Toiler's Constant

Abhainn

Kurt Godel wrote: »

3.8k swim, 75 mins

Catching up:
Impressive swim time KG. Nice target for me now

Oh well done in the obstacle course;)

Kurt Godel

griffin100 wrote: »

If you're looking to take your mind off stats I have a probability assignment that's overdue I could let you have a go at

What are the chances of that happening?;)

Abhainn wrote: »

Catching up:
Impressive swim time KG. Nice target for me now

Deal, I'll target a 2:36 marathon myself. First to the others time gets a shiney cool beer.

Kurt Godel

Sat 11k run

There's no better place to be than my local forest after the rain, with the blooming rhododendrons dripping drops of moisture. Easy enough pace, knee a bit jippy. I tried altering my gait a little, will try and midsole strike for a while, and see if it makes any difference. Probably fighting against the tide, but what the hell, its something to give a go. I was talking to Rene after the WWR, somewhere amongst the pints I sank, a bit of his gait theory sank in. From what I understand about how forces work (vectors), midstriking is better for the knee.

BeepBeep67

Was thinking we need to organise an annual Boards South get together soon!

Kurt Godel

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

Was thinking we need to organise an annual Boards South get together soon!

Great idea- I'm busy until June 14th, away July 2nd-20th, but available for beers and "old man aches" stories otherwise. Was thinking of running a fun bike/run/swim event in August, Glenmalure area... more details when I can be bothered to scout the swim section...

BeepBeep67

Kurt Godel wrote: »

Great idea- I'm busy until June 14th, away July 2nd-20th, but available for beers and "old man aches" stories otherwise. Was thinking of running a fun bike/run/swim event in August, Glenmalure area... more details when I can be bothered to scout the swim section...

Sounds good - but my only brick session will be the swim as I float like one!!!

Kurt Godel

Sun 20min sea swim

Next fun gig is the Eireman X in a couple of weeks time. I decided to try out a swim in Courtown, but when I got there, the ocean fore quite foreboding, huge crashing waves and a lot of wind about. There was, however, a lifeguard and a kayaker, so I talked to them for any possible undertows or malign currents. It was far too choppy to notice any cold, (in any case I had the wetsuit on), and I started to swim in the rough. Pretty difficult to get any rhythm, but I seemed to be making progress judging by the parallel shore markings. Swam to a red flag limit, and turned back, put my head down and started to battle back the way I came. After 5 or 10 minutes, I had made up 5 meters, such was the drift of the sea. Very hard going, and after a bit more I figured I'd better ease the stress on the life guards and call it a day. Even walking out was difficult, the swell was immense to move against.

750m of a swim for EiremanX, of course in the difficult direction! No-one will be swimming anywhere in a fortnight if the sea is like today!

Dory Dory

That race looks like a BLAST! What fun - and I think it's right up your alley. Too bad it's too close to Oryx's IM, and too bad it's just before I arrive otherwise you'd have two hoochies to contend with.

Kurt Godel

Mon 45k bike

Legs a bit tired for some reason today, I had the regular pedals on the bike, so that might be the reason. That or every waking hour cramming maths books. Anyway, it was good to get out for a spin, great summer day out there.

Dory Dory wrote: »

That race looks like a BLAST! What fun - and I think it's right up your alley. Too bad it's too close to Oryx's IM, and too bad it's just before I arrive otherwise you'd have two hoochies to contend with.

Yeah, right now its all about getting fun and enjoyment, rather than training for goals (although that will come soon).

I can barely handle the hoochie I have, never mind contending with a couple more! (I know you mean racing, but my brain is currently so drained, its only firing on base desires and instincts :pac:)

Kurt Godel

Wed 8k steady run

A half hour oasis of forest running, in a day otherwise spent neuron-packing Statistics. Me poor sore brain.

Kurt Godel

Thurs 3k run, 5 min swim

The only "goal" I'm training for is an important math exam this day week, everything else is on the back burner. Family know I am grouchy, head filled with equations. Clients are dealt with on a perfunctory basis. Training is the least of my foci, I'll take what I can get. So when everyone is going for a walk in the wet forest after dinner, and I convince my son to jog 3k of puddle-splashing with me, and we strip off to shorts after and swim against the swollen river in the rain, and drive home grinning from ear to ear... that's what life is all about

Slogger Jogger

Not sure that was a good idea.. don't think I've ever seen a lifeguard at the river down your way Good to clear the head though from the maths. You need a good blow out after the exams and the Bunclody tri event is probably just the ticket.

Kurt Godel

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

Not sure that was a good idea.. don't think I've ever seen a lifeguard at the river down your way Good to clear the head though from the maths. You need a good blow out after the exams and the Bunclody tri event is probably just the ticket.

It was pretty dicey in the middle- I got down sprint swimming against the current and was moving backwards. Aran tried it (with me firmly footplanted behind him), and he was whooshed downstream for me to catch. The river flows deeper a little further down, so any issues could be swum out there. Although having said that, his Ma would have killed me if she saw what we were up to! Recklessness only a father and son can understand.

EiremanX is the blowout. Bunclody is in August- good time for you to give a local tri a shot?

Slogger Jogger

"EiremanX is the blowout. Bunclody is in August- good time for you to give a local tri a shot?"

I'm definitely not a swimmer thats for sure. And, I'm still a non-runner. Could do a uni-athlon if there was such a thing for slow cyclists.

Kurt Godel

Sat 2k OW swim

Met up with Abhainn for a scout at his local training route, a few laps around Wicklow Harbour. This felt great, my first real OW swimming in some time. On his advice I wore a cap- don't usually wear them being bald, and I was surprised at how it helped against the cold.

It took some time before I got into my stride, but once I got the head down, and breathing sorted, we were motoring. Good to have the company too, will try and make a habit out of this route.

Kurt Godel

Very few training sessions this week, I had an important exam on Thursday that I was cramming for, morning, noon, and night. It went well, so the pressure is off a little bit for a while, I can start focusing again.

Fri 7k run

This felt great, a muddy run along the swollen river by the Railway Walk. My shoes were Salomon Speedcross, which have less heel than others, and there is noticeably less knee pain during and after the run. I'm starting to think more of a midfoot strike would be beneficial long term.

Sat 4k OW swim

Wetsuit on, down at Wicklow harbour, ripped my swim cap putting it on, so the first few hundred meters were a bit cold as I was acclimatizing. However, it didn't take long before I got into a decent breathing pattern, which fed into my stroke rate, which led to half man/half shark laps around the harbour. Swimming really is my calling, I loved this session, did about twice as much as last week. Once I was in the swim zone, breathing became so natural and fluid, and I could attack into the current across the mouth of the harbour. The arms felt strong throughout, power was there for any bursts of speed I put in. Really didn't want this session to end, but 4k is enough for now, I'll bring it up bit by bit.

Dory Dory

Your swim.....:D

Slogger Jogger

Nice one.

Waves goodbye to Kurt as he heads off to the swimming forum

Kurt Godel

Sun 22k bike

Unexpected visitors meant an unexpected BBQ, burger, and beers. So I didn't get out until 8pm, for a "clear the head" loop. Pace was steady, but every hill I came to I destroyed, attacked all the way to the top, tore through the pain barrier, then tore through some more. That sounds more impressive than it was, there was only one real climb:D

Still, it cleared the head, and worked up enough of a sweat to be labelled training.

Kurt Godel

Mon 3k OW swim

Had to be in Dublin for work today, and all I could think of was the wetsuit in the car and Wicklow Harbour on the way back home. I got in for around an hour after 4:30, it was beautiful. My new swim cap helped with any brain freeze issues (water wasn't all that cold in any case), and I was off swimming with the head down soon after entering. Big laps, past boats and piers, always something to glance at when you come up for air. Having the sky for a roof beats the pants of my swimming pool ceiling any day.

One again, there was a bit of a drag against me swimming across the mouth of the harbour, its very useful to push a bit harder into this. The rest of the swim went well, felt like I could go all night.

Dory Dory

Do you think you'll enter any OW swimming events? Or keep this slice of paradise strickly for pleasure? Not that competing isn't pleasure...but sometimes competition can alter the focus and motivation to an unpleasurable place for some.

Kurt Godel

Dory Dory wrote: »

Do you think you'll enter any OW swimming events? Or keep this slice of paradise strickly for pleasure? Not that competing isn't pleasure...but sometimes competition can alter the focus and motivation to an unpleasurable place for some.

You sure can cut to the chase! I'll be honest, I seem to be a better swimmer than a runner, if physiology and untrained talent is taken into account. But I can't be under any illusions, the one time I was in a pool at the same time as a club, the kids were beating me to pieces. So I think I have a decent "natural" base, but any progress from here will be gained by exponential effort. I do enjoy it, and it is a hobby/keep-fit thing, (and joining swim Ireland would cost another yearly membership fee to go with my shiney Tri Ireland badge:)), but testing in the arena of competition has to be done...

So I don't know, right now I'll do the few sprint Tri's I have planned, while trying to bring my OW 3.8k time down under an hour. After that we'll see, off the top of my head I think I'd be drawn to distance swimming, and there's a fairly active masters distance scene around Wicklow/Wexford, so its something to think about.

(Nail on the head, as usual, Dory!:D)

BeepBeep67

There's some aquathlons down in Wicklow harbor over the summer also.

Kurt Godel

Wed Bray Aquathon Series, race 1 (750m swim, 5k run)

I engineered my working day so I would be driving past Bray at 6pm, in order to register for this race. Pity I didn't engineer bringing my Trisuit, which was accidentely left at home. (Maybe I subconsciously left it behind, I tried it on and looked in the mirror... its obscene, my tailor knows which side of the trousers I dress, there's no reason for all and sundry to know:D). Anyway, a quick purchase of cheepo swim pants later, I was regged and suited up, ready to go. The pre-race is an eye-opener, there's so much planning to do (run gear is left in a numbered box, and packed optimally).

The ladies went off in the first wave, so we had 10 minutes to splash around and get used to the water. Beautiful evening, ne'ery a wave on the water, and 70 or so lads eyed the huge bouy's which we would swim around. I had heard about the craziness of mass swim starts, so figured I would swim well wide of the action, and just try and do my own thing. From the off, everyone is looking for position, so the pace is fast. Of course I go with it, and before long am drinking water, its tough, and I figure it won't let up until we've made the 100m or so to the bouy. Once around it, there's a white bouy for mid point, then a blue for the turn to shore. I figure there's no reason for me to keep up this pace, the field has strung out by now, and in any case I'm swimming wider than the "pack". By the mid-point white bouy, I notice that people are slowing, so decide to just concentrate on my own swim, and pick them off. It doesn't seem hard, all I do is increase the effort in my stroke, and I'm overtaking groups. Round the blue bouy for home, and I decide to take as many as I can. Again, its not a manic effort, just a matter of "striding" longer (to use a running metafore). Exiting the water, the marshall says "22:18", or "18:22", I forget; in either case I remember thinking that can't be a time, its much too slow for a 750m swim?* Haven't seen results yet, so I'll wait and see- but I was happy with how this swim went, my first swim race and I managed to pace it ok. If I was doing it again, I'd forget about the sprint start, and just slog away.

Transition: Wetsuit came off ok, lock laces got the shoes on quick enough, pull on a top, and run sockless in the new togs. Neither turned out to be any hindrance. I haven't been running in ages, and it showed. Straight away I was passed by loads of runners, my swim place flattering my position in the field. I didn't pass any, I was passed by many, nothing I can complain about until I start run training again. The route was 1.25k along the promenade, and up a hill to Bray Dart station, back down to the promenade, and do another lap. By lap two things had calmed down, one lad just passed me on the turn-around, but no-one else after that. It was a struggle, but I'd say I got the pacing about right. Ran back up to the hill turn point, and coming down I could see three of four lads right behind me. I stretched the legs a bit going back down, but could hear footsteps gaining. Figured there's only a kilometer to go, and upped the pace into a hurting zone. The lad in front of me was starting to get reeled in. I could hear the ones behind upping the tempo. So I put the foot down again, their footsteps quietened, I almost caught the lad in front, but gratefully accepted the finish line.

Immediately I started heaving, and had to make a dash for the gutter, where I deposited what I had swallowed from the ocean. That tells me my effort levels were where they should be. So I'm happy enough with the swim part of this aquathon, not so happy with the run, but I guess the runs will come back, with a bit of training. Fair play to Wicklow Tri Club, they but on a great race, loads of soup and sambo's after too. Reckon I'll do a few more of these aquathons, now that I have a base to compare to.

*Edit- just been told that time includes 10 mins from the first wave, and the swim was a bit longer, so 12:18 for 950m (impressive, but there was a tailing current )

BeepBeep67

Kurt Godel wrote: »

and up a hill to Bray Dart station

Well done, but the reference to a hill up to the Dort was something I never thought I hear you say - back to the mountains with ye!

Kurt Godel

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

Well done, but the reference to a hill up to the Dort was something I never thought I hear you say - back to the mountains with ye!

Haha you're the second person who has pointed this error out to me! Saw the provisional results 36:12 all told, 12:18 for a 950m swim, whatever (min or two?) for the transition, so that leaves almost 22 or 23 minutes for a 4.66k run! That'll give some indication of how far I've fallen by not doing run training.

But! The BIG positive from tonight... my knee was totally innocuous, never noticed any pain at all. Think that means I can start doing a bit more run training, I don't like how I was passed by so many on the run, that's the first place to start making gains!

Dory Dory

22:18 - 12:18 = 10 min wave start.

Very impressive, particularly because: you are relatively new to performance swimming, your training is a bit unstructured, and your time is very competitive with other lads in this forum who train quite seriously and intensely with coaches and splits and breakdowns and analysis. No further critique or prediction by me - you get the picture. Well done. Very well done.

Krusty_Clown

Excellent stuff Kurt. Did they give you a split for the swim? How far up the field did you finish?

Kurt Godel

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Excellent stuff Kurt. Did they give you a split for the swim? How far up the field did you finish?

The only swim split was the 22:18 called out, which includes 10 mins for Wave 1 start. No idea what position I was compared to the field for the swim, but it was a matter of finishing down the field at the finish, I'm afraid:o 52nd out of 86; I was passed by loads on the run. Still, that's given me some impetus to get out training again, and my lack of knee pain today suggests the time might be right to do so.

The swim part felt like a race; getting a solid start, then maintaining pace, then picking off targets, and finishing well. The run though... well, I have to be constructive. Nothing better than being passed by loads, to give you a kick in the arse to get out and train.

Kurt Godel

Thurs 10k easy run

A couple of years ago when I was fit, my staple run was a loop up and around by Hillbrook, along the back roads. Fitting so, that the first run of Ye Great Regain Fitnefth Programme was this 10k, in the lovely rain. There's a few drag hills, but the pace wasn't too fast after lasts night exertions (the race, not Mrs. Godel).

Effort felt tough enough, which tells me I've a long ways to go yet. But the road to where I want to go will be strewn with tough efforts, so no complaints.