AR/tist in the spotlight, this week: Tunguska

Murph_D wrote: »

Gymnastics - why the fascination?

Im not sure Murph, Ive always been drawn to it for some reason and after watching London 2012 I knew I had to at the very least give it a shot. A club has opened up just around the corner from me and I was talking to one of the lads there, they have an adults class every friday evening so thats it, I'll give it a good whack.

Murph_D wrote: »

You're a yoga fan - what about Pilates?

Id really like to give pilates a go too, its just I havent had time to get it in what with everything else going on, but it definitely is something I know I'll get around to.

Murph_D wrote: »

Pain endurance - what's your method?

Self awareness. Thats all it comes down to. The more aware you are of yourself and your body, the more you can control how you respond to pain. I noticed it in myself, that if I did give in I'd be scratching my head after wondering what the hell happened, why did I give up like that, when I knew I had more in me. So I just worked on myself in terms of increasing my awareness in the moment, paying attention to the pain, actually sinking right into it when it happens, not allowing panic to overcome me. And thats the key I think, to recognize when youre panicking and calming yourself down when its happening, not allowing it to overwhelm you. The best way Ive found to do that is to focus on your body and identify where the pain is concentrated. I know it feels at first like its a generalized pain but its not, trust me its concentrated in one place and if you can tune into your body to the point where you can identify the pains location then you can deal with it and you wont panic and it wont overwhelm you and ruin your race.
I think the treadmill is a really great tool for practicing pain training, because you can control a lot of variables and just focus on pushing yourself into that zone where its very painful and uncomfortable and you can hold yourself in that state for however long you can, and then maybe next time try to hold yourself in that zone a little longer, all the while tuning into your body and breathing and being aware of where the pain is located and not allowing it to panic you into quitting.
Self talk is massively important too. I know people who get nervous before races and its entirely self created. A race is a neutral event, theres nothing in it thats inherently anxiety provoking. Its only how you perceive it that causes the problems. You can chose to see a race as something exciting and to be looked forward to and relish or you can wind yourself up with fear and negative thinking to the point where racing becomes this traumatic event. Thats why its really important to tune into what youre self talk, because when you do that you control how you perceive anything and if you can do that then you'll get the best out of yourself.

Murph_D wrote: »

Tiger Woods - washed up?

No I dont think he's washed up, I think he's just a bit lost to be honest. After the whole thing of him banging every hostess and call girl with a heartbeat, and getting nailed by his wife for it, he lost his way. And his attempts to comeback have been stop start, riddled with serious injuries. But I feel he's still got it, or at the very least its there for him if he wants it. Im not 100% sure he does though, like really want it, I think his hunger has just kind of left him. I hope he does get it back because if he does I think he can win more majors. I know Rory is on fire at the moment but I dunno, I just think Tiger was infinitely better than McElroy and if he got his hunger back and his body was good to go then He'd take them all to the cleaners.

Bugsy2000 wrote: »

I posted your DCM route description on our club FB page last October. It received nearly 4,500 individual hits in the first 24 hours & nearly 10,000 hits by the weeks end. It was also shared amongst numerous other running clubs across the country & I also spotted it shared on the likes of twitter & other forums.

So I'm just wondering how you coped with being an internet star?

Thanks Bugsy
I told Mrs Tunguska that I was famous on the Interweb and she says to me while looking at the TV and munching on a bag of crisps, "Oh really thats nice..........I saw a picture of a cat that had taken a photo of itself the other day, that was gas, I'll forward it on to you........"
Back in your box son.

Mulberry wrote: »

Have you come across Capoeira (a Brazilian martial art)? My OH took it up a year ago or so (after half a lifetime spent keeping fit) and has discovered his passion. It's a mix of gymnastics and martial arts (so it might suit you) and he absolutely loves it. He's spent the last 12 months trying to pack on the muscle which is pretty essential, and he's never felt or looked better. The club vibe is great too, the music really adds to the whole thing and the idea is that you're playing a game with friends, rather than hitting someone as hard as you can!

He's even taken up a bit of running so that he'll be fitter and leaner for his Capoeira!

Really enjoying your answers btw.

I know about Capoeira alright, a friend of mine did it(still does) and some of the moves they do are amazing. But unfortunatley I do enjoy hitting people so that could be a bit of a buzz killer:)

hillsiderunner wrote: »

Yeah, I have a related question which is what-kind-of-dancing? Had been wondering if it was capoeira-style given that you're planning to look to gymnastics. Or breakdance maybe? I do a bit of contemporary-dance myself even though I'm very much an amateur.

I do a few styles, at first it was swing dancing, which wasnt something I thought Id be into but as it turned out I was. But I also do Blues dancing which has been a revelation to me. Love the music but its opened up a whole new world to me. Ive met some great people and some of those class nights have been insane(as in insanely good).
Id love to try breakdancing and hip hop though and thats something I'll be doing during the summer. Contemparary dance looks great but it seems like something where you absolutely have to just let go in order to really get into it. Im not sure Im at that stage where I can be as uninhibited as that yet but Im getting there.

cianc wrote: »

Funk dancing for self-defense.

Serious question for tunguska: you seem like an well rounded person with a wide range of interests. What do you do for a living, and what would you do if you didn't have to worry about money?

This is actually a big question because this year Im embarking on a career change and going after my dream. It scares the absolute **** out of me and it means literally starting over again but I have to do it because I cant "work a job" for the rest of my life, I have to do something Im passionate about and not something that just pays the bills. Its a big change and I dont know whats gonna happen to me, i could end up living on a park bench in New york city, but Id rather that than just running down the clock so I can buy **** I dont even need.
Im not gonna get into the details of what it is but if Im successful and dont end up on a park bench you'll know all about it.

ultraman1 wrote: »

from reading ur posts and logs,.I'm of the belief that you would make an excellant ultra runner,hence 4 invites to donadea,...even running at 95% u would always be at the tasty end of races,do u think it is somthing u may do in the future,..
ur best post ever was about living In the moment And experiencin wat was goin on now...ie taking a foto of a sunrise and hence missing the actual sunrise,u alluded to buddism(could of been Hinduism)..is this somthong u have studied

A serious question? I thought you of all people would go for the wind up........

Its a great question though, I'll never say never but the ultra running just never appealed to me. But having said that though, and all ass-kissing aside, I find myself intrigued by the Donadea 50k for some reason. I really wouldve run it this year had I not been otherwise engaged, the day being what it was and all. I like the idea of laps, I mean if it was 25k out/25k back then Im not sure id be into it. But 10 x 5k loops is something I reckon Id enjoy. Plus it looks like a beautiful place and I really love running in nature. The lads all looked like they had a good time too. Whats the story with those wholly hats that young campbell and digger had on, are they official Donadea hats? If so I want one boss, can you swing that?
Yeah I have been involved with Buddhism for a couple of years. I was raised a catholic and like most people I grew up with, was forced to attend mass at gun point. So there was always gonna be a backlash and after years of nihilism and believing in nothing I came across Buddhism which appealed to me straight away. I wouldnt be hard core or anything, I know a lot of Buddhists and they live and breath it 24/7 and its just not something I want, at least not right now. They're the nicest, most decent folks you'd ever meet though and theyre genuinely very happy, which leads me to believe that they're really on to something.

annapr wrote: »

Reading this fascinating thread inspired me to go and look for your log... and I found the short-lived 2009 one... which makes it all even more interesting! So, I have to ask... how did you do in Rotterdam in 2010 and DCM 2010? Were you able to complete that training cycle and complete the two? Did you ever start another log that I haven't found yet?

Great answer above on managing pain and self-talk... one to save!

I didnt do Rotterdamn, I think I got injured(surprise surprise) and only did DCM that year. I cant remember exactly but I think thats the year my Achilles trouble started and I overtrained to beat the band. Was that the year the national half was held in laois? If it was then, yeah that year I over cooked myself big time and I remember that race in particular because I blew up on a grand scale and didnt even crack 80mins. So that year it was a mess, but the marathon itself on the day wasnt so bad, I think I did 2:42 on the day.
No I never started another log because I find that they can be a double edged sword in that you can get into a situation where you're defending yourself or explaining your actions way too much and that can become exhausting. So I felt it was best to keep it under my hat and have it for my own reference more than anything else.

dna_leri wrote: »

Great thread with interesting answers.

Do you regret that you did not start athletics seriously as a juvenile/junior?
With the right coaching and luck, how well do you think you could have done?

No not so much. I regret not working on my flexibility enough though. Theres moves in yoga that are very difficult for me but I see others(particularly the women in the class) knock out with ease. But everything else Im ok with how things turned out.

dna_leri wrote: »

Do you believe in luck/fortune/fate/deity or do you make your own?

I think you create it all yourself. I hate hearing the word luck being used because it just feels wrong to me. I think we all have choices and anything we have or dont have are down to those choices, nothing else.

dna_leri wrote: »

Have you done any coaching or considered it?

No not formally anyway. Ive given advice when I was asked for it but thats about it. I dunno if I would get into it. The way my life is now and the way its gonna be for the next few years, I definitely wont have time for it but maybe some day I'll feel the need to give something back in that way.

dna_leri wrote: »

What do you think of the state of athletics as a sport (esp prevalence of PEDs)?
What would you do to improve the sport, in particular in Ireland?

I think its getting like cycling. I loved cycling as a kid, I always watched the tour de france and at one stage I was all set to throw my weight behind cycling as the sport I would give my heart and soul to. But the drugs thing has soured it all. I still watch the tour but its not something that I do in complete comfort, theres always this niggling unease about the whole experience for me and so it has become with athletics. I enjoy the spectacle and I get caught up like everyone else in the moment, but when its all done and dusted Im always left with an uneasy feeling that I cant seem to shake. Theres nothing worse than investing in an event or an athlete only to find out months or even years later that drugs were involved.
I think it needs to start from the ground up. Kids need to be taught the importance of honesty in everything they do. That to cheat says a lot about a persons character and thats far more important than anything else. So I guess coaches and doctors have a massive role to play in shaping the character of athletes so that when they do inevitability get offered juice that they decline on grounds of fair play and a desire to look after their long term health. But maybe thats too ideal world, and that in the real world people will always cheat and try to take the shortest route to success as possible. Nature of the beast and all that.

Sorry Tunguska, but I have to tell Hilly she's too full of surprises, love it

menoscemo wrote: »

They were this years Waterford HM tea cosy/hats. They seem to have been a big hit this winter and half the field in Donadea seemed to be wearing them.

Great I'll get on to waterford ac so. I want one of those bad boys for bohermeen. We all wear them I reckon, and the same colored tops. We'll look cool, like we're selling bibles or something........

TRR_the_turd wrote: »

You can have mine if you want it!

Seriously? Yeah I'll take that, cheers. You doing bohermeen?

tunguska wrote: »

Seriously? Yeah I'll take that, cheers. You doing bohermeen?

yes and yes

- what's the craziest thing you've seen in a race?

- McDonalds or BurgerKing?

- Who would win in a fight? A fully fit Ali or a fully fit Lennox Lewis?

- Chinese or Indian take away?

- why New York?

- Favourite destination that you have visited?

- How much did you make on you confo?

TRR_the_turd wrote: »

yes and yes

- what's the craziest thing you've seen in a race?

Personally I haven't witnessed much craziness myself, but I've heard stories from friends, like the guy answering his phone while passing a mate of mine during a race. Or the guy who got creamed by a deer in the Phoenix park during the race series.

TRR_the_turd wrote: »

- McDonalds or BurgerKing?

Burger King

TRR_the_turd wrote: »

- Who would win in a fight? A fully fit Ali or a fully fit Lennox Lewis?

See this is why I said you were Machiavellian, I know exactly why you asked that question. One reason only......and he'll be along very shortly to "offer" his opinion I'm sure.
Ali all the way though, he was just magnificent and fast. He wouldn't have knocked lewis out or anything but he'd have taken him apart round by round.

TRR_the_turd wrote: »

- Chinese or Indian take away?

Chinese. Indian is way too messy.

TRR_the_turd wrote: »

- why New York?

I dunno really, just one of those places im drawn to
I just feel this strong pull to go live there.
Do you not have that yourself? A feeling like there's some place in the world you're drawn.

TRR_the_turd wrote: »

- Favourite destination that you have visited?

Strangely enough it was Munich. Maybe it was the time we went(Oktoberfest) or it was something else, but that week I spent in there was amazing. The German people were really cool and treated us so well, it was a real eye opener.

TRR_the_turd wrote: »

- How much did you make on you confo?

I honesty can't remember. It wasnt much though, well compared to some of the other boys anyway, who took in a couple of hundred bills. Although if I remember correctly there was shameless canvassing and unsolicited visits being paid to gaffs in the neighborhood, all in an attempt to boost numbers.