Putting down the spoon

Kurt Godel

amphkingwest wrote: »

^ this I can't understand!!

The old railway line are surely public ownership (via CIE) so there should be no issues converting these.

And if its a planning permission issue, people have their heads on wrong. I was only thinking about the old line Galway to Sligo at the weekend and that too would make a lovely cross country cycle link.

It's the same issue in Kerry, a fantastic railway line along the Ring of Kerry, owned by CIE, farmers have been using the land (without permission) to graze/cross their flocks, someone has put the notion into their heads that they deserve compensation for "letting" the greenway project get off the ground.

Green&Red

How are u set for Saturday CW?
Found out today I've to go over and back to London friday, red eye over, not happy :mad: will be a tired puppy by the time I hit the west friday nite, at least I dont have to be in Louisburgh until 10.30 to register

I hear Donnelly is injured or at least he was meant to do Rosses Point on Saturday but from what I'm told has a running injury, that opens up a definite spot on the podium for you if hes out (hopefully not for too long)

catweazle

amphkingwest wrote: »

^ this I can't understand!!

The old railway line are surely public ownership (via CIE) so there should be no issues converting these.

And if its a planning permission issue, people have their heads on wrong. I was only thinking about the old line Galway to Sligo at the weekend and that too would make a lovely cross country cycle link.

Would the western rail corridor lobby group screw any thoughts of that line up

Kurt Godel wrote: »

It's the same issue in Kerry, a fantastic railway line along the Ring of Kerry, owned by CIE, farmers have been using the land (without permission) to graze/cross their flocks, someone has put the notion into their heads that they deserve compensation for "letting" the greenway project get off the ground.

I think they have pushed through Oughterard - Clifden in March but there are objections in Oughterard. Its a shame really as I could see Oughterard doing well out of coffee stops as its a nice half way house on the route. Being greedy if they ever got it I hope they don't do it like the Mulranny greenway which isnt really suitable for road bikes - smooth Tarmac all the way baby!

catweazle

Green&Red wrote: »

How are u set for Saturday CW?
Found out today I've to go over and back to London friday, red eye over, not happy :mad: will be a tired puppy by the time I hit the west friday nite, at least I dont have to be in Louisburgh until 10.30 to register

I hear Donnelly is injured or at least he was meant to do Rosses Point on Saturday but from what I'm told has a running injury, that opens up a definite spot on the podium for you if hes out (hopefully not for too long)

Really struggling in the transition from the little breaks in the pool every length to swimming uninterrupted in open water. Bike is killing me into headwinds and I can hardly hold 2k steady off the bike..............so all is going well . I can usually quit the moaning and find an extra gear on race day.

Plenty of people can't sleep before the night of a race - you making excuses already

Donnelly could power walk the run and still finish ahead of me - hope he gets sorted soon as he was flying and has taken some big scalps this year (but not before Louisburgh)

Dory Dory

You're racing this Saturday, catweazle?

Green&Red

catweazle wrote: »

Plenty of people can't sleep before the night of a race - you making excuses already

Did I not mention I did two stages of the RÁS this weekend and how heavy my legs are, that my wetsuit is now too big for me and is holding half of lough conn, that I have a knock on my achilles and the moon isn't aligned with my star :cool:

catweazle

Dory Dory wrote: »

You're racing this Saturday, catweazle?

Ya, over in your neck of the woods in Louisburgh

(no sly-dog races for me )

catweazle

Monday: With me working from Salthill on mondays I said I would take a quick dip on the way home as it would be a good chance to get some sea swimming in before the weekend. Tide was way out so the marker buoys were more or less useless to me. Still a bit cold and just swam out for a good bit and then back, perhaps 500m. Twas a bit choppy and I struggled to get any sort of rhythm going

Monday Evening: An easier run than usual around Knockma, only did it twice. I mixed it up a little tonight and went left for the quick death - an ultra steep slope and the second time I went right up slow death which is less severe but far longer. Found the slow death much harder, it just seemed to drag on an on. Approx 7k no garmin

Tuesday Lunch: An easy brick run, didn't kill myself on the cycle as the route was technical and I managed to catch the only rain shower in the day. Off for the run and averaged 3.58 pace for 2k - this didn't feel too bad!

Tuesday Evening: I haven't been getting out often enough or long enough in the open water lately and I have gone backwards without regular visits to the pool. Tonight I wanted to do a decent swim to build the endurance up a little, I will be fine for Louisburgh as its only 750m but I wouldn't fancy an Olympic this weekend. Out to the rock and back 3 times which is approx just over 1500m. No water problems now - water was a lovely temperature. I sighted well in the first rep and came home in 9.35 but the 2nd and 3rd I struggled to see the rock in the chop and let the flow bring me astray and I was tiring, 10.20 and 11.15 for the 2nd two. Was well wrecked after it.

Wednesday Lunch: Time to put the bling wheels on. I only have 60mm valves and the bloody extension dropped into the 80mm wheel. I thought by going to the LBS with the other bike to put in the new handlebars Ii might blag them into getting it out but they were having none of it. I was recommended trying Castlerea prison as they would be the only bucks with the time on their hands to get it out.

Eventually with the use of a compass on one side and a cocktail stick on the other I was able to wriggle it out through the holes but the shoulders were hanging off me by the end

Wednesday Evening: Little time as I did a preemptive strike on painting the decking before the hassle starts at the weekend. I don't know why I bothered I can remember the last time I sat out there for a few hours, the morning after the Connemara Marathon in 2010. Riddled with doms and knocking back some beers to soothe the pain.

Did a 12k cycle with a few fast 4 x 1ks thrown in, a beautiful tailwind for the first two and I was holding just over 45kph, I swear I could hear the star wars x wing noise from the deep sections, a different story on the two back but I was happy enough to get them in slightly over 30kph

catweazle

Triburgh Louisburgh

Mrs C: Ah you will be grand just keep your belly sucked in when you are in transition

This wasn't a good start to my race morning as I had my belly sucked in showing it to her.:o While I haven't piled on the pounds since last year, 77-78 at the moment versus 74-75 from last year there is no more unforgiving outfit in the world than a K-Swiss two piece.

Anyways to hell with it - off i went and 1.30 later I arrived in Louisburgh. Its a fine spot in a lovely part of the world so I was looking forward to this, weather looked like it was going to hold off raining as well.

A delay in the start where I thought here we go reduced swim but fair play they went ahead with it.

Swim: Twas fair choppy for the first section out to the first buoy - I wasn't swimming well as I was getting a fair buffeting but it was the same for everyone. My one frustration was there was still a lot of traffic coming out to the 1st buoy around me, I would have expected to have burned off a lot of these as it was a small field. I turned for the buoy and immediately it was down to about two or three of us, I had forgotten we were let off straight after the Olympic distance so we would have been swimming through the weaker end of that field until we got to the buoy.

A long section across the bay and still while not swimming fluently I wasnt missing a stroke like some of the others around me who did the odd breast stroke to get their bearings. Turned from home and I managed to stick behind two lads that were going hell for leather in front of me.

Finally we hit the shore in a gang of 5 or 6 and wanting a high swim ranking I decided to chance a sprint through the surf. As per usual I was rewarded with a sharp cramp in my right hamstring - I don't know how the Hoff, Pamela etc can run through the surf every week sometimes with a baby in arms and not have a dirty cramp up their backside.

So as per usual I had to walk slowly in and let all the other lads run in ahead of me, no doubt more of the same coming in Kilkee in a few weeks.

Anyways 3 minutes faster than last year but last years swim was long - however an improved ranking of 12th out of the water. 14.38.

Cycle: Coming into transition I realized that the usual couple of fish aside I was in the lead pack out of the water. Usually I am pretty tardy in transition but not today - no doubt spurred on I had the 6th fastest transition and came out behind the Banker. That was alas the last I saw of any of them, and my poor bike came home to roost, I passed one and was passed out by 5 or 6 in a mediocre bike split. Well over a minute slower than last year in similar conditions and just not good enough on a fast and slightly short course.

There were two poor lads out on a saturday spin who seemed to be getting dogs abuse for drafting from lads going by them and from the TI officials. I gave them a few verbals when I went by only to have to apoligise myself when he tells me they are not in the race

The last few turns were a bit confusing, I come up to the 2nd last corner and the marshals are chatting away to themselves - straight or left I roared.....a hesitation and then a what did you say they asked, straight or left and i am then meekly told left, so had to brake and turn back. Not like me I sniffly ask them would it be too much to ask to point a finger for me. Down that road the last corner was unmarshalled and I see the lead runner come towards me. It didn't register till I had gone by him but was the run course changed? Poor fella went the wrong way and he had a huge lead to boot :eek: 35.47 (17th)

Run: Another small cramp in transition when I try and lift the foot to slip the heel in. Two things I have to remember I cant do - run in surf and lift foot in transition and I will be fine. The run was boring in some ways - I was in no mans land, no-one ahead of me in sight and the guy that came into transition I was dropping at my current pace so I was trundling along trying to keep a strong pace.

After the first hill which is a killer I seemed to level out a little, still no-one in sight ahead of me. I didn't realize the run course was changed - while I like the out and back course of last year I must say this was a lovely run. I eventually got sight of a girl ahead of me with a lad just passing her out - I pushed the pace, fair play to her she was a real fighter and I could see her digging in but I got her on the 4th k, the guy that took her was coming back to me as well but I couldn't reel him in before the finish. 22.07 (10th)

So a 10th place finish for me, I was disappointed - at one stage earlier in the year I had hoped for a podium if things had gone perfect but I cant be giving away over 5 minutes to the leaders in the bike and expect to be anywhere near being in the mix.

Besides that I enjoyed the race, probably the polar opposite of Athy with standards and numbers but its a friendly low key race and the money goes to charity which is always welcome.

A sigh of relief as Amphkingwest was working - I would have been in big trouble with that bike split I reckon

PS Kudos to Green & Red who gave me a royal whipping and came in 2nd

Dory Dory

As always, your report does not disappoint. Well done on the day. Sounds like your swim and run are right where they should be at this time, and if you'd get out a bit more with your pal pbgbilloo (employing literary license ) then you might see your bike improve massively. Do not fear the pbgbillooooo!!!

Green&Red

Cheers CW.
Lovely race, disgusted with myself that I was asleep on the beach when the hooter went for the swim when I should have been in the water but other than that was delighted with the swim, especially when I saw that K-Swiss suit just ahead of me. My goals for the year included posting the fastest bike split for a tri and I did that Saturday, had a lovely steady cycle.
The run was changed alright and I thought it was a much nicer course as well, have to feel sorry for the leader though, he was a good 1.5/2 mins ahead of me before he turned the wrong way, poor form not to have a steward there but then he should have known the course.

catweazle

Losing track of logging my training - didn't do a huge amount on thursday and friday.

Sunday: Out I went on a lovely day to put some type of effort into the bike. Was just under 30kph for 40k and then a little wasted took it easier for the last 20k and came in on 28.7kph for 60k. Looks like the extra few kph over 30 are causing me the main problems. More suffering needed

Monday: A well negotiated Salthill run by allowing Mrs C off with the girls for coffee and me keeping the mother happy by dropping in the little man for a few hours. The perfect scenario - keeping the two women in my life happy and some training to boot. I had heard Barna Woods was now connected to the new community centre on the Cappagh road so I said I would try that.

Wasn't the most exciting of new routes - as they are too near each other to get any decent milage in. Off up the Cappagh road and back down the back roads of Mincloon instead for 12.5k at 4.50 pace. Nice hilly route and it took me a while to get going but I was running comfortably in the 4.30's for the last few kilometers

I blagged a quick swim in Blackrock on the way home so another 1200ms or so, water was beautiful and not a ripple on the water.

Tuesday: A poor cycle, a cracking day with little wind but it was the slowest of my time trials around the 20k local route. Came in around the 30.7kph mark

Tuesday Evening: Another swim in Annaghdown pier, I was just about to head off for it and a guy quoting us for a wardrobe arrives at the door. I got a strange look when I answered wearing a wet suit. This nailed me for 20 minutes so only 1000m done. I am worried about my stamina for 1500m so I need more distance in each swim for the next few weeks. Lovely water and I had a good laugh at some travellers that were down there, kids thrown in bare assed and told to stay in the water - hardy stuff!

Wednesday: A tempo run that I was dying at after 5k at 4.26 pace. The sweat was rolling from me with the heat and I couldnt hold the pace so at the turnaround I slowed to a 4.49 paced 5k return

littlebug

Were you over at Lough Hackett this evening CW? Lovely evening and a lovely swim!

catweazle

littlebug wrote: »

Were you over at Lough Hackett this evening CW? Lovely evening and a lovely swim!

No brought the young lad out for a cycle in the trailer instead. I was only ever there once I think and got completely lost coming back from it, Annaghdown Pier is nearer and is easier for the logistically challenged like me. Hopefully will go tomorrow all going well

You getting into the lake this year?

littlebug

catweazle wrote: »

No brought the young lad out for a cycle in the trailer instead.

Cute You should put some pedals in there so he can help you out on the hills :pac:

I was only ever there once I think and got completely lost coming back from it, Annaghdown Pier is nearer and is easier for the logistically challenged like me.

I think I got lost on that road once too! Lots of twists and turns. It's easy to/ from Knockma from Lough Hackett though so you wouldn't get lost if you came that way?

You getting into the lake this year?

This was my first OW swim of the year and I loved it! The lake is lovely, warm too. Big crowds there this evening. I'm told there's a group over there every Wednesday. I'm not sure if it's the tri club? but I think I'll make a point of getting over there frequently through summer. I have to redeem myself in October. still got a lot to work on:o but this evening was a bit of a confidence boost

pgibbo

Dory Dory wrote: »

As always, your report does not disappoint. Well done on the day. Sounds like your swim and run are right where they should be at this time, and if you'd get out a bit more with your pal pbgbilloo (employing literary license ) then you might see your bike improve massively. Do not fear the pbgbillooooo!!!

lol...there'll be nothing to fear after 3 weeks off the bike A few tough spins before Kilkee will be in order once I get back next week.

Less of the Sunday jaunts and coffee stops in your mothers when cycling

Good report CW. I assume you didn't catch the banker on the run

catweazle

pgibbo wrote: »

Good report CW. I assume you didn't catch the banker on the run

Nah I knew my goose was cooked with him when he came out of the water beside me

Wednesday Evening: I need to start doing the swims at lunch, between getting over there and being back before 7.30 to bring Pudsy to bed I am just not getting the distances in. Mrs C is steadfastly refusing to let me swim OW after the dinner and foregoing my pool membership for the summer I am a little snookered. Got about 1000m in before I needed to head off

Thursday Lunch: Packed the biked into the car and headed to the hill over by Abbeyknockmoy. 5 times up and down. The county council were doing some work on the road there and the lads were highly amused seeing me going up and down multiple times while they were sitting on the church wall eating their lunch

Friday Lunch: A few interval runs, struggled to get these done at a relatively easy pace I would have thought. 5 x 800m at 4.15 pace with 90 seconds recovery. A few months ago this would have been a doddle.

Friday Evening: Another rushed swim of again approx 1000m, water is as smooth as glass. Decided to forgo my usual route of out to the rock and back and went the other direction altogether. A nice swim - seems to be more shallow that side so there was plenty of sandy bottom on show

Saturday Morning: The plan was to Kinvara and back which would have been approx about 70k in total. However looking back at it, I went wrong in Kilcolgan and while there were some fancy houses it was a boreen and a bad road. I turned back as soon as I came to a crossroads as I knew I would get lost.

Happy enough with the averages, the first 40k were covered in 30.2kph and 86 cadence (yes I have bought a GSC10). Food for thought seeing as my miserable 20k TT effort earlier in the week came in at 30.7 pace and 93 cadence.

No problem with the aero position at all although the balls were getting a little bit fiery at around the 50k mark. Popped into Oranmore to piss off Sean who was working and lost a little hustle after that chinwag and came in overall for the just under 60k at 29.7 pace. Happy enough though with that, probably best average for the year for the long bike and I was more or less down on the bars for 95% of it.

Saturday Evening: Another swim with Pudsy and Mrs C coming down for the spin, he has a bit of a high temperature and heading out off the pier I knew he wasn't impressed. Went to the rock once for a quick 500m dip and binned it. No sense in pushing on as there's no point in losing goodwill.

Sunday Morning: Another useless run, while I love the heat I am not much good training or running in it. The plan was 15k with 5k splits of 5.00, 4.45 and 4.30. I belted out the door and the 4.45's were easy so I decided I would do 10k at 4.45 and 5k at 4.30 instead. Come the turnaround at 7.5k I was suffering like a dog and could hardly see where I was going for the sweat pouring down my face. Dogged it out to 10k where I had to stop for a break, I was shagged. Got it going again after a few minutes but the revised plan was at this stage to just get home in the high 4.40's. Went out to 4.49 pace but a hard last kilometre in the 4.10's got me back to 4.47 pace.

While I am enjoying the triathlon training a few years ago I had the Connemara marathon in the early season, with Craughwell this year as well, I have realized that I while I am flying in the spring I struggle to maintain it through the summer when I bump up the swim and cycle.

In ways I am looking forward to getting Kilkee over with and have a real crack at getting some run times that I can hang my hat on towards the end of the year.

Sunday Evening: Now after that small rant above, I then go out to the pier and I put in a swim session that had me buzzing climbing up the ladder after it. 3 times out to the rock and back, I reckon its just over 500m each time. Not a ripple on the water again and I planned to swim steady

The first came in on 9.15 which was my fastest ever and I decided why not I will head off on 10 minutes again. 2nd one was 9.10, so off on 10 again and the last one I was surprised was a little slower in 9.25 but I had trouble finding the rock on the way out (it doesn't stick out very much)

I would have liked to do one more at that pace but I hadn't time, after all that its still only around approx 1600m in total. I would like to be doing 2000m + for the next few weeks minimum until Kilkee.

Dory Dory

Ooo...nice sounding swim, cw. You swim in open water and there is a ladder to get in and out? Is this off a harbor then? I always envisioned it on a sandy beach with a gentle start.

And totally feel your pain with adding the swim and bike to the run. I'm keeping up the running mileage and been trying to fit in some swimming (which isn't too hard for me to do) and now some cycling. I've a feeling the swim and bike will not be up to standards this year.

catweazle

Dory Dory wrote: »

Ooo...nice sounding swim, cw. You swim in open water and there is a ladder to get in and out? Is this off a harbor then? I always envisioned it on a sandy beach with a gentle start.

Theres a small slip of a beach there Dory but its not sandy - so to save me hobbling out like a ponce over the rocks I go in off the pier. Its actually quite a nice swim, visibility is decent and its usually not too rough but I would love a better marker than a rock that is about two foot out of the water. I swim in its general direction and try to get a sight on it closer to it. Its actually improved my sighting a good bit, I rarely swim off course now in races

Attached is a google map and I have even marked out where I swim to and how I usually get to it

I might even stick a post up on the main forum to try and get a few more of these on show - I wouldn't mind seeing Wicklow Harbour where Kurt and Abhainn swim

Dory Dory

I have nicely fashioned corner steps to get in and out of my pool, or to lounge on while catching a few rays in my quiet solitude. Would that qualify me to post my map and pic on your "Where we swim" site?

Dory Dory

Just looked at your map....and I'm not sure what your definition of swimming straight is, but that's a lot of zig-zagging going on there!

sconhome

catweazle wrote: »

I wouldn't mind seeing Wicklow Harbour where Kurt and Abhainn swim

Used to swim there and there was a lovely smell of diesel off the body for a while. (Masked the chlorine)

pgibbo

Pedal on Sunday?

catweazle

I doubt it, wedding in Wexford on saturday so not sure what time we will be back on sunday at. Will hope to do something when i get home as I expect not to be too hungover (her friends wedding)

sconhome

pgibbo wrote: »

Pedal on Sunday?

P he's avoiding you!! I'm in Sligo at the Channel Cup swim or I'd be out to crack the whip over this lad.

catweazle wrote: »

I doubt it, wedding in Wexford on saturday so not sure what time we will be back on sunday at. Will hope to do something when i get home as I expect not to be too hungover (her friends wedding)

Did you call into me on Saturday as an alibi so someone witnessed you out cycling?

BTW he just arrived into the shop in cycling gear, I didn't see him arrive and I didn't watch him leaving, so for all I know he could have driven over, lifted the bike out of the boot ('trunk' - Dory) and displayed it on the wall at the front.

Proof of cycling required!!

catweazle

One of the worst weeks training in years - so much for coming to a peak for Kilkee

Monday: A small window on mondays - I wanted my swim and Mrs C wanted her walk. No contest - Nothing

Tuesday: I had planned to run Knockma on my way home from the office, but meetings ran over and my slot was gone.

Wednesday Lunch: I have been worried about the arch on my heel for over a week now. While its not enough to cancel a run its definitely at me, pain seems to lessen as I go on but I am concerned more about ruining a Dublin Marathon effort by pushing on rather than taking a break and perhaps dropping Kilkee instead. 8k @ 4.35 pace

Wednesday Evening: A decent effort at Hell Hath No Fury, worked hard for the hour.

Thursday Evening: Up in Dublin but did my usual trick of telling her I was just on the M50 heading home while I was going through Athlone. So the first swim of the year for me in Loughrea Lake, clear as ever. I caught up with a guy at the half way point, drafted for a little while and then pushed on. No sign of him when I got back to the pier and I was getting worried till I saw him in the changing area. I thought I left him for dead

Friday: Nothing again, a wedding down in Wexford so we left early

Saturday: Friday ended up being a heavy one and I would have dodged the run only for I had texted another lad going that I would go out with him. Foot still sore but manageable, found the pace hard 5.10 which shows the extent of the hangover. The other lad did 4.10 in Rotterdam and hes dying for a good crack at me in Dublin as I just pipped him years ago in Loughrea and have never let him forget it. Hes trained on and looks in great shape

Sunday: Nothing again - I had the window when we got back for a cycle but was too lazy and hungover, the wedding was better than I thought it would be. I was put beside a lad from trilogy and we proceeded to bend the ear off each other for the night. Some place Marfield House - the bedrooms were as big as the ground floor in the house

On a more positive note, I probably wont run till tuesday but I think the heel arch is improving

Dory Dory

catweazle wrote: »

pain seems to lessen as I go on but I am concerned more about ruining a Dublin Marathon effort

Oh no you don't! I'll be having none of that!!!

pgibbo

Dory Dory wrote: »

Oh no you don't! I'll be having none of that!!!

He's just feeling sorry for himself and looking for some TLC!!!! :pac: :pac:

catweazle

Dory Dory wrote: »

Oh no you don't! I'll be having none of that!!!

pgibbo wrote: »

He's just feeling sorry for himself and looking for some TLC!!!! :pac: :pac:

You wouldn't want to be looking for sympathy in here, mercifully at least Tunney doesn't read my log. I will make no mention of the BOG to boot, I would guess the bro in law has a hard on in anticipation for the footing * for the next week. I think hes the only eejit on the bog that insists on footing it twice before taking it home :mad:

Dory the entry form was sent in anyways so I assume I am signed up for Dublin at this stage!

* Footing explanation for Dory

In the past, Irish people heated their homes and cooked their food using turf taken from from the bog as fuel. Turf was cut from the bog by hand, using a two-sided spade called a sleán. Entire families often helped to save the turf on the bog.
Cutting Turf
Photograph by Dorothy Hartley
Enlarge image
Turf Stacks
Photograph by Dorothy Hartley
Enlarge image


Saving the turf involved turning each sod of turf to ensure the sun and wind could help in the drying process. The turf was then placed upright or 'footed' for further drying. Footing the turf was a back-breaking job and involved placing five or six sods of turf upright and leaning against each other. Finally, the turf was brought home and stored in sheds or ricks.

In the midlands and the West of Ireland, the tradition of using turf or peat as fuel has continued in many homes.

Cut Turf Drying Out

Enlarge image
The turf is mainly cut by machine nowadays, but saving the turf still involves lots of work and requires good weather.

Dory Dory

Okay, sort of like little turf teepees. Looks like good, solid cross training to me....the sort of cross training that could just give you the edge over me in Dublin. (that's my story and I'm sticking with it!)