head starting off, collected a damp limp rag when I finished. (I'm calling 65 mins turbo as 30km for the purposes of SBR tables).

Here's a little secret- how best to disguise the boredom of the turbo? Why, focus the mind on something even more boring, enter the fascinating world of youtube math vids at your peril...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTwimvsscvU

Oryx · 04-01-2013 8:13pm

I listened for a minute. My brain is now full.

Kurt Godel · 05-01-2013 5:55pm

Sat 13km steady run; 67 mins turbo.

Up along the forest trails at dusk, very mild out there for the time of year. Everything was moving as it should, felt in decent shape for the first time in a while.

Bonus 67 mins on the turbo while brushing up on Calculus vids.

Kurt Godel · 06-01-2013 7:22pm

Sun 3,500m swim, 5km easy run

3,000m swim 1:57 pace (58:24). Steady swim, concentrating on arms. I imagined reaching for an item on the cupboard top shelf, and smashing it down through the lower shelves. Didn't do much with the legs at all. After a while I started getting a feel for a decent stroke, and I'll bring this exercise into my next set of 100's. Touch turns were decent too, the hand push off the wall is just to help pivot around the fulcrum, and is most effective when it is a quick easy push.

5km run after, with the dog, and my legs needed this stretch.

Kurt Godel · 06-01-2013 8:21pm

Kurt Godel · 08-01-2013 1:04pm

Tue 3,500m swim

1,100m steady at 1:53 pace. I've been reading the SwimSmooth book, and its a wealth of info. Today's session was mainly about my hand entry and catch, so refinements include entering fingers first, slightly bending the fingers, bring the arms wider than I had been doing, and ending the underwater phase with as vertical a hand as I could manage.

5x100m off 1:45 in on 1:36, 1:41, 1:41, 1:42, 1:41
5x100m off 1:50 1:41, 1:46, 1:48, 1:48, 1:46
5x100m off 1:55 1:42, 1:47, 1:48, 1:52, 1:49
5x100m off 1:55 1:42, 1:50, 1:55, 1:54, 1:49

Again, I was focussing on catch and stroke for these sets. The times are better than last Friday's equivalent, and I'm putting that down to stroke refinement. A few times I was catching the water very well, I could feel the streamline, so hopefully things are heading in the right direction. Form was dipping towards the end, but thats what these sets are about.
Also, today I exhaled underwater constantly, instead of blowing it out in a burst. A full set of lungs means higher chest, which means lower legs, which means more drag.

400m w/d

Dory Dory · 08-01-2013 1:25pm

Why does a full set of lungs mean lower legs? Or am I misunderstanding you? Shouldn't mean that at all if you are kicking properly and have good hip position.

Kurt Godel · 08-01-2013 1:37pm

Dory Dory wrote: »

Why does a full set of lungs mean lower legs? Or am I misunderstanding you? Shouldn't mean that at all if you are kicking properly and have good hip position.

Hi Dory,
This from a chapter in the SwimSmooth book about breathing:

"For all swimmers its important to constantly exhale whenever you are face down in the water. This rids your lungs and bloodstream of CO2, and means that when you do rotate to breath you have more time to inhale as you don't have to exhale first. It also helps to improve your body position as too much bouyancy in the chest lifts your front end up and puts downward pressure on the legs."

There's a side note that traditional advice is to hold breath to increase the bouyancy in the chest, but they reckon triathletes legs are too muscular, so this excess chest bouyancy needs to be removed. I'd be interested to hear your pure swimmers opinion?

Dory Dory · 08-01-2013 2:10pm

Kurt Godel wrote: »

Hi Dory,
This from a chapter in the SwimSmooth book about breathing:

"For all swimmers its important to constantly exhale whenever you are face down in the water. This rids your lungs and bloodstream of CO2, and means that when you do rotate to breath you have more time to inhale as you don't have to exhale first. It also helps to improve your body position as too much bouyancy in the chest lifts your front end up and puts downward pressure on the legs."

There's a side note that traditional advice is to hold breath to increase the bouyancy in the chest, but they reckon triathletes legs are too muscular, so this excess chest bouyancy needs to be removed. I'd be interested to hear your pure swimmers opinion?

There is no doubt that air in the lungs makes your chest more buoyant - you can prove that by doing a deadman's float in the water - but I would not put too much emphasis on that causing lower legs in the water while swimming. Why? Because you are moving....and because you know proper hip position.....and because you alter your kick to match the speed/rhythm you want to go. I typically start a steady exhale as soon as my head reenters the water after breathing in, so I agree with their advice, but I don't do that because of lower legs since I think that (at least at your level) is a non-issue. I do, however, hold my breath until the last second in a sprint. Why? Probably in part because it does help make my upper body higher in the water, but again, I then adjust my kick to a super fast beat to raise my legs as well.

If you asked me for one piece of advice for you to improve your swimming, it would not be to read a book or watch videos (however it's fine to do that), but I would suggest you hook up with Interested for a one-on-one session. He's tops in my opinion and you would be well served, even for only one single one hour session.

BTH · 08-01-2013 2:23pm

Dory Dory wrote: »

If you asked me for one piece of advice for you to improve your swimming, it would not be to read a book or watch videos (however it's fine to do that), but I would suggest you hook up with Interested for a one-on-one session. He's tops in my opinion and you would be well served, even for only one single one hour session.

You're trying to kill the poor guy!! A good few red faces coming out of the session last night. Newbies weren't ready for that!!

Kurt Godel · 08-01-2013 2:29pm

BTH wrote: »

You're trying to kill the poor guy!! A good few red faces coming out of the session last night. Newbies weren't ready for that!!

My thoughts exactly! I would have signed up for interested's Belvo sessions if I could have got to Dublin on a Friday... but I'd say he's way too advanced a coach for me!

There's a club run tonight, one of the lads has been in touch with a local swim instructor from Arklow, so I should find out tonight if we will have lessons starting in Jan...

BTH · 08-01-2013 3:06pm

Kurt Godel wrote: »

My thoughts exactly! I would have signed up for interested's Belvo sessions if I could have got to Dublin on a Friday... but I'd say he's way too advanced a coach for me!

There's a club run tonight, one of the lads has been in touch with a local swim instructor from Arklow, so I should find out tonight if we will have lessons starting in Jan...

Given your recent times from this log you'd have no problem in either the club or the other independently run sessions by interested. There are certainly lanes in both to cater for 1:50-2:00 repeats, which you'd have no trouble with. I'd also be looking over my shoulder given the rate of progress from you last year...

Dory Dory · 08-01-2013 4:08pm

I was actually suggesting a swimming lesson to Kurt, not attending a swim practice. Kurt, it appears you are a natural swimmer - but it also appears that you need a little fine tuning in a few areas of swimming, plus perhaps some instruction of a few elements. You also have a natural curiosity and desire to understand stroke and form as that is evidenced in your book reading, video viewing, and literary comments.....but there is absolutely no substitute for one on one to have your stroke evaluated and corrections/suggestions made. I mention Interested because I have "chatted" with him (and swam with him in the Irish Sea - HIGHLIGHT!!

) enough to appreciate his knowledge of proper technique and also his ability to articulate and convey it in a way that is logical and understandable. He's effective, in other words. Plus he's encouraging and reassuring. Not all swimmers/swim instructors can coach/teach, even if they think they can. Your chap in Arklow may very well fit the bill, so hat's off to you for giving swim lessons a go. I think you will benefit greatly from some personal attention.

Dory Dory · 08-01-2013 4:13pm

And one more thing about the breathing and the legs - if you are swimming distances, which you are, then I am a huge advocate of breathing often - every 2 to 3 strokes - thus, you basically have to start exhaling right away anyway...so again, do not give a second thought about holding your breath causing your legs to sink. At your level of ability, it is absolutely a non-issue. (Okay, have I beaten a dead horse properly??

)

Kurt Godel · 08-01-2013 4:25pm

Dory Dory wrote: »

And one more thing about the breathing and the legs - if you are swimming distances, which you are, then I am a huge advocate of breathing often - every 2 to 3 strokes - thus, you basically have to start exhaling right away anyway...so again, do not give a second thought about holding your breath causing your legs to sink. At your level of ability, it is absolutely a non-issue. (Okay, have I beaten a dead horse properly?? )

It is an ex-horse:)

The real benefit (as I see it) in exhaling is less tension, a more relaxed swim, so the leg thing isn't really anything I noticed today in any case. Anyways, I have a few feelers out for help with my stroke, we'll see what transpires. Catching a good stroke, as I did today in places, made everything so much smoother, so fine-tuning (perhaps with a sledgehammer:)) will help. I was swimming faster last year, on higher volume, those times are coming back now that I'm back in the water a few weeks; lets see what transpires with proper technique.

griffin100 · 08-01-2013 5:07pm

Are the sessions with Tango in Tallaght at 9pm on Monday's (as per tunneys thread on the main forum) of any use to you? (late I know, I don't get home till after 11pm but worth it I think).

Kurt Godel · 08-01-2013 5:33pm

griffin100 wrote: »

Are the sessions with Tango in Tallaght at 9pm on Monday's (as per tunneys thread on the main forum) of any use to you? (late I know, I don't get home till after 11pm but worth it I think).

I was on to Tunney about them earlier- would be ideal, but the travel is just too far to keep it up on a regular basis.

However! It looks like Dory may have got a ball rolling so to speak

. I am trying to set up something (with a very good coach:D) on Wednesday nights in Arklow pool. I'll know over the next few days how many from our Tri club will be on for it, but mentioning it here too in case anyone else might be interested, just let me know. I'd image something with a similar raison d'etre to tunney's thread, and if it gets off the ground I'll confirm it there.

Kurt Godel · 08-01-2013 9:47pm

Tue pm 7km steady run

Club run, I was tired for it, so didn't push up the initial long hill, but picked up the gears a bit from the top.

interested · 09-01-2013 10:49am

<snoop>

"he's way too advanced a coach for me"

if any coach / teacher suggests that you or anyone is at a level 'not advanced' enough for them to help then invite them outside, blindfold them and put a bullet in their head.

I spent the best part of 45 mins with a swimmer on Monday night - the hour before I was due to coach - who (in my opinion) had the potential of drowning if she got any more nervous. She got some tips, some pointers, made to feel like a child with some of the drills I had her do, she was laughing by the end of it and shouting at me - but she didnt drown, she went away feeling like she was going somewhere with her swimming AND determine to come back.

Most rewarding thing Ive done in some time (more of a reflection on me though

)

Best of luck with the training.

<end of snoop>

Kurt Godel · 09-01-2013 3:12pm

interested wrote: »

<snoop>

"he's way too advanced a coach for me"

if any coach / teacher suggests that you or anyone is at a level 'not advanced' enough for them to help then invite them outside, blindfold them and put a bullet in their head.

I spent the best part of 45 mins with a swimmer on Monday night - the hour before I was due to coach - who (in my opinion) had the potential of drowning if she got any more nervous. She got some tips, some pointers, made to feel like a child with some of the drills I had her do, she was laughing by the end of it and shouting at me - but she didnt drown, she went away feeling like she was going somewhere with her swimming AND determine to come back.

Most rewarding thing Ive done in some time (more of a reflection on me though )

Best of luck with the training.

<end of snoop>

Very wise words, and they had me querying my own (lack of) self-worth. It's not even really something I believe myself; when I coach youngsters in running, all I ask is that you turn up and give it your best. As you say, there can be a selfish reward from coaching, and its often found towards the back of the pack. Of course there's a fuzzy glow when someone you've coached wins every gold medal around them too;)

Dory Dory · 09-01-2013 3:17pm

And while we are on this line of thought......the best way for an athlete to improve his/her times is to swim/run/train with others who are faster/stronger/better than that athlete. Chase those fish!!!!

Kurt Godel · 09-01-2013 3:18pm

Wed 1,500m swim, incl 400m tt

400m TT in 6:35. Took 15 seconds off last months time, which I'm mostly putting down to swim volume. My stroke has improved a bit, but there's a long way to go yet. This hurt, but not as much as it probably should have, had I a few racing in the lane with me, so there is a ways to go yet.

Ended with 10x25 with slow swim back between, coming in around 19:xx each one. When I'm sprinting my swim form is so much better.

Kurt Godel · 09-01-2013 11:10pm

Wed pm 1:28 turbo

Rewatching Khan Academy binomial theorem vids, the guy is one of my heroes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O12yTz_8EOw

Oryx · 09-01-2013 11:42pm

I followed everything that guy said and it got to the end and I had no clue what I just learned....

Kurt Godel · 11-01-2013 1:03pm

Fri 20k easy hill run

Yesterday I was devoid of energy, hardly had the power to wipe my runny nose that I can thank my rugrat germpool for. Don't feel great today either, but I'm the better for a 20km easy trot around Annagh's trails on a cold and frosty morning. Hopefully the cold will kill some of those bugs. Avoid Annagh hill for a few days, as I had several unanticipated pitstops among the wilderness. There is an absence of good quality fresh soft ferns at this time of year, and gorse makes a poor substitute.

Toiler's Constant

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