P in the Pool

Kurt Godel

P is for Performance
P is for Parenting
P is for Painting
P is for Profit
(P is for pushing presto posthaste pursuit pronto podium progress preparing poetical parenthesis)
P is for Potential

Race season is about to start, I am well-prepared in the swim and the bike, much less so on the run due to a persistent achilles injury. However, training under the eye of coach Dave has been very solid and mostly consistent over the past seven months, and because of it (and him) I'm fitter than I've ever been. The next few months should be exiting, I am looking forward to pushing myself to better results.

The "P" words above are my current focus, as the mathematics degree from the past 5 years comes to an end, and a new career takes off. Math has a beautiful way to help define certainty in my mind, and I will continue to explore numerical logic, albeit at a less academic pace. For the moment, its time to get back some artistry and pick up my brushes again. I've not painted or drawn these past 5 years, but I've always thought of Art as an old mans game, so this will be a rebirth.

That is just to say that the above will inform the general crapulence of this log, while trying to race to the best of my abilities and report on it here.

Proceed...

Kurt Godel

Fri 3rd April 2,800m swim

400sw easy
2x200p steady with 15s
4x100sw mod with 15s
8x50 alt fast/easy
4x100p mod with 15s
2x200sw steady with 15s
400sw easy

Though my Pull Bouy was in the car, put alas... none lying around the deck either, so I just touched my big toes together and went for a "dead leg" swim. It was surprisingly useful, I had to work hard to keep the soke going and the legs from sinking.

Fast 50's were around 42s each, the rest was circa 1:40/100m pace.

Chartsengrafs

Good stuff, I'm expecting big things this year! Assuming the unfortunate run issues get sorted.

Solobally8

P in the pool hee hee
Glad to see you haven't left us.

Kurt Godel

Basster wrote: »

Good stuff, I'm expecting big things this year! Assuming the unfortunate run issues get sorted.

Thanks Stephen, hope to see you at a few races. Missed the 3D aquathon owing to the achilles, with a lot of regret. But fingers crossed I'll get it sorted.

Solobally8 wrote: »

P in the pool hee hee
Glad to see you haven't left us.

"P in the Pool" is to remind me not to take myself too seriously around these parts;)

Kurt Godel

Sat 6k progression run

First run in a week, another test of the achilles. This was the best it has felt in a long time, there is still some discomfort but it didn't seem to hamper things too much. I set off thinking I'd do 6k at 5min/km pace, but felt so good I decided to up the game each km and see if I survived. Happy to say I did.

Splits:
5:03
4:44
4:49
4:34
4:17
4:01

The last one was tough all right, but not flat out. I'm quite pleased with this run, not too much run fitness has been lost. The recent hard turbo sessions seem to have fed into my running.

Kurt Godel

Sun 2:54 turbo

1:04 easy at 160W
30min at 90% (266W av)
10 min easy 158W
30min at 90% (261W av)
10 min easy 153W
20min at 90% (246W av)
10 min easy 145W

This was a scheduled 3 hr ride with 3*30min at 90%, which is 252W. I felt good for the first two, struggled on the last and shortened it to 20mins, the legs were just dying. Even though it is a great day for a spin, early morning DIY and then Easter dinner meant I had to save it for the turbo.

Kurt Godel

Mon 10k easy run 5:07min/km av 159HR av

After Saturdays progression run I was told to keep every run this week between 5-6min/km pace. The achilles felt a bit tight starting off- I am hyper wary of every twinge, strain, pull, always aware it could pop at any time. So these test runs are a balance between what is possible and what is sensible. By 3km it was feeling looser, and I extended the turn around point to 5km. Great spring evening for a run, the legs were a little tired from yesterday's turbo but otherwise all was good. Its a joy to finish these runs without limping, and being able to do a few stretches.

sconhome

Question.

How are the new shoes working out?
Do you vary them with others?

I worry when I hear about persistent Achilles issues and coupled with old history of PF.

Kurt Godel

They seem pretty good- a higher ramp than my usual NB MT10's. I haven't been rotating them because I've been doing very little running!

The past few years, if its not the achilles, its the knees, or the calf. Interspersed with periods of injury-free running. I'm content enough with the speed this achilles has been healing, it is a slow injury to recover from so the fact I'm running now eight weeks after it first occurred is good enough.

Kurt Godel

Any time I do eccentric stretching of the achilles/calf, I suffer the next day (heel drops on stairs last night; tightness and soreness this morning). I think I'll lay off that for a while and try deep massage instead. I found this video useful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkrNQmgCMOk

tunney

"one of the soc doc rules is we don't stretch any injuries"

I've said this before, its very true. Stretching wont help an injury it will make it worse. Occasional massage will help.

For an achilles injury, which I am prone too, patience and discipline when returning to training are key.

tunney

The stick is sh1t. Use mine for mixing paint. Get a tiger tail instead.

joey100

patience and discipline when returning to training are key

This X100. I've been very guilty of trying to rush back after injuries or lay offs in the past and it doesn't work. We get used to being able to run at certain paces and put out certain power and aren't happy when that changes, but I'm starting to learn that it takes time to get back into it and not to try rush it back. When I was reading some of your recent running especially this one

thinking I'd do 6k at 5min/km pace, but felt so good I decided to up the game each km and see if I survived

I thought it looked like you were inviting the injury back. Now if Dave put this down for you to do it follow his instructions, he knows a lot more than me! Just to me looks like your pushing the running a bit too much right now for someone over a fairly long lay off with injury.

Kurt Godel

joey100 wrote: »

This X100. I've been very guilty of trying to rush back after injuries or lay offs in the past and it doesn't work. We get used to being able to run at certain paces and put out certain power and aren't happy when that changes, but I'm starting to learn that it takes time to get back into it and not to try rush it back. When I was reading some of your recent running especially this one



I thought it looked like you were inviting the injury back. Now if Dave put this down for you to do it follow his instructions, he knows a lot more than me! Just to me looks like your pushing the running a bit too much right now for someone over a fairly long lay off with injury.

Far from it! All the runs that week were scheduled as "What you can - be sensible".

In hindsight it was stupid of me- thats the fastest km split I've run since last season. Stupid and vainglorious- I logged it as some sort of triumph when it was just reckless. Stupid to be logging in public and "celebrating" a recovery from injury too soon, but I should be long enough in the tooth to know that by now. Dave told me after to keep everything easy running for a while.

The worst part of an injury is sitting on the sidelines. Sometimes that can will you to risk coming back too soon. Think I got away with it though. I have to be smart now and think of my goal race in July, rather than rushing back for the Sligo sprint in a fortnight.

Call me out on this nonsense if you see it again!

joey100

Glad you took that the way it was meant Kurt! Not always the easiest over text. I'm the exact same by the way, rushing to try to get back for my smaller races when the real goal is in August. But don't forget the inter-team race in Carlow in May, bit of time to get ready for that!

Meant to say too, it doesn't seem to take too long to build back the fitness, it definitely isn't like starting again. I've even set my garmin up now so that there is a screen that doesn't show pace. I just run completely to heart rate sometimes, always the temptation to push it a bit too much keeping an eye on the pace and forgetting what the goal of the session is really and where we are after injury.

pgibbo

At least you're learning and it goes to show the old adage about old dogs is BS

career move

tunney wrote: »

The stick is sh1t. Use mine for mixing paint. Get a tiger tail instead.

The stick is great in the pool for doing your broom drill

Kurt Godel

Tue 3,100m swim, 30k bike including Tinahely TT loop

Swim:
200sw,200p,100k
4x50 des 1- 4 on 60
400sw,4x100B+B + 15s
300sw,3x100B+B + 15s
200sw,2x100B+B + 15s
100sw,100B+B + 15s
4x50 fast on 60
100 drills
300 hypoxic (25 as breath 3,2,1,0,0,0,0,1,2,3 times)
200 hypoxic alt 25s as BE3, BE5

I didn't do the fast 50's as a calf precaution. Lucky to get this swim in at all; the pool is on shorter hours this week and is full of chocolate-addled youngsters. I managed to grab a lane to myself for most of my set, only sharing with several floaties, noodles, kids climbing along the ropes, kickboards, balls... all as a pool should be when school is out.

Bike:
5k easy, 19.6k club TT, 5k easy
The club organised a time trial around the bike route for the Tinahely Duathlon. It couldn't have been a better evening for it, no wind, perfect temperature, little in the way of traffic. I opted against the standing start, and immediately regretted it as I struggled to clip in. Got going soon enough, and I aimed to keep the power above my FTP (280W) as much as possible. Up the big hill out of Tinahely, and start the rolling descent towards Shillelagh. There's a corner here that is my speed wobble nemesis, but thankfully no wobbles this time. I was on the brakes descending it, however, and thats something I need to improve.

Turn at Shillelagh and begin the long climb towards Coolattin. This is where my power-to-weight ratio lets me down, I was putting in decent Wattage, but moving too slow. Once over the crest, begin the long flat for home. I spied the guy who had left just before me (2 min intervals at the start), and began to hunt him down. Made up decent ground, but just ran out of space and he crossed the line before me. Any victory was phyrric, as Stephen (who had left last, behind me), soon came in too, having made 90 seconds on me.

My previous best for this loop was 37:51 a year ago; tonight came in 35:15, 295W av, 33.6kph. Happy enough I guess, but I never felt right in aero position, so that needs tweaking.

Kurt Godel

Wed 10k easy run 5:39min/km av

Very easy plod (although the legs felt tired from yesterdays bike), the main point was to see if the achilles would hold up, and it did. A little strain after 8k, stopped to massage it a bit, but otherwise good.

Kurt Godel

Thurs 2,500m swim; 50 min turbo

400m wu
4*100 off 1:45
4*100 off 1:40
2*200 off 3:10 (missed them both, 3:20, 3:21)
4*100 off 1:45
200 drills
300 hypoxic 25 take n breaths; nE{3,2,1,0,0,0,0,1,2,3}

Turbo: 30m 150W, 5*(1 min 350W, 2 min 160)

I just couldn't get moving in the pool earlier. Don't know what it was, no energy, just one of those days. Turbo wasn't much better, a lot more sweat than I'd expect for a min at 350W.

Kurt Godel

Fri 1,700m swim

200sw,200p,100k
4x50 des 1 -4 on 60 (in 44-41)
750m TT (12:08)
250 as you like swim down

Another day I didn't feel great in the water, legs felt heavy and arms felt tired. I figured I'd do the TT by feel, and go out steady rather than hard. In that respect at least it worked, as my 400m time was 6:30, and that pace was maintained to the end. Its still only 1:37 pace, when I would have been happier with 1:33.

Kurt Godel

Sun 85.8k bike in 3:12

I missed yesterdays session as I was working all day long, had a few beers that evening to unwind, didn't end up in bed until after 1am, very late for me. The alarm went at 7, I had the bike and gear ready for an early start. Met up with some from the club, and we biked the 30k to Arklow to do the SERC 3 Peaks sportif. It was very windy getting there, some real gusts. The route was 110k over Sliabh Maan and the Shay Elliot, but I was unsure how much I'd get done, as I have more work to do this afternoon.

We left Arklow, I saw a mate of mine pass after a few minutes, hmm he's moving to that pack, a well I'll catch up with him in a bit... turn the corner and the pack is gone. That was a valuable lesson in pack riding! The rain started to pelt down, and I rode with a smaller group of about 5 or 6 for a while, before passing them. No-one seemed interested in chasing the pack, so I head of into the wind myself. At each bend I could see the pack getting farther and farther away. This was tough work,battling into a headwind and driving rain, and after a while a group of 10 or so caught me. I was happy at this, and let them share some of the work into the wind.

We turned at Tinahely, a tempting few km from my house. I had done 2 hours by now, and wasnted feeling like I had a lot of energy. Going up hills I was noticeably slower than others, so I started to wonder how I'd fare going up the major peaks. My hands and feet were frozen, so at Knockananagh I decided to turn for home. The rest of the ride home was cold and miserable, and I consoled myself that at least I was cold and miserable and not climbing up Sliabh Maan at the moment... Couldn't feel my fingers or toes by the time I got in the door, but thankfully warmed up now.
26.8kph average speed.

Slogger Jogger

I caught sight of the leaders passing Annacurragh as I headed out on a run. In the space of 2 mins I was saturated by a torrential shower and was cold very quickly. Was very happy not to be on a bike or at least to have mudguards for the wet stuff. Sounds like you made the right choice to divert your cycle.

Later I saw the lead car passing Aughrim and there appeared to be only 2 cyclists close to it. Either that or the lead group had passed the leading car.

Kurt Godel

Went to the chiropractor on Monday, he said I was badly out of allignment, so he got cracking. I've had neck pain recently which I was putting down to complications from the achilles, but he reckons Triheads are prone to "plasterer's neck" from getting low on the bars. Anyway, he told me to ditch the scheduled swim that evening or risk undoing what he did. Going back to him for a followup tomorrow.

So today I stated on an easy 40 min jog, going great for the first 2k, no pain, enjoying running again. However once I left the pavement for trail, my achilles niggle started again. Stopped to massage, tried again- and something pulled like a guitar string. F%£$@^%$^%^%$^%*

Walked home, pretty fed up, I reckon I'm done with Tri, there's too much of this crap. Will take a while before deciding anything final, but the OW season looks tempting.

MojoMaker

Oh dear, I feel your pain and your dejection Kurt. I am struggling with niggling mechanical issues as well that are starting to really dampen my enthusiasm for competition. Good days and bad days all too frequent it's exasperating. I wish there was some magic bullet or even the right sentiment to express to help when it gets dark like this, but sadly I don't think there is.

In some ways it would be easier to break a leg, or take a knee injury, something with a prognosis and a course of rehab to full fitness rather than something maddeningly out of reach like this.

You're right, the OW season does look very inviting right about now, irrespective of adventures in tri. Let's not write it all off just yet though, I've known athletes in other disciplines return from devastating injury, and others who have taken up demanding activities relatively late in life and been relatively successful. Baby steps is my motto now!

I will need someone to draft in DCT so please hang on in there!

shotgunmcos

Hey from another with Achilles issues, don't give up! Manage it!
The OW season is something you clearly enjoy. I remember injury swayed you from running marathons too. What will happen if you get a shoulder injury and have to take a break from OW swimming?!

This is one of my favourite images recently

Kurt Godel

Okay I wallowed in self pity for an hour, thats enough. I've loads going for me- pool and OW are what I like, and what I can do well, so they will become the goal. The achilles might sort itself yet, so no big deal.

No need for eulogies just yet- focus on the positives. Wicklow Harbour beckons!:)

sconhome

Kurt Godel wrote: »

However once I left the pavement for trail, my achilles niggle started again. Stopped to massage, tried again- and something pulled like a guitar string. F%£$@^%$^%^%$^%*

That's really weird. If anything it is usually the other way around. The varied surface of the trail will ease stress rather than amplify it.

I'd love to get out for a trot with you someday to have a look at you in your natural environment to see if anything observable is going on. You have been doing everything right as far as I can see in managing recovery.

Rough dose of it you are having

Dory Dory

AKW wrote: »

That's really weird. If anything it is usually the other way around. The varied surface of the trail will ease stress rather than amplify it.

I'd love to get out for a trot with you someday to have a look at you in your natural environment to see if anything observable is going on. You have been doing everything right as far as I can see in managing recovery.

Rough dose of it you are having

Which is......??

sconhome

Dory Dory wrote: »

Which is......??

Feck I walked into that...

I'd have a look while aquajogging but my mac won't work underwater :P