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Chronicles of a fish: the days of surf and turf
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Kurt Godel wrote: »So your SBR distances will have to be calibrated upwards? This can not go unchallenged.
I presume you used a steel to measure? The coefficient of thermal expansion of steel is about 0.0000065 unit per 1°F, so we will need to know the ambient temperature on your pool deck. Taking the standard temperature as 68˚F, use the formula below:
C = 0.0000065L * (T - T´)
Where
C = Corrected (ie. non-cheating-for-SBR-purposes) distance
L = Tape Length
T = Temperature at time of measurement
T´= Standard Temperature (68˚F)
(I believe your measurements Dory, but I got a frantic phone call from an unknown Limerick number at 3am crying foul;))
It was probably 61 or 62 degrees outside at the time of measurement. I have no idea what the temperature of the deck was (perhaps I can guess around 70-74 degrees, +/- 2%), and I have no idea how quickly expansion and contraction occur (perhaps you have a formula for that?) but the tape would have spent more time surrounded by chilly air (do you need to know this time value?), and only one side of the tape would have been directly exposed to the deck (meausrement was immediate upon exposure to the deck)....and I imagine you'll need to know the surface dimensions of the tape to accurately apply and calculate all of this. But, even without all this extra data to ensure accurate results, it's looking to me like the resulting value might possibly be a negative number, thus indicating steel contraction, thus suggesting that my measurement yesterday was actually short, thus concluding that I need to up my SBR values even further than I thought! Thanks Kurt!!!!
(Next time I'm sticking with a cloth tape!
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(Next time I'm sticking with a cloth tape!)
This is an even worse fraud than I first thought. Any cloth tape laid on your deck will measure longer because of uneven flagstones. Even if you hold it taught, you will have to correct for tape sag, as follows:
C = (W^2 * L^3)/(24 * T^2)
Where:
C = Correction for sag (in feet)
W = Weight of tape (in pounds)
L = Length of tape (in feet)
T = Tension in tape (in pounds)
Honestly Dory, the honourable thing to do now would be to bow out of the SBR. You're worse than any drugs cheat.0 -
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omg .... You REALLY need to get over this injury and quickly. Now slowly put the measuring tape down and step away ....
I had the entire spread to myself this weekend for 3 whole days as hubby was away, so this is what happens when I'm left to my own devices. That and eating nothing but tuna fish and popcorn, chased with a Straw-ber-Rita Margarita. (Ooo, and the Mango-Rita Margaritas are to die for too!) 0 -
Monday, May 19th, 2014
Events that were out of my control conspired against me getting a sneaky lunchtime swim in as I just didn't have enough time, so instead I got a sneaky lunchtime injury-prevention yoga session and loads of foam rolling done.
Then I dedicated the evening to some lovely swimming in the clear but chilly sunshiny evening. Pool was a perfect 84 degrees. The air was a slightly nippy 64 degrees. I did 2 x 2,000 yards, then went for a bonus round of an extra 1,000 yards. Why, whenever I add on "optional" yardage, do those yards seem so much easier and go so much faster? Any way, I'm not sure I'm getting any faster doing my sessions long and slow (still not supposed to be using my legs, so for the moment quality sessions of non-long/slow sort are on hold), but I'm certainly getting some nice shoulders and arms (if you like that sort of thing) and I'm starting to see this "V" shape.....
Actual swim: 5,000 lovely yards
Okay, so because tomorrow I am cleared to do a 20 - 30 minute recovery field run (which I will do in the evening), and because I will not have any time over lunch to get a sneaky swim in, the tentative plan is to rise and shine with the roosters and get a swim in before work. :eek: We'll see. I'm not the best at getting up early to do any sort of training, so I wouldn't be placing any money that this will happen.0 -
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Kurt Godel wrote: »That swim magazine arrived, thanks very much Dory! It's very different to magazine's she is used to (wot, no Simpson's stories? No free sparkly pink hairbrush on the front cover?), and she has been going through it quite a few times, so the seed is well and truely planted.
You're the best;)
Ah, there may be no Simpson's stories or sparkly pink hairbrushes, but there should be plenty of hot, half naked, dripping wet guys in Speedos for her to look at. Always the silver lining.
In addition to the print magazine, you should have total access to their website - if not, let me know and i will follow up on that. Also, with that full access you may be able to download past copies of their magazine...and you may want to have gander at their November issue as it is dedicated to open water swimming (plus there's an article about paddles!). If you can't access it, then I'll have a paper copy sent to you. Just let me know. 0 -
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Tuesday, May 20th, 2014
Lunchtime was dedicated to some really beneficial yoga, and then a healthy dose of foam rolling. The one thing I am lacking at the moment is quality core work. I really, really, really need to add some of that in. !!!!!!%$#@^&^*
Run plan: 20-30 minute recovery run
:eek::D:cool:
Yep, there is sort of a day-to-day run plan thingy happening 'round here. Whoop whoop di do da day!!! And this evening's run was done hippy-dippy field style.....amongst my old friends, such as Mr. Smith's black cat who was very happy to see me, and the numerous bunny rabbits who seemed exasperated and annoyed to have me back amongst the living.
Sooooo.....how did it go?? wait for it...wait for it....
Oh sweetjumpingjehoshaphat....!!!!!.....it was the best damn "run" I've had in MONTHS!!! And, at ~3.5 miles, it was the longest "run" since Boston. Okayokayokay...it's not perfect, it's not 100%, but I was pretty comfortable out there and I felt like I will indeed get to where I need to be. It's on the horizon. I was slow (I was supposed to be slow) and I would not have wanted to go any further than I did...and I can tell I've lost a good bit of running fitness, which is a little disheartening and makes me wonder if this year is a total washout regarding any PBs or stellar performances. Perhaps I just need to look at this year as a base building year and accept it for what it is...and look to 2015 in hopes of quality performances then. We'll see. But for tonight I'm quite encouraged for a full recovery.
Actual run: ~3.5 very happy field miles^%#@&*
I wore my Speedo under my running clothes to streamline the run to swim transition. And what an amazing evening it was for a swim!!! The sun was at just the perfect angle, creating a gorgeous moving prismatic mosaic on the bottom of the pool....and the water felt so wonderful around me. Perhaps it was the resulting elation from a successful run (it's the simple things) or maybe it was something else, but this was one of the most enjoyable swims I've had this season. And apparently I wasn't the only one who was indulging in a little fun this evening...I had company. My frog who lives in the drain in the pool deck decided to join me for a dip. Good god his breast stroke is gorgeous....and fast. !!! He's not the easiest thing to fish out, but once I wore him down a little I was able to scoop him up and place him in the grass. Cute little rascal...beautiful shade of green.....smooth skin and adorable little feet. Kinda nice having him around.
Actual swim: 3,000 yards of pure joy0 -
It's only been a few months .. fitness does come back and it's not like you've been inactive. Anyway good to see you on the way back (again patience .... don't take any crazy risks). Norris will be relieved ... I was getting panicky PMs ... he was worried about being the entire household being required to move permanently into the pool.
Btw, why do you keep evicting the frog ?
Great to see you back.0 -
It's only been a few months .. fitness does come back and it's not like you've been inactive. Anyway good to see you on the way back (again patience .... don't take any crazy risks). Norris will be relieved ... I was getting panicky PMs ... he was worried about being the entire household being required to move permanently into the pool.
Btw, why do you keep evicting the frog ?
Great to see you back.
I am unsure that my little frog can get out of the pool since the water level is below the pool deck. ?? I've had a pool frog every year since the pool was constructed (this is the 5th summer), and early on I had visions of buildiing a little stationary/floating frog dock in one corner of the pool to ensure his access to land....but after that idea was struck down in committee :rolleyes: I opted for a floating lily pad that lights up, which I still have, however I suspect its purpose was never fully appreciated by the frog and has thus gone unused. Additionally, I have found that left unsupervised for too long in the pool, my little friend ends up in the scuppers and can't get out. :eek: So....that's the long and short of why I scoop my little frog out of the pool after he's had a bit of pool fun.
And thanks for everything else....felt great to be running again last night, and Norris can put away his snorkel and flippers for now. 0 -
Wednesday, May 21st, 2014
Sunny and mild out today....and the sun made the brick around the pool skin-sizzling hot! My poor feet were not anticipating such shocking treatment this early into the season when I walked out to the pool to have a sneaky lunchtime swim. Note to self: dig out the flip flops!!!
Nothing too spectacular to tell about my two swims today - just did them as even as I could and tried to get the most out of a very controlled stroke. I'll need to start using my legs (was instructed to avoid using them for the time being), and tomorrow night I might have a go and see if they remember how to keep time with the arms.
Frog update - he was back in his pool drain both times I checked on him before each of my swims today. I don't think he's very impressed with me keeping tabs on him, even when I try to reassure him in a very sweet voice.
Injury update - no repercussions from the run last night. Leg had not fallen off when I awoke this morning, and it actually felt pretty darned good. Perhaps these recovery runs (next one is scheduled for Friday) are perfectly timed therapy!
Actual swim: 2,000 sneaky lunchtime yards....3,000 sunset evening yards0 -
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Thursday, May 22nd, 2014
The only thing I hate more than doing 200s in the pool is doing 400s in the pool. :eek: Ugh. Give me the short, spiffy stuff...or the long, slow stuff any day of the week!!! And with that being said, so begins the start of some quality swimming. Yikes! I have sort of been dreading this session for a few weeks now, taking advantage of any excuse to push it back, but with my injury nearly healed it's time to suck it up and get my @ss in gear. Oh how I long for the days of the meditative and hypnotic swims. <sigh>
The guts of this session was 4 sets of 3 x 200 off 3 min, 400 off 6 min, with 1 min rest between sets. The goal was to keep pace controlled and out of the red, and to target 2:45 to 2:50 on the 200s. I really was not sure how the pace was going to end up on the first 200 since it's been since last year that I worked on any kind of consistent pacing...so this was sort of a guessing game initially. Fortunately I had an idea of my long, easy pace....and I knew my most recent all-out 200 time, so I kind of melded the two together and miraculously was bang on 2:45 for the very first 200. The next 200 was closer to 2:40, so on the third 200 I decided to slow it down by doing open turns instead of flip turns (don't ask me why I decided to do that 
) and that resulted in a time of 2:50. The 400 came in on 5:34. The first set felt very comfortable - no issues. The second set was very even - all 200s in on 2:45, and the 400 in on 5:35. The third and forth sets however started to slip a little and seemed to take more effort...however, I kept in mind that this session was about pace sustainability and keeping out of the red, and I thought of each set in terms of what I could sustain "comfortably" for that 1,000 yards...and this resulted in the third and fourth set 200s coming in at 2:50, and the 400s coming in on 5:40 and 5:43, respectively.
Hard session, actually, both mentally and physically....but I suppose it's not all hearts and flowers, otherwise everyone would be doing this. And so it begins....
Frog update: After not seeing him in his drain I had a feeling he was in the pool...and yep, there he was, stuck in one of the scuppers. Scooped him out and placed him in the grass.
Actual swim: 6,000 yards of quality work0 -
Friday, May 23rd, 2014
:eek: I had near froggy disaster today!!! :eek: In my usual fashion, I peeked into the pool deck drain on my way to the pool to check on my little lodger, and when I didn't see him in there I figured he was in the pool. Yep, sure enough I found him in the scupper. I scooped him out, and instead of releasing him in the grass like I usually do, I decided I'd place him back in the drain because the brick deck was so hot and I had visions of his cute little feet getting char-broiled. (fried frog legs, anyone?) But holy cow did all hell break loose when I bent down to return him to his dank abode only to discover that my drain dwelling frog was already in his drain quietly enjoying the day, and that the frog in my hands was actually an imposter...a traveller...a gypsy frog!!! :eek: Well, my drain frog jumped into his drain, then my gypsy frog jumped out of my hands and back into the pool, and I jumped from being so startled by it all. Good grief! All three of us were jumping and jiving....and I had to chase down the gypsy in the pool (he's not as smart nor as fast as my drain frog!). Funny thing is, upon closer inspection as I released him in the grass, I realized the two frogs weren't very similar at all - the gypsy was much bigger and darker than my drain frog, thus dispelling the common myth that they all look alike. :rolleyes: Any way....a nice steady swim, and a little excitement, at the noon hour.
Actual swim: 2,000 sneaky lunchtime froggy yards<><><><><>
Run plan: no more than 3 miles at a pace north of 10 min/mile
Whoop whoop!! Another run...which makes my run total for the last 7 days to be an incredible 9.3 miles. Woo hoo!!! Hey, sounds silly, but this is the most running mileage I've done since the Boston Marathon so I'm pretty jazzed about this.
I did this field style...very slow and easy....and the leg felt pretty good - even better than it did on Tuesday's run. The IT band was a total non-issue, and the hip flexor is significantly improved. Still a wee bit to go, and I felt a little "something" in my left groin that may just be me being a hypochondriac, but I'll watch it...and I'll foam roll and do plenty of yoga this weekend. I'm gonna be on top of this thing!!!
Actual run: 2.7 wonderful field miles<><><><><>
I followed the field run with another swim. No frog drama...just easy evening swimming.
Actual swimming: 2,000 evening yards
I find myself watching Game of Thrones for the first time ever as I write this. So...I'm a little confused....and find myself wondering if they don't have toothbrushes. Quite dark...and seems like the women have the upper hand. Hmmm....may have to try and figure this thing out..... 0 -
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Wait ... can we give the frogs names ? Otherwise it is like a soap opera where everyone is blond and has great teeth. And btw, (I dont know GoT- I'm too poor for premium cable:o) why in all these period/fantasy tv programs does everyone have good teeth ? What every else e.g Darth Vader might have had to answer for the empire must have had cracking orthodontics.
Oh yeah ... and glad to see the injuries are getting better.
The first year I had the pool and the frog I named him Phelps, for Michael Phelps. He stuck around for 2 or 3 summers until I suspect his hormones kicked in and he was lured to the neighboring pond by some frog floozie. Haven't seen him since....but the next summer a younger, trimmer, greener version appeared in the drain. I didn't name him....nor this current one (who may be last year's model, but I'm not sure). But we can name him...sure.
And the Game of Thrones....lots of killing....dark setting....sort of hard to understand them with their accents....good bit of skin....lots of candles....the women seem to wear the pants....most of them need a bath....and they all seem to be ruled by lust of some sort. Not bad, really.
And I am SO glad the injuries are getting better. Thanks. 0 -
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Frog of thrones: the pool edition. An epic saga of life death and drama in the scuppers. I'm gripped! Was the new guy blonde? Is there a dwarf frog?
Love it!!!
And...so...is the blonde chick really the queen? Which begs the question: is she just a freak of nature with her blonde hair, or, as royalty, does she have access to L'oreal's arsenal of hair dye? (Bimbo-In-A-Bottle or Beach-Blonde-Bombshell?) Is she not married?? And who is that swarthy fella who swam through a body of water (or was it just the moat (is there a moat?)) with a handful of flowers to give to the queen? I didn't catch his name, but I think we should call this aqua-boy Kurt. He obviously wanted to please the queen, as not only evidenced with his offering of the flowers, but also with his immediate obedience when she ordered him to remove all his clothing. But I digress... 0 -
Saturday, May 24th, 2014
Drain frog in his drain, check.
Gypsy frog in the scupper....again, check. (only thing is, I'm not sure this is the same gypsy frog from yesterday...there now could be a third frog!)
The saga continues....
There was a little yoga fun in the sun this afternoon followed by a very healthy dose of foam rolling. Then the evening was met with a sunset swim that put me at 99,670 meters for this month so far. Tomorrow's going to be a big day.
Actual swim: 4,000 sunset yards0 -
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Then the evening was met with a sunset swim that put me at 99,670 meters for this month so far. Tomorrow's going to be a big day.
Actual swim: 4,000 sunset yards
ah here, it is metres, is it yards, is it frog a, or is it frog b, or is there even a frog c. this thread is delivering more questions than it is answers:)
just kidding. Well done. that's an impressive number0 -
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Sunday, May 25th, 2014
Run plan: no more than 3 miles at a pace north of 10 min/mile !!!
I'm still under strict orders to ease into this running thing so I am obeying all instructions given to me. I've just come too far in this recovery and I cannot afford to make any more mistakes otherwise this year will be a total scratch (if it's not already).
I did a 20 minute Pre-Run Yoga session to get the body warmed up and properly stretched, then it was into the field to gallop slowly around it 4 times. Gorgeous morning, but not too many critters out and about. There's not a whole lot to say about this run - it started out with some tightness and dull soreness in my groin/inner thigh, but that seemed to improve with each passing lap. No issue with my IT band. Funny...this injury started specifically in my groin/inner thigh, then spread to my quads, outer hip, outer thigh, then knee...and as it is healing it is reversing its course. Interesting, but I guess perhaps it makes sense. As noted above, I went slow, and I know there is some drag by running in grass, but good grief I felt slow and sort of sluggish....and I felt that my breath was a bit too labored for the pace I was keeping. I need to be patient. I will be patient.
Followed up the run with a 20 minute Post-Run Yoga session and lots of nice foam rolling.
Actual run: 2.8 lovely jubbly morning field miles+-+-+-+-+
The afternoon brought with it sunshine and some quality time with my gypsy pool frog. Yeah, we sort of had a bonding session. I scooped him out of the scupper, he protested, I tried to quell his fears, he jumped out of my hands and into the pool, I snapped a few pics, he was not impressed, I decided if you can't beat 'em join 'em, he threw a critical eye to my breast stroke technique....and we ushered in my 100km mark for the month of May together. <purr....>
I did this as 5 x 1,000 yards....and I actually thought a lot about technique and efficiency, and about my shoulders getting bigger/stronger, and I threw in a few fast laps (maybe every 8th) to keep me awake. I've done a lot of long and slow stuff in the pool this month, but I'm very okay with that as I feel I've got my base done. In June, things will change. Quality work in the pool will be introduced and overall yardage will go down as running and cycling are eased into. And speaking of cycling, I'm dusting off the Mad One and we're hitting the road for 60 minutes tomorrow. I hope I remember how to clip in!
Actual swim: 5,000 sunshiny yards0 -
Monday, May 26th, 2014....aka, Memorial Day
Bike plan: 60 minutes easy, all in the small ring up front, no steep hills, enjoy the ride
:eek::D OMG....my first ride in over 2 months!! :eek::D I'd be lying if I didn't admit I was both nervous and excited all at the same time. How would my leg hold up? Would there be pain? How would I do? Would my lack of bike fitness rear its ugly head? How would I feel about my performance? Would I stay disciplined and not break bad?? Enquiring minds want to know....
Whew.
Okay....so I decided if I happened to suck on the bike, I'd at least look good doing it so I wore a very fetching black and pink jersey a special someone got me when she was at training camp in Spain not all that long ago. Fit like a glove and gave me that extra bit of "something" we all can do with from time to time.
Long story short....absolutely gorgeous day....absolutely brilliant ride....stayed quite disciplined except for when I let it loose on a 1 to 2 mile incline (had to test the legs)....practiced drinking while I pedaled (I definitely had more confidence on the bike today than in the past, perhaps it was the fetching jersey, or perhaps my time off dealing with a "difficult" injury has given me the sh*t or get off the pot attitude)....felt overall that I did quite well for my first ride back.....and found renewed appreciation for what an awesome bike my Mad One is. I've lost some bike fitness/endurance no doubt, but I was pleasantly surprised with what fitness/endurance remained.
Actual bike: 19 miles in 1:06:40 for an average speed of 17.1 mph and an average cadence of 84 rpm$&$&$&$&$
Did some lovely foam rolling upon arriving home...then hit the pool for a nice 4 x 1,000 yard swim. I had company in the form of my pool frog b or c at the start of the swim, but I guess he didn't appreciate my presence in the pool today because he was nowhere to be found when I finished. So, I suppose that proves he can indeed get out of the pool on his own when he wants. Good to know.
Actual swim: 4,000 yards0 -
Tuesday, May 27th, 2014
Run plan: no more than 3 miles at a pace north of 10 min/mile
I'm still limited to 3 miles of easy trotting at a time, but the frequency is upped to every other day, so that's a step in the right direction. And this run was probably the best run in recent times from a strength and feeling-like-a-runner standpoint...in fact, I was feeling such a renewed positive feeling on this run that I'd be lying to you if I said I wasn't tempted to sneak in one extra lap around the field, but I'm being very disciplined and following directions so *poof* I banished those thoughts as quickly as I could.
Leg felt pretty good....still having some tightness/pulling/soreness, but it's not bad. There were no repercussions from yesterday's bike ride either, so tonight was a very encouraging night.
I headed in the house just as a crazy storm and torrential downpours commenced, so it was a nice Post-Run Yoga session and a healthy dose of foam rolling instead of any swimming. I believe this is only the second day in the month of May I have not swum.
Actual run: 2.8 feeling-strong field miles0 -
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Wednesday, May 28th, 2014
Woke up this morning with some injury-related soreness - I suppose from the run last night. It was only 2.8 field miles, but in retrospect it may have been too fast as I felt so strong and it was hard to harness the enthusiasm. I didn't wear the Garmin - I tend not to wear the Garmin when I'm to go easy as I usually "compete" with myself and can't let pace go, but I will wear it on tomorrow night's field jaunt to keep me honest and slow.
I got a sneaky lunchtime swim in today, and while it was a straight 2,000 yard swim, it sort of morphed into continuous 10 x 200s done as 160 descending free, 40 easy breast. I actually enjoyed the bit of speed, so I decided perhaps I'd dip my toes a little deeper into it this evening.....
.....and I did. This was sort of a makey-uppy session that kind of evolved as I was doing it. My only goal was to scratch that need-for-speed itch....and to avoid those god awful 200s and 400s. !!! I must say I enjoyed this session - each bite was manageable (probably in part because of the generous recovery I allowed myself
), I was happy enough with my splits, and I loved that feeling of being high in the water that you don't get at the longer distances. Here's what I did....
400 yard easy
5 x (120 hard, 80 recovery) off 3:30 (120s hard in on 1:35, 1:30, 1:28, 1:27, 1:25)
400 yard easy
5 x (80 hard, 40 recovery) off 2:30 (80s hard in on :58, :55, :55, :56, :54)
5 x (20 hypoxic, 20 easy) off 1:00
400 easy
Actual swim for the day: 5,000 spiffy yards
Did a little foam rolling post evening swim to work on the sore hip flexor and quads....and the foam rolling unearthed the fact that BOTH legs are sort of sore...which is sort of reassuring on the one hand, and a bit disturbing on the other if that means a mere 2.8 miles of field running was the reason. :eek:
And in other news....I am officially out of Eagleman. I contacted IronMan and notified them that I would not be attending. A really hard decision for me for so many reasons, but there will be other races to target. Some things you just have to let go even when you don't want to.0
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