Standard Deviation

Kurt Godel

shotgunmcos wrote: »

And to add feul to the fire in the belly, Tunney once declared that no adult learner could break 1:10

I will admit this became a goal when I first saw it discussed. I'm not a big believer in "You can't..."

Kurt Godel

Thurs 60 min turbo; 3,000m swim

SF "Angels", not pushed as hard as it might have been. Long work day.

This evening I nearly skipped the swim session, as I've got tired arms. However, its a gift horse so I had to go. Session was:

400 w/u
25 fly, 75 free, 15sec rest
25 back, 75 free, 15sec rest
25 breast, 75 free, 2 mins rest
25 fly, 75 free, 15sec rest
25 fly, 75 free, 15sec rest
25 fly, 75 free, 2 mins rest
1*100 off each of 1:45, 1:40, 1:35, 1:30; 2 min rest
2*100 off each of 1:45, 1:40, 1:35, 1:30; 2 min rest
3*100 off each of 1:45, 1:40, 1:35, 1:30; 2 min rest

The stars were out tonight, my usual partner in crime K(we take turns at the back), coach for the evening G (who was doing those 100's in on 1:05), and ex-national swimmer L, who has taken a break from swimming for a while and is just starting back. The best thing about tonight was studying the form of G and L, who just defy anything I've seen underwater before. Totally flexible, ideal strokes, just fish in the water. A real lesson to watch.

I managed to get to the "2*100 off each of 1:45", but then started cramping up pretty bad, both in the foot and the calf. Rather than ditch the session I just did what I could, jumping in for a fast 50 or 100 as the others completed the set. Its disappointing to not finish out, especially when given the opportunity to swim with such company, but I still had last night in my legs (I was kicking pretty hard last night). Got a reminder to drink some quinine for the cramp. L's recipe to make your own sports drink- 50ml quinine, 450ml water, pinch of salt, pinch of sugar. Must try that.

Kurt Godel

Brand new off-road run/cycle Greenway planned, that starts just about my house, and finishes 25k later at the Arklow pool. No more than I deserve really, and minimal lobbying involved. W16-W13 green line.

Slogger Jogger

Kurt Godel wrote: »

Brand new off-road run/cycle Greenway planned, that starts just about my house, and finishes 25k later at the Arklow pool. No more than I deserve really, and minimal lobbying involved. W16-W13 green line.

Yippee! The only bad thing for you is you have to go past my gaff

I'm sure a bit of lobbying could get them to do a Shillelagh Coolboy link-up.

A nice flat half marathon ish route it is too.

Kurt Godel

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

Yippee! The only bad thing for you is you have to go past my gaff

I'm sure a bit of lobbying could get them to do a Shillelagh Coolboy link-up.

A nice flat half marathon ish route it is too.

Had my friend the local councillor knock the door tonight, as it happens. Last squared up to him a couple of years back regarding local roads.

him-"Hello (forgotyourname), great to see ya, how is things?" (shoves pamphlet in my hand)
me-"Howareya Pat, ah you've rejoined that shower of FF bastards I see?"
-"I have, I only left them because I didn't like the F***ing C*nt of a Bo**ix Dick Roche"
-"Better the Devil you know; you have me vote Pat" (wink, meaning F*ck off)
-"Brilliant" (suddenly distrusts last sentence) "an if you ever need any help with anathing at all..." (looking very sorrowful, like someone you could trust a stray kitten with)
-"you could fix da foooookin' rooooaaaaads outside Pat"
-"ah sure they are shocking state altahgethor, I was just on to the council to release funds...."
-"you're A1 Pat sound man fighting the good fight, excuse me while I close the door, I have some fierce knuckle-biting I need to do..."

Kurt Godel

Mon 11k easy run

Nothing at all done since Thursday- the calf was tight and I was incredibly busy so no harm in letting it rest anyhow. My workload is only going to get tougher over the next while, as I've taken over the family business, and still have important exams to complete over the next few months. I'll do what I can in training, but I think 3-hour bike rides will be few and far between. Just as well I'm targeting nothing further than Oly's...

Anyway, today was a great evening to leave the computer desk behind for an hour, and hit the forest. Smashing run, (if a little rusty), a tonic for the soul.

Kurt Godel

Tue 4.25k swim

Hit the pool this afternoon to wash off the corporate dirt, and managed to bag the single lane, amid the schools-out mayhem of Easter break. Every ball seemed to be aimed at me with precision; every noodle drifted into my lane; every kid who could was using the rope to stand on... but thats all good, as the screams and laughter nearly raised the roof.

I just wanted to tip away at a handy swim, tried a few drills in between, and attempted to stay swimming high in the water towards the end. No watch today, so the distance is an honest guesstimate, with over 1.5 hours slow and steady.

Dory Dory

What do you mean the distance is an honest guesstimate??

Maybe I should introduce you to this little gem:

Pool distance (in yards, meters, feet, etc..) x number of lengths = actual distance in aforementioned yards, meters, feet, etc....



Oh...and not to brag or anything, but I've got a little party piece to go with The Black Cat. Stunning. :)

Kurt Godel

Wed 60min turbo; 2,600m swim

SF "Downward Spiral", pretty intense effort throughout the intervals.

Swim was:
200m wu
10*50 off 60sec (25 fast, 25 steady)
5*100 off 1:50
5*100 off 1:45
3*100 off 1:40
2*200 in 3:20
200 swim down

Cramping again towards the end, despite drinking my quinine/water/sugar/salt mix. F said that magnesium sprayed on her skin helps her, apparently it is better absorbed that way. I'll give it a shot.

griffin100

Dioralyte?? (cheap)
Nuun tablets?? (expensive)

Kurt Godel

griffin100 wrote: »

Dioralyte?? (cheap)
Nuun tablets?? (expensive)

Thanks, I'll try Dioralyte. I've tried Nuun, didn't seem to help.

Oryx

Hi5 zero isn't bad either.

Kurt Godel

Cheers Oryx, I've tried that too, with no noticeable effect. It may be a stretching issue too, I tend to stretch sporadically, when the advice is to stretch regularly or not at all. Either way, this constant cramping is a pain in the ass/calf/foot.

Dory Dory

Do you eat enough bananas??

Oryx

I have a problem with connective tissue under my ribs, every time I exercise this area cramps if I lean forward. So when I go to change my shoes and suddenly lurch upright and gasp, people think I'm having a heart attack. And its great fun in aero position on the bike.

Anyway... point being that these things help:
Hydration (just water)
Massage of the affected area regularly (I mean really regularly - if I forget I suffer).
Stretching regularly.

Kurt Godel

Thurs 7k run; 2,500m swim

Easy run in the forest at lunch.

Followed by 3 banana's (opened incorrectly), no dinner (a hunch), and merrily merrily merrily drive to the best swim of the week.

250m warm up
5*100 off 1:50 (all in 1:30)
90 sec rest
5*100 off 1:45 (all in 1:30)
90 sec rest
5*100 off 1:40 (all in 1:30-1:35)
90 sec rest
5*100 off 1:35 (all in 1:28-1:35)
couple of mins rest
10*25 hypoxic off 60 sec (breath X times during the 25m; X=3,2,1,0,0,0,0,1,2,3)

I tried Dory's suggestion, and went without dinner (could cramping be caused by a digestion issue?), and lo and behold I didn't cramp until the very end of the hypoxic set, so I'm calling that a win, thank you Dory!:D

No coach tonight, so we were hanging around deciding what to do, and decided upon 4*(5*100) descending sets. I was doubtful I'd get the 1:35's done, but no point in hanging round doubting, off we went. I had L in the lane beside me, and she is a lesson to watch. What a brilliant catch. I tried to keep up with her, and this attempt took me in on 1:30 pace for the first couple of sets. The 1:40's pinched a little, but nothing that couldn't be done. I had my excuses lined up to bail on the last set, but L said to do 2 off 1:35, take a break, another 2, break, then 1; and that would be more useful to me. So I got the first two done, knowing I'd try a third... and then the fourth... and then finish the set. Done. Delighted to have reached that "off 1:35" marker, it was a lot easier having her next door to pace and chase.

When that was finished we got talking about breathing, and she suggested a set of hypoxic she used to do. Basically you swim slowly, taking 3 breaths anytime during the first length. Take a break, then 2 breaths the next, and so on. The third one pinched, as did the fourth (zero breaths), but strangely everything seemed a lot easier after that, and the focus was on everything but breathing. The final 1,2,3 breaths seemed like cheating. A very useful lesson, and one I'll return to.

Dory Dory

How does one open a banana incorrectly???

Well done on the swim...and some great suggestions by L. She's a keeper!!!

Kurt Godel

Dory Dory wrote: »

How does one open a banana incorrectly???

Probably the Greatest Piece of Advice you'll ever read on this log... certainly more important than the Third Secret of Fatima... of such Arcane Import that it is hard-wired to our very simian DNA...

Observe, if you will, Our brother the monkey. Not for him the awkwardness of tearing open his banana by brutally ripping it apart from the stem, risking breakage or mushy fingers. No, instead he uses the stem as a solid holder from the base, and gives a gentle pinch at the pointed end. The banana skin can now gracefully be peeled downwards and its innards enjoyed as god intended, leaving the other hand free for such other nobel activities such as bug-grooming and arse-scratching.

Dory Dory

Ahhh.....bug-grooming and arse-scratching. Two very important personal hygenine tasks that just don't get talked about enough.

Kurt Godel

Fri 82k bike

60k@30kph Home-Carnew-Gorey-Ferns-Enniscorthy-Bunclody

Slow start, but once I got off the hills and on to smooth roads I was motoring. The road surface from Enniscorthy to Bunclody is rougher than you might think, and there was a head wind all along the river, so I had to push this section to keep the average 30kph.

21k@20kph I took a 5 min break at Bunclody, glugged my Diolaryte, and set off slowly for home. This section is hillier, but I was bonking anyway. Could have done with a gel; instead I made it to Carnew and stopped for the nicest 99 ice cream I've ever had. The whole point of long bikes are buns and ice cream, right?

Oryx

Did you take the main road Enniscorthy - Bunclody or the backroad? The backroad is more undulating and the surface is middling, but its so much quieter and seems to go quicker.

Kurt Godel

Oryx wrote: »

Did you take the main road Enniscorthy - Bunclody or the backroad? The backroad is more undulating and the surface is middling, but its so much quieter and seems to go quicker.

Main road I think, from the roundabout a couple of km on the Gorey side of EnnisC, to Bunclody. Could be that I was just tiring, but the surface felt quite friction-y. Some beautiful vistas of the Slaney, which I was eagerly searching for good swimming spots!

Oryx

Kurt Godel wrote: »

Main road I think, from the roundabout a couple of km on the Gorey side of EnnisC, to Bunclody. Could be that I was just tiring, but the surface felt quite friction-y. Some beautiful vistas of the Slaney, which I was eagerly searching for good swimming spots!

Well at Enniscorthy once I was warned about even putting my feet in the water because of pollution....

The backroad goes left just after that roundabout so you travel along the other side of the river. You can go up onto the main road at Clohamon or stay on the minor road which will bring you onto another road that leads directly into Bunclody town centre.

Edit: If you want a fantastic hill climb, take the left off the main road at Clohamon up to Kilmyshall. A right at the top *should* bring you into Bunclody. (I havent taken the route, I went straight on which eventually brings you to Kiltealy I think.)

griffin100

The road from Enniscorthy to Bunclody is rough (and a bit dangerous I always think). The Ferns to Bunclody road via Clohoman is even worse, it's like cycling in a ploughed field.

Next time go through Bunclody and take a left at the co op and head for Mt Leinster and the 9 stones, descend down the other side, take a left at the crossroads and come back down into Bunclody. Adds a nice hilly 40km or so. And there's usually a ice cream van at the 9 stones in the summer

In that part of the world great fun can be had on a bike by simply following the 'brown' signs indicating the Mt Leinster drive, you can be sure of hills.

Kurt Godel

griffin100 wrote: »

The road from Enniscorthy to Bunclody is rough (and a bit dangerous I always think). The Ferns to Bunclody road via Clohoman is even worse, it's like cycling in a ploughed field.

Next time go through Bunclody and take a left at the co op and head for Mt Leinster and the 9 stones, descend down the other side, take a left at the crossroads and come back down into Bunclody. Adds a nice hilly 40km or so. And there's usually a ice cream van at the 9 stones in the summer

In that part of the world great fun can be had on a bike by simply following the 'brown' signs indicating the Mt Leinster drive, you can be sure of hills.

Might give that a shot- Bunclody is only 20k from my gaff so it would be a good hilly 80k. We could meet up for the Mt Leinster loop if you fancied a chat.

So, the Slaney... can you swim in it? I gazed longingly from Newtownbarry House, its a strong flow all right, but do you know of people getting in?

Kurt Godel

Sat 15 mins OW swim

I took the kids to the pool so they could do approximate times for their 250m/350m swims at next months 3D kids aquathlon... however the pool was full with classes for the morning. No problem, plan B had been prepared for- we drove to Courttown and donned the wetsuits. A website had told me the earlier temp was 10˚C, and indeed it was fairly brisk getting in (under a bright sun; great day here). Legs went numb straight away, and putting hands under was painful. My son took the plunge under first, and I soon followed, then little miss. Cold! However, we soon acclimatized and were able to do a bit of swimming. No idea of distance, as the Garmin was on my hand so lost reception, but we stayed in 15 mins, and then the kids had enough. I have to say, I would have liked to stay in longer, it felt great to be swimming in the open again. Wicklow Harbour beckons:)

Dory Dory

Props to all three of you!!!

Kurt Godel

Mon3.5k swim

1,050m straight with tumbles (1:51 pace)
600m drills
1,000m straight touch turns (1:51 pace)
700m hypoxic stuff
150m swim down

I've caught a bug; sore throat, headache, and sore joints; so todays was an easy swim. My tumbles are getting better, still no faster than touch turns, but moving in the right direction. I did 2 sets of 1,2,3,0,0,0,0,3,3,1 hypoxic; what a great lesson.

The kids are doing swim camp this week from tomorrow, 2 hours each morning. I'll try and bribr them to go early, so I can grab an hour before they start. I'd happily hang up my runners at the moment, I like swim training so much.

Kurt Godel

Mon pm 8km easy run

It felt like a warm day in France up in the forest this afternoon. A very slow and enjoyable plod, with a little sting in the tail. I jogged by a middle-aged woman, saw a boxer dog further up the path. "Oh don't mind him, he's just playful" she said. The little pet then proceeded to playfully try and bite the ankles off me. I stopped, and shooed him away, he continued to snarl and go for me teeth blared, so I let a kick out at him (didn't connect). She then roared at me full voice "I SAID HE WAS PLAYFUL, YOU.... F***ING BASTARD!!! DON'T YOU DARE HARM HIM!! YOU F***ING BASTARD!!!". What can you do, I told her to get her dog under control and on a leash, and continued on.

Slogger Jogger

You didn't connect right? So no harm done and you were just being playful :P
If the dog isn't fully under control the owner has no excuse.