The Good Mood Cookbook

Oryx

Last night I had an easy run with drills to do, but it was one of those days when even easy is hard. I think the swim set left me a bit zapped. Anyway, I struggled around the town with the best bit saved till last, uphill into the wind. I did not enjoy that one little bit. Back to the car, and seeing as I was in town anyway, I got myself a relatively healthy prawn and veg stirfry at the chinese. Little rewards keep you going 9.75k, 59 minutes, and a chinese takeaway.

I had been dreading this mornings run since I saw it on the plan last week. 2.5hrs meant I had to get started before 7 in order to be back by half 9. Good practice for March though, running in the dark. I was sooo sleepy heading out, and my legs felt just like they would during the uglier bits of an IM marathon. I thought I'd probably bail out on this one, really struggled through the first few miles.

But then I settled in. The ache in my legs faded into background noise. I was amused at how cars slowed up as they met me on the road. I was lit up like Christmas, including reflective dots on my hat (thanks Dory) a head torch, bib, and flashing armband. Drivers didn't seem to know wtf was coming towards them and took extreme care. The moon was up, and the dawn was creeping in over the sea, and because it was dark, I was much more aware of the sounds around me, running water, birds waking up, the odd rustle in the ditch that I tried not to think about! I even managed to do the 6x strides I was assigned, and I had abandoned hope of that initially. After the first hour, the daylight had taken over, and I almost missed running in the darkness. There's something really peaceful about it.

There was a high wind today, but somehow the route I took missed the brunt of it, with only a few sections where it was full on. But the end of the run took me back uphill towards home, and the final long 3k drag was hard work. A few more humps and bumps and - oh my god - I had got the evil thing finished. I took a bottle of water and stashed it after 2k for pickup later on, but I really didnt need it. 25.3k, 2h 34 mins. Slow but done. Yay!

Oryx

Another long bit of training today. It was sunday, which is ride to hook for coffee day! A noticeable a stretch in the mornings, its usually dark at the meetup point but today it was already getting bright. Breezy and fresh out, and - hallelujah - dry. The spin out was with a headwind as usual, which made us work, but I think we are getting used to it, it wasn't difficult at any point, you just had to put a bit of extra effort in for the worst bits. Then...aaaah... latte. So good I had two. I think the staff are getting used to us turning up now, pretty soon theyll have it ready on the counter for us as we walk in.

Going back with a tailwind was great as usual. Today our sprint past Loftus got up to 54/56kph respectively. I'm the slower one of course! Another sprint later on was faster, but I got left behind even more. I need practice at that. I burn out too quickly. In total I covered the usual 87.5k but did it in 3.39 today, the fastest to date.

Following the bike I had a 30 min run to do, and my brother agreed to keep me company. We've never run together before, hes new to it. It was fun, and stopped me hating it, which I would have done otherwise. He set the pace, and we did 6.2k in a comfortable 39 minutes.

A really good morning, and I felt fresher than expected given how tired I was yesterday. Love Sundays

Podge83

[the odd rustle in the ditch that I tried not to think about!]

I've had many a hop skip and a jump due to these!! - giving many a driver an excuse to laugh or stare strangely at me!!

Oryx

Over the past few months I have worried that I wasn't doing enough running. I don't worry about that any more. 55k in four days is a bit of a leap forward and boy, my legs know it.

Today's tasty treat was hill reps. 15 min w/u followed by 4x (2 mins hard, 2 x 30 sec hard, with downhill jogs between each). And then another 35 mins ez. By the end I was tired, and had to concentrate to keep good form. (Probably failed but I tried). No more running again till Thursday after turbo. The strategy seems to be to keep all weekly runs in a close block to progressively tire the legs. Its working! 13.75k 77 mins

griffin100

Podge83 wrote: »

[the odd rustle in the ditch that I tried not to think about!]

I've had many a hop skip and a jump due to these!! - giving many a driver an excuse to laugh or stare strangely at me!!

Two mild winters has meant the rodent population has exploded.......and the feckers are big!!!!!

Oryx

Kettlebells tonight. Its good at the moment because its still easy, but it helps my flexibility with pre and post warmups and stretching, which I neglect. Finished with a set of pullups, which - glory be! - are improving.

Podge83

griffin100 wrote: »

Two mild winters has meant the rodent population has exploded.......and the feckers are big!!!!!

Thanks for that, but I had noticed. We have a local walking/ running track and at two points on every lap the little big fella's come out for a look!!

Oryx

Club swim last night. As per last week, my arms were wrecked and it was hard going. But managed to keep up. Got most of the set done, even though it involved nagging my lane mates to get a move on between sets. I hate missing interval times. Finished with 4x 50 personal best. These were done two per lane head to head, so a bit of a race! My times are slow in comparison to all the proper swimmers around here, but they were consistent. Hit 46 seconds on each one, and it was a proper effort, had shaky arm syndrome afterwards!

Dory Dory

Well done you!! Shaky arm syndrome is what we all should aspire to!!!

Oryx

Dory Dory wrote: »

Well done you!! Shaky arm syndrome is what we all should aspire to!!!

I aspire to doing it a lot faster though!

Oryx

Thursday here already again. Turbo! Four of us tonight for a session that was not exceptionally tough but required sustained effort of 80/85% most of the way through, and by the end my legs were feeling it, at which point there were three sets of 30 sec max cad efforts which were a proper piece of suffering. Short but savage. I know power stats would probably give a better session but I think these make the best of what I have to work with.

15 minutes run afterwards and it was PITCH dark out. The headtorch hardly made an impact on it. Thank god I dont get spooked in the dark, because the head torch kept stirring the sleeping creatures in the hedges (birds maybe?). At least the sleet held off while I was out, and hurricane Rachel seems to have blown herself off somewhere else. Run felt fine, just a little tired on the last incline coming back.

Oryx

Early swim today. I'm still just doing two sessions per week, but somehow, I think I seem to be improving a little anyway. (Though I am getting itchy to move up to 3 sets per week). This was a 3k set like last week, but varied a little with longer intervals in the main set (800 pb, 200 pb & band, 800 pad & pb, 200 pb & band) and finishing with a few hard 25s. I loved today. I'm not at all tired this week, and this set flew by. I finished the last bit and thought 'huh... I want to do more!' But apart from an easy extra 50, I called it a day. Lots more work to do this weekend, Ill save it for that. 3050m 75 mins.

Oryx

Yeehaw. We're back into the running phase of the week. Last night was an hour easy with a few drills mixed in. 10.3k

Up at an ungodly hour this morning to start another run, long one this time. This felt so much better than last week, I was cruising along most of the time. Started in the dark again, and I'm glad I am unfazed, running with just the small pool of light from a headtorch. A few years ago I would have freaked the hell out. But now I love the peace of it. The stars were out this morning, and there was a hard frost on the road. Care was taken!

I brought no headphones for company, in these conditions, with traffic meeting you, you need your wits about you. I need to hear. I don't miss it anyway, its great headspace. Stashed a small bottle of water like last week and did drink it, but wasn't parched. I didn't take my emergency gel as I didn't need to. A few niggles built up in the latter stages but otherwise I was fine. 28.5k in 2h 49.

Oryx

Ice. Gah...

I hate wussing out on a planned session but todays cycle just had everything stacked against it. I knew it would be frosty, but it was worse than expected when I checked outside at 7am. Then my cycling buddy bailed due to illness. Whatever about heading out with the encouragement of someone equally foolish, doing 4 hrs on bad roads in sub zero temperatures -alone - was a step too far. Turbo it was. Except when i went to set up, my rear tyre on my turbo bike was punctured. The gods did not want me cycling today! Fixed that and eventually got spinning as I watched the sun melting the frost outside.

I had been told that 2.30hr turbo would be ok today if the weather was bad. I still thought I'd get 3 done but at 2h 45 I was losing the will to live and I finished up. I was in the frame of mind today that could have done with a chatty social ride, solo turbo is the antithesis of that, I was totally demotivated on that bike! I was to run off the bike, so finally got out on the roads, with my son 'pacing' me on his bike, which involved endless chatter and lots of complaints about hills (him, not me). It was nice though, something we've not done before. Did an easy peasy 11k in 65 minutes.

I really cant wait till the weather picks up and we get out of this cold phase. Not getting out on the bike makes me feel like a caged bird!!

Mr Tony Stark

" I knew it would be frosty, but it was worse than expected when I checked outside at 7am. Then my cycling buddy bailed due to illness."

It started as the bug which the kids had all week. The bad news is it has now developed into full blown man flu.

I think it might be touch and go.

Oryx

Ok Tony I'm off to light a candle for you and Ill phone Mackens just in case.

The Hook will wait, get well soon.

Oryx

Another run today. All my weekly runs are squished into the four days over the weekend, and I really like that. Today was hill reps, with a little bit of a build on last week's effort. 3 sets of five intervals each shorter than the last. It went ok but my legs and not my lungs were what really felt it. I wonder am I doing it right?

Finished with an eazy jog, 15.1k in 1h20. Brings my four day run total to 65k. I refuse to give in to the trend around here. I will not log runs in miles!

ToTriOrNot

Oryx wrote: »

. I refuse to give in to the trend around here. I will not log runs in miles!

Good for you!! it should be metric!!!! Can't understand miles, yards, lbs, st, oz....what the heck..I don't even think I learn those in school!!!

Dory Dory

Over here in the states, "140.6" is synonymous with an iron distance triathlon - assumed it was universal. Now you've got me wondering if it's not that way in Ireland/Europe. ???

ToTriOrNot

Well, to me half Ironman, is what it is, 1.9km swim, 90 km bike, and half a marathon run, and full ironman is a 3.8km swim, 180km bike and a marathon run. I hear that 70.3 is a marathon, and it's going to become quite popular given Dublin will have one this summer....but anything other than metric, it confuses me!!!

Most european countries use metric only, but Ireland is special, where people use anything and everything...making it very confusing for inland europeans!!!

Oryx

Our nearest neighbour is the UK which still uses imperial measures quite widely. We adopted a lot of their laws and stuff and the influence is still felt. Our road signs only went metric pretty recently, and for years both systems were (badly) taught in schools. I end up doing mental conversions from one to the other all the time... travel, cooking, its a muddle!

And Ironman is 226

mossym

Oryx wrote: »

And Ironman is 226

unless you are a magazine in which case it's 220

sconhome

Oryx wrote: »

I will not log runs in miles!

It's all them runners seeing the light that makes it seem like a trend. Stick to your guns, with you all the way on the km's.

Dory Dory

Oryx wrote: »

And Ironman is 226

That's funny. Your necklace says 140.6 :)

Oryx

Dory Dory wrote: »

That's funny. Your necklace says 140.6 :)

So does my jacket, from Wales. We're used to it.

ToTriOrNot

Oryx wrote: »

So does my jacket, from Wales. We're used to it.

I am not. 12 years in the country, and every single time I see a signpost, saying mtown 3, only to find another signpost a few minutes driving towards mtown later saying 3.5 I wonder .....at least most speed limit signs are in kmh now thank god!!

I still run in kms because in miles it looks pathetic...I got very confused on the treadmill the weekend as it was all mph and pace was min:mil....I can't do that conversion in my head!!!

Oryx

ToTriOrNot wrote: »

I am not. 12 years in the country, and every single time I see a signpost, saying mtown 3, only to find another signpost a few minutes driving towards mtown later saying 3.5 I wonder .....at least most speed limit signs are in kmh now thank god!!

I still run in kms because in miles it looks pathetic...I got very confused on the treadmill the weekend as it was all mph and pace was min:mil....I can't do that conversion in my head!!!

Ah. All signposts are in kms, but the irish idea of distances can be... well, fluid.

RacoonQueen

Lol I remember a cycle in Nenagh a few years ago, longing for the return to Nenagh...a road sign said Nenagh 6...about 15 minutes later another road sign appeared...expecting it to say Nenagh 2 or ''Welcome to Nenagh'' it said Nenagh 8



I can't pace myself running in KM...I've always run in miles. Our races, other than 5k and 10k are measured in miles and often 5k and 10k races will have mile markers too. I loosely know what some km paces are because of 5k/10k paces/goal times.

Struggle to cycle in miles mind. :pac:

Kurt Godel

RacoonQueen wrote: »

Lol I remember a cycle in Nenagh a few years ago, longing for the return to Nenagh...a road sign said Nenagh 6...about 15 minutes later another road sign appeared...expecting it to say Nenagh 2 or ''Welcome to Nenagh'' it said Nenagh 8



I can't pace myself running in KM...I've always run in miles. Our races, other than 5k and 10k are measured in miles and often 5k and 10k races will have mile markers too. I loosely know what some km paces are because of 5k/10k paces/goal times.

Struggle to cycle in miles mind. :pac:

Yeah but km's are shorter than miles so you should pace by them to be quicker.

Oryx

Kettlebells tonight. All weights were metric, all reps were decimal. I was throwing around a 12kg because my shoulders still cant take too many reps of anything heavier. I did a bit of work on the pull up bar afterwards. Progress is still slow but there is actual progress. Tired but happy arms now.