Less than ten weeks to less than ten hours

BTH

tunney wrote: »

C0ck.

I had planned on only changing one tub this year........

"Essentially what you have is latex paint plus water (for volume) and antifreeze (as a low-evaporation carrier fluid). When these sealant products dry out, it’s the water and antifreeze agent that evaporate, and you get the latex film left behind. This is why you must add more sealant over time, and why you should always keep air in the tires/tubes. Let them go completely flat for several months, and you’ll likely have an inner tube that is glued together with dried latex on the inside. "

damn - there goes the tubs..........

Still learning about tubs. If one doesn't use a sealant product would this problem be avoided?? I changed tyres this year, but last years aren't in bad shape and I was keeping them as spares in case of emergency. However theres been no air in them since September. Must try pumping them this eve so see how long they stay up for.

tunney

Yesterdays run was sh1t.
I expected nothing more from todays, but it was average, which is good.

I reckon the problem was that yesterday I wasn't even mildly hungover where as today I was.

Exchanged a bike fit and some bike mechanical work for a bottle of wine and a bag of jellies with a boardsie. A nice Merlot. perhaps I *need* to be hungover these days

in all seriousness I think my cold is shifting.

tunney

Nothing beats a doctors surgery in the morning. At least it's me and not the kids!

tunney

After yesterdays 30 minute run, was meant to be 50 but when I nearly collapsed after 15 I just turned around and went home, I realised that I was sick. So headed out and got what drugs I could to try and stave off a full blown chest infection. Woke up this morning, not a chance of going swimming. Rolled out of bed and into cycling gear to go to work, would have been late to work probably, walked down the stairs "where do you think you are going? you are not going into the office, off to the doctors and then if you have to you can remote in"

Then while waiting to go to the doctors I was asked "Why don't you just bin Roth? Fly off, do support for the lads but leave the race?"

Anyways, back from the Doctors, prescription for anti-botics and instructions to take more bronchodilators, steroids and anti-histamines and to hold off on the anti-botics until things get really bad. Training out today, and the rest of the weekend will by a day by day thing.

pgibbo

One of these days you'll share some good news with us! :rolleyes:

tunney

pgibbo wrote: »

One of these days you'll share some good news with us! :rolleyes:

Its this poxy weather and the pollen. Combining the two just sends my asthma crazy, which often results in a chest infection. I was going to leave the doctors until Monday but I was frog marched out. Glad I went, managing this as best I can.

tunney

We switched doctors practices a while back because of the kids and I have tried to explain a few times that I used to be fairly active and I'd still be rather active compared to the general population. There are a few doctors in the practice and some of them "got me". The one today didn't. It makes things difficult when getting tests done, and I had to get some breathing ones done today. I did a peak flow test and I knew it was down, I have a peak flow meter at home, plus I can feel it in my chest.
I was made do the test:
"You are above average"
"Right so"
"No I don't mean for someone with asthma, I mean in general you are above average".

I could see I wasn't going to get the steroids I wanted. Just to open the chest up and help avoid the potential infection.

Something similar happened before in the old doctors surgery. I came in the next time with a spreadsheet and graph of the various metrics plotted over an extended period of time and said "this is the baseline".

I'm going for more extensive blood tests than my last set (which weren't done by an MD in a hospital lab) on Wednesday - just to see if there is a physical reason for my lethargy and apathy.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

Thats why 99% of the time i do not bother going to the Doctors, rightly or wrongly.

tunney

Alarm went off at six. Out of bed.
"Strange, don't remember swallowing razor blades last night"

Chest as raw as can be. Back to bed. No cycle again for me.

tunney

Second aborted turbo of the weekend, still feels like shards of glass in my lungs.

At least i didn't book my bike on the plane because at this stage I am not bringing it.

tunney

Tried a 30 minute run yesterday to try and break up the cr@p in my chest. Nearly collapsed.

Club swim last night, was out of breath walking to the car and my lungs felt on fire during the session.

Went to the chemist to ask should I fill the prescription I got, thankfully we are blessed with a fantastic chemist near by (JJ beside the Swiss), and after a long chat he said no. I am paraphrasing but "HTFU, SIU and keep doing what you are doing. Antibotics would not help."

tunney

Another attempted run, another near collapse. I'm going to go back to the doctors, see a different one. And I'm pretty much going to tell them what to write on the prescription as I fvcking well know and I should have told the doctor on Friday as I knew then but hope was wrong. €55 to be given dud advice......

tunney

Back to the doctors yesterday, different doctor. One with personality. A proper exam, took a proper history, after the exam said "You've no problems getting air into you lungs, but you cannot get it out." Bronchospasm on exhaling.

It would fix itself over the course of weeks. Steroids will help it over 1-2 weeks
instead.

"I wouldn't do any exercise though" - damn.

Izoard

Mods, can I make a request to move this log to here?;)

tunney - are you at a point where participation @ Roth is under threat, or is it a case of "fvck it - I'm doing it anyway.."?

tunney

Izoard wrote: »

Mods, can I make a request to move this log to here?;)

Yes I am, as the wife says, like a thoroughbred Labrador - atopic. Her father had an atpoic thoroughbred Lab. Had to be put down.

Izoard wrote: »

tunney - are you at a point where participation @ Roth is under threat, or is it a case of "fvck it - I'm doing it anyway.."?

It is under threat.

Oryx

Your year has been such a catalogue of disasters I was beginning to wonder if you were making it all up as some kind of bluff.

You are the Aardvark forum of triathlon - a magnet, and first call for trouble.

shotgunmcos

Just doom and gloom in those last 5 posts.. hopefully you get heathly soon and log some actual training*

Not that we see much of that anyway :cool:

Seriously though, Roth is too good a race experience to be winging about not achieving XYZ,so take the heat off and take your time to savour it if thats what it comes to.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

Oryx wrote: »

I was beginning to wonder if you were making it all up as some kind of bluff.

I had similar thoughts thinking he was training in secret and sandbagging it for Roth:rolleyes:. That is until i seen him on Monday, he was gasping for air walking a few steps to the car never mind even trying to swim.

+1 on just enjoying the Roth experience and forgetting about times, all pressure is off.

Sure this year is a write off for you with the kids and sickness.

tunney

Oryx wrote: »

Your year has been such a catalogue of disasters I was beginning to wonder if you were making it all up as some kind of bluff.

You are the Aardvark forum of triathlon - a magnet, and first call for trouble.

shotgunmcos wrote: »

Just doom and gloom in those last 5 posts.. hopefully you get heathly soon and log some actual training*

Not that we see much of that anyway :cool:

Seriously though, Roth is too good a race experience to be winging about not achieving XYZ,so take the heat off and take your time to savour it if thats what it comes to.

Angie Odd Wiretap wrote: »

I had similar thoughts thinking he was training in secret and sandbagging it for Roth:rolleyes:. That is until i seen him on Monday, he was gasping for air walking a few steps to the car never mind even trying to swim.

+1 on just enjoying the Roth experience and forgetting about times, all pressure is off.

Sure this year is a write off for you with the kids and sickness.

Easy too blame the kids and sickness. The buck stops with me!!

I'm really looking forward to Roth and I don't care about times. I did a brutal time in Frankfurt and I loved every minute of it - even though it was cold and wet. I love the big IM race feel and buzz and I really want to do Roth.

My concern is the following scenario:
* despite the steroids, the inhalers and everything else I *still* get a chest infection
* if I did get one based on previous timings it would be two weeks from now
* 10 days antibotics
* a week recovery from antibotics

If I avoid the chest infection all will be good.

And yes I did get out of breath walking to JBs car on Monday. And yes I could barely breath during the swim session with Mr Tango on Monday (excellent swim session, excellent swim teacher), lungs on fire and 50s coming in on 45 felt like I was busting a nut to come in on low 30s.

I'm resisting the obvious slags about swimming, drowning, being lapped and JB.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

tunney wrote: »

I'm resisting the obvious slags about swimming, drowning, being lapped and JB.

Likewise resisting slags on you in those dire looking speedos from the 80s you were parading around in.

tunney

Angie Odd Wiretap wrote: »

Likewise resisting slags on you in those dire looking speedos from the 80s you were parading around in.

Best not to mention that I raced in them one year - Joey Hannon in the old location. Also got locked out of my car so had to walk around in them only for an hour after the race.

Oryx

tunney wrote: »

Best not to mention that I raced in them one year - Joey Hannon in the old location. Also got locked out of my car so had to walk around in them only for an hour after the race.

A likely story. The way I heard it you were strutting around stroking your chest and going 'look at mah sexeh bodeh'.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

Oryx wrote: »

A likely story. The way I heard it you were strutting around stroking your chest and going 'look at mah sexeh bodeh'.

Ah yes there is a likening between the two alright Oryx.

tunney

The last four weeks training hasn't happened. That's life. I got sick. A minor viral infection sparked off a huge chest problem. Why? Who knows? Maybe my lifestyle, maybe not.

So I've not trained. However I have stopped stressing. For example last week I swam once. Ran once. Riding wise I extended one commute.

The swim was a club swim with Mr Tango. Not limited to club members, and some others availed of his expertise. I nearly drowned as I couldn't breathe (chest again). I still got something from the session.

Run was a disaster - HR 20 bpm higher than it should have been. Resting HR has been the same. Commuting HR as well. Feck it, just rolled with it.

The extended commute nearly turned into a limp home. All the metrics were off and I said "feck it, short way home". I reflected on what I had done the last few weeks training wise and realised what wussing out meant. No Athy, No Roth that was it. I really want to complete Roth. I thought to myself "Worst case you collapse and end up in hospital. Unlikely to die." After an internal debate I put on some thumbing hardcore and rode. Should have been a 140bpm ride, was 165bpm.

Nothing over the weekend. Class wedding. Day after was not good.

Over the weekend the steroids started to work. Slowly I could breathe a little more and more each day. I tried an extended commute Monday. Better but not right. Halway through the course of steroids, new goal for Roth - be able to breathe properly and not get out of breathe having a conversation.

Another club session Monday evening. The week before was balance in the water which was good. This week was the front end of the stroke. Good session. I had been doing most of the drills occasionally myself. However Mr Tango changed some of them ever so slightly. One that I did lots was tweaked slightly. It was like a light bulb came on.

Short jog yesterday. HR up still but not as bad as it was.

Hopped in the pool this morning. Did the balance and front end work. Particularly the tweaked ones. Short on time so just went to swim 3x100 steady to implement the drills. Recently (2011 and 2012) the fastest I'd swim 100m was 1:34. Usually 1:36-38. I'm only swimming once a fortnight really so thats life. Back when I was training alot my 100m pb was 1:25:00 set on the 23/03/2010. I swam alot to get this.

Anyways the 3x100 steady. Did #1, steady, nothing serious just worked on what I had to and just swam. 1:31 "Oh" I thought. Decided to swim the next one fast while working on implementing the changes. Recovery a little longer than normal between #2 and #3 to get my breath back, chest still not right. #2 1:26, #2 1:28

Converting my 50m time (long course) to short course its 1:22.5 so only 3.5seconds off my PB on no swimming. I'll take that. An eight second improvement in 100m fast times for no extra work. I'll take that.

Now to breathe clearly............

tunney

A Tunney family conference was held today after TriAthy Double Olympic yesterday, consensus of the board was that I need to return to training and racing properly. Fill report to follow but the Chief Executive was quite insistent in her view points. "you did what? But you've done fvck all bar drink and sit on your hole. Stop d1cking about"

I enjoyed yesterday so much I think I might just do so.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

CEO's are always right!!

griffin100

In my house the CFO rules every time.

tunney

Athy was to be my first triathlon in Ireland in lord knows how long. My first non IM in a long time, and in showed. I was woefully unprepared - both in terms of training and preparation. Training hasn't gone well this year and I was slight a little sick, I knew that so I said "fvck it, roll with it and enjoy it." However my lack of preparation equipment was was less enjoyable.

My Zipp 900 disc was put into the attic wet. I took it down to put on the bike and then tried to index the gears. That didn't work as I need to change the cables. Got it as right as I could and gave the cranks a big push to say "fvck it its done". Wheel span up, I stopped pushing, cranks kept moving "C0CK" I roared as I realised that the freewheel bearings were gone. Further inspection revealed that the hub bearings were gone too. Inside of the pre-race brick I like to do to make sure I'm firing on the day I had to spend the night stripping the hub and trying to get the bearins right. 80% right - it would do.

Morning of the race, woke at 0500, went to hit snoose. Realised my lift would be hear sooon so went and fetched my wetsuit. First outing since Frankfurt. Would it fit me, would it not. Find out in transition, nothign I could do about it now and sure I'd wedge myself in somehow.

Lift down, registered, racked. Met Jackyback, did a warm up on the bike with him and a run warm up with Lambo from the club. Lookign around transition there were so many faces I knew and i said my hellos and mentally chalked down the people that it was going to hurt so much to be beaten by. Moody from Piranha, Lynch from 3Dtri, added to the ones I knew about Carberry from Phoenix and Jackyback. Mr Tango did his back in lifting an empty plastic bag the night before the race and was out. "Fvck it, you'll get abuse but move on and just accept it".

Out with the wetsuit - the moment of truth. I was already not racing in a tri top as some things are just obscene. "Yuck, fungus." Suit felt as flexible as cardboard. Never really liked the blueseventy and I really need a new suit. Dunno what I will get but I cannot afford to get one this year just for the one or two races I will do this year and hopefully next year I will be not fat. Anyways Carberry wedged me in and zipped me up. Uncomfortable as fvck but in. Popped a gel. Listened to briefing and then down to the water.

In, filled the suit with water. Out to flush it out. Whacked my knee on the ramp - "mental note: don't do that in the race". Back in and waited for the gun.

Gun went, or siren, or whatever it was and off we went. 20 strokes later I knew this was going to be a fvckin cvnt of a fuvcking cvnting swim. Left shoulder sore already. Remembered that this happens every year for the first few swims in it. Then as I was getting hammered and battered and swam over I realised I had no catch, and no back end to the stroke. Battered a bit more I found some space. Great I thought. Until I realised that I had clear water because I had swam off course. This is pretyt much how the swim went, I had not fvcking idea were I was going as I couldn't sight to see my life and my line was about as straight as Elton John. An enternity later it ended. I asked a marshal the time as I hadn't started my watch "0930" I was told so about an hour. 2:00 per 100m. I can do that breaststroke in the pool. C0ckity, c0ck, c0ck.

Into transition and a club mate shouted out "Hugh is about 5 minutes up the road". He was 8 minutes by the time I got out of transition. I took my time, pottered you could say, faffed even. On with ymj full length jersey, on with the shades and shoes. On with my race belt, really should have done that before the start. Gingerly made my way to the mount line. Up and off.

Now its probably worth mentioning my race plan at this stage. Swim was "swim in a straight line". That was it, #FAIL. T1 was chill relax, who cares. #PASS. Nutrition plan involved a pocket full of gels and I'd pop one whenever. Bike plan was a strange one. Normally I could tell you the wattage I was going to aim to hold and I would. This time due to a lack of training and my chest still not being right I had no clue. So I went with the approach of "whatever, just don't hurt too much, remember its 80km, and you have to run off the bike". This was to be my first brick since Frankfurt. Just rode at what felt comfortable and monitored heart rate, HR through the roof, power was acceptable and feasible for the distance and it all felt good so rolled with. Just rode, happy out. Enjoyed it. Was a lonely ride as with my shocking swim there were feck all people about and those I caught I passed fast and dropped. The nature of the course meant that I could see how much I had to make up to Hugh (7 minutes at first check), and how much I had on Lambert, Moody, Egan and Lynch. No so much on Lambert, goo bit on Moody, lots on Lynch and no sign of Egan. Kept on riding. nothing to report other than I need to do some undercarriage mandscaping as the hairs were pulled off me and its sore. Next turnaround, a minute closer to Carberry and Lambert and Moody were dropped away. Lynch making some ground I thought. And so this continued on the first lap.

On the second lap on the bike traffic from the Olympic distance and lapping some double olympic people. Again a nice ride with little to report other than (a) I couldn't wee on the bike (b) one annoying twat who I came by about 10kph higher spanked himself to get on my wheel and then came past me proud as punch. Dropped back as I had to and then went by like a freight train and held 300+ watts for a while. Fvcked if I was letting that muppet annoy me. (c) I got some of the olympic lead ladies, *cough* drafting *cough, only drafting I saw though. I came past time and surprise surprise they jumped on my wheel and then came past me. One in particular. Could name names but won't. Dropped off them, had a gel, then went past at 260 watts, 10-15 seconds later they were gone, back down to normal levels and continued to ride away from them. Flagged it to the bike marshal at the next turn around who I am guessing just looked at them coming in as a 3-up and did nothing.

At each turn around the distance between myself and Carberry was coming down and it was going up on Moody and Lambert. Static with Lynch. Given I'm good friends with Jack and Noel and I know the amount of abuse I was in for I was not happy at Jack remaining a static distance off me. I saw I was catching Carberry and slowed down, "catch someone slowly but pass decisively" so caught him slowly and dropped the hammer going by.

Into T1, another faff fest and Carberry came in as I was still there. Saw Egan outside transition, DNF. Exited only a few seconds a head of him. I knew I needed a wee and would have to stop somewhere. Stopped, went, and saw him close to me. Race plan for the run was "try not to blow up" so started at a pace I thought I should be able to hold, 4:30 per km. In hindsight it was too slow. I could have gone faster. 4:15 anyways. About 1km in I saw Peter Kerns on the side of the road. "He is going to have a field day with the size of you." I thought. Decided to pre-empt the abuse and pulled up my jersey and played the belly bongos as I ran past him. Little he could say to that. After that it was an uneventful run, Moody, Carberry and Lambert were not going to get to abuse me forever. Lynch was a problem. 3km to go said "right, he is going to catch you and I really don't feel like a sprint finish" so I ran 4:15s for the last three. Handy that as if I hadn't he would have caught me. Finished up and was happy out. Grabbed some grub, chatted some people and that was it.

While later looking for my lift home I was walking past the ambulance area and a medic came over to me. "Dave, Do you know Mike?". Put two and two together and got four. The requests over the tanoy for "someone from Limerick TC to the medical centre" and Mike meant MCOS. So said "No, don't know anyone called mike" and walked off*

A good race and one I enjoyed. Stats for the bike were ZAP of 224, NP of 233, HR of 161, RPM of 89 and SPD of 36kph. Run was 4:26 per km for 167bpm. I only looked at the power file yesterday when giving Mr Tanog a crash course on WKO, GC and training with power. I opened the file as a example of a ride with a high Pw:Phr to explain decoupling. However I got a slight land when it was a negative value. Perhaps should have rode harder then!


*I didn't actually say that. I actually said yes and Mike was discharged into my care and I looked after him for a while, got him food and waited until he didn't look like death before I let him go on his way.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

Quality report and some comical nuggets in there, this being my favourite.:)

"Decided to pre-empt the abuse and pulled up my jersey and played the belly bongos as I ran past him. Little he could say to that"

BTH

Angie Odd Wiretap wrote: »

Quality report and some comical nuggets in there, this being my favourite.:)

"Decided to pre-empt the abuse and pulled up my jersey and played the belly bongos as I ran past him. Little he could say to that"

Had a nice little chuckle at that one myself. Great read.