The Good Mood Cookbook

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

Well done, I told you that you had a good race in you! Onwards & upwards

Solobally8

Just got round to reading your report, well done mrs. Fantastic result! Imagine what you could achieve with dedicated marathon training!

Oryx

Now that the marathon is done, I have to decide on a plan of attack for the winter. Usually the run up to Christmas is my find some muscles time, and hopefully I'll give that a crack this year. But ultimately, everything for the next 8 months has to be about the bike. It needs to be a hell of a lot stronger.

I went out with one of the club girls on sunday, lovely meandering route, but she could leave me for dead of the flat parts (thankfully she didnt). So aim one in this bike thing is speed. Anyway, twas a nice 60k to get me back in the swing of things.

This morning tried a few drills in the pool. I'm not sure I was doing them right, its tricky when there's no one to correct you. Roughly 1500.

Tonight, kettlebells. One of the moves involves flicking the bell upside down and pressing it. It required coordination and a bit of skill, something I just don't have. Frustrating. Good class, apart from a few things like that making me feel like a dunce!

Oryx

Did ya ever have one of those days...

I did, and my heart wasn't in the club swim tonight. To the point that I stopped and asked the coach the question that has bugged me for a while. Why is he making poor swimmers do IM drills? He took it well. While we didn't end up agreeing as such, and agreed to disagee, at least I aired it with him. At the end of the day if I go to his sessions I do what he asks. I can choose to train with him or not and if I do I have to trust his methods. Ill see out this term and see where he is heading after that.

My half hearted, argumentative effort brought me in at 1450.

Dory Dory

^^^ Good for you!

interested

Id be very interested to hear the explanation but understandably probably not on a public forum.

IM or altering speed (fartlek with fs) has its benefits in terms of body conditioning but ultimately if people struggle to actually do all 4 strokes there's a diminishing set of returns for that group of swimmers.

You pay your money, you're absolutely entitled to ask the questions - good on ye

MaryB30

Well Done. When Oryx asks, answers should be forthcoming promptly.;);)

Oryx

MaryB30 wrote: »

Well Done. When Oryx asks, answers should be forthcoming promptly.;);)

Oryx is asking.... dont we have a 400 tt coming up soon???

MaryB30

When I said promptly I didnt mean instantly. Yes TT soon. Just have to re find the pool.

Oryx

MaryB30 wrote: »

When I said promptly I didnt mean instantly. Yes TT soon. Just have to re find the pool.

Its right where you left it, top of the hill on your left.

Oryx

Ran this morning. Short and sweet, working on good running form. Did speed intervals but nothing shocking, it was more a reminder every minute to make sure form was good than a big step up or down in pace. 32 mins, 6k.

My hamstring is a pain, literally. Horrible thing still showing no sign of healing.

Oryx

First group turbo set of winter. These sets are down to me, and this was kept pretty easy. Single leg drills, spinups, and some hard effort intervals. Nice to have company it makes all the difference.

Oryx

Swam this morning. I do love the pool early in the morning, its kinda peaceful (till the sharks get in and zip up and down...).

Quick warmup and then my monthly 400 tt. I tried to push hard, but it seems to have been counterproductive, coming in 2 seconds slower than last time. That could be down to a lot of factors, marathon, turbo last night, more haste less speed, I just dont know.

Afterwards I did sets of drills with fins and snorkel, concentrating on the hand entry and rotation, so it was torpedo drills and entry pause. Did them in 100s with a slow steady 100 bilat breathing (no fins) in between. Correcting things is going to take some time.

2150 which felt easy.

Kurt Godel

2 seconds slower than last months TT? You asked your question, you got your answer, now you have your results. How are others in your group faring with month-on-month swim tests?

Oryx

Kurt Godel wrote: »

2 seconds slower than last months TT? You asked your question, you got your answer, now you have your results. How are others in your group faring with month-on-month swim tests?

I doubt they are doing any right now. I've done two club swims in total and missed the two weeks prior to this one, so I don't think I can lay it at that particular door....

Oryx

Cold and sunny this morning, perfect running weather. I went out for a happy run with some mellow music (Wailin'Jennys). It was blissful. Didn't even go that slow, tho did stop twice for shoelaces and things. Legs felt good (ache notwithstanding), head felt good, all was right with the world. 10.9k in 58 mins.

Oryx

One of the sharks mentioned today that my swimming looked smoother on Friday. (Cos I was going slow and concentrating, probably). He gave me my new mantra:

"Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast"

Oryx

Club cycle. You couldn't have asked for a better morning, bright and dry with no wind. It was cold at first but got to say my (too big) boards winter jacket is the business. It feels paper thin but is toasty warm. I was goldilocks temperature all the way. Speed was kept easy and we had a great tea stop mid way. 60k in around 2.5 hrs cycle time. This social riding is nice. I might get used to it.

Oryx

Swam this morning. Yet again slowing things down and trying to do it right, rather than do it fast. The tester was at the end. Ive been told I need to bilat breathe all the time and get my stroke count down, so I did 25m sprints to see how I could manage. Funnily enough the breathing felt the best it has been since I started working on bilateral, and I was managing a pretty consistent 4 stokes off my normal count. All in consistent 24 second times. Positive enough and these sprints are another little marker I can use to check progress. 1750m.

Oryx

Monday night: Kettlebells. Hardest bit of this was 4x non stop get ups on one arm then switch to 4x on the other. Started with 12kg but my puny left arm couldnt manage all 4 and I had to drop to 8, dammit! I may soon move up a weight for a good bit of this stuff, except the overhead bits. 12kg is now way too light for swings and stuff. Time to throw caution to the wind.

Last night, Tuesday was club swim. There was NO COACH! Woo! (Says a lot about my mental attitude towards him that I was looking forward to a session without him there). The session was written up, but with no overlord, I played by my own rules. Got in the lane with sharks (they don't really bite) because of crowding in my own lane, but was kinda glad, its nice to feel pressure, plus I never got caught behind anyone. The session was 300 wu followed by 6 x 50 fc legs (I used my snorkel, no board) 8 x 50 fc arms, 100 cu, 8 x 100 timed (I wore fins for some of it, and concentrated more on form than time - gotta get this catch lark sorted), 50 bc, 6 x 50 easy/hard alternating. 200 sd of which I managed 100. I got the set done (almost) which was surprising. Yeah I had a little help from my fins, but still. Also did most of it bilateral which is a big (huge, MASSIVE) change for me. I know coaches are a necessary evil, but god, it was great to do a good swim, my own way, with no beady eyes on me!

Oryx

Yesterday was a rest day. I'm getting very good at those.

Today I ran intervals, if you can call them that. Like last week, not a lot of variation in the 'on' and 'off' bits. Nice out, sunny again, and nicely chilly. One of the upsides of my new eating plan is the cold isnt getting to me as much, a happy result! Though I had the chorus from Miley Cyrus 'Wrecking Ball' stuck in my head for some reason, and you really don't want that twiglet singing on a loop in your head at 7am.
5.5k easy peasy.

Oryx

Turbo tonight. Not a miley cyrus to be seen. Five tough ladies took part in what turned out to be a hard hours work. But it was good laugh.

Wu
Single leg drills
Short fast/slow intervals of increasing duration
Main set 3 x (5 min @ 85% 98rpm, 2 min rest, 5min @ 85% 85 rpm, 2 min rest)
Cd

Oryx

Early swim today. Did this as another slowed down technical session. I'm sticking to the same few drills, torpedo, puppy paddle, entry pause. Drills were done with fins alternating with a regular 100m. At the end I did 8 x 25 timed, with emphasis on smooooooth. Did these off 45, but found they didn't really tire me that much. Did most of them on 23-24 seconds, with a stroke count of about the same, which is down from an abysmal 29. Oddly, I find I am faster on these if I actively try NOT to go faster, but instead focus on slow correct form. Tis a bit of a revelation to me.

pointer28

Hi Oryx,

Sorry for taking this off topic, but just a quick question.

Any idea of dates for the Rosslare 10k next year, or is it going ahead?

Thanks

Oryx

Its easter monday, I've been told. I'm not on the committee so I don't know more than that for now.

pointer28

Thanks for that

Oryx

I got out with the running crowd today for the first time in ages. It was great to see them all again. We did an easy 20min jog then 400m intervals over very up and down uneven terrain. It was different from what I've been doing lately which is good. I had to cut the session short but still did an hour overall. Really enjoyed it.

I made protein pancakes when I came home (from a rough recipe I got from one of the instructors while my kids did swim lessons). They were om nom nom. My new breakfast I think.

Dory Dory

Protein pancakes?? Oooo. Did you top them with anything?

Oryx

Dory Dory wrote: »

Protein pancakes?? Oooo. Did you top them with anything?

Today I had honey. But fruit, milled seeds, bacon, maple syrup... anything will work.

Oryx

Bike ride today. Went out with two girls from the club. The weather was perfect, dull but dry and calm, and not cold. Did 72k altogether, at a very easy pace, took about three hours but there are a few stop/starts in that. Very enjoyable, as it should be this time of year. Av cad reads low, not sure why, was coasting quite a bit to hold the pace of one of the others - I must keep an eye on it.