The Good Mood Cookbook

Oryx

Sick since Saturday. No bike ride Sunday, I thought Id kick the bug that way, but no. Tried a run yesterday, which went ok, but afterwards I ended up in please-let-me-lie-down-before-I-fall-down mode, the first time Ive felt exhausted in months. (but I used to feel like this all the time a short few months ago. This is progress!)

Today, while I feel like boiled shi te with a side order of aches and pains, I must be improving, because Im actually considering swimming, thinking if I hide in the gutter lane and dont cough on anyone coach wont kick me out.

Dory Dory

Do you want your club to have to super-chlorinate the pool after you've deposited all your contagious snot and phlegm in that gutter lane?? Stay home!!! Eat a box of biscuits. Feed a cold, and all that!

Oryx

Dory Dory wrote: »

Do you want your club to have to super-chlorinate the pool after you've deposited all your contagious snot and phlegm in that gutter lane?? Stay home!!! Eat a box of biscuits. Feed a cold, and all that!

I wear a nose clip.

And Ive run out of biscuits.

Dilbert75

Ehhhh....I guess I'll see you in the gutter lane so....

Oryx

Dilbert75 wrote: »

Ehhhh....I guess I'll see you in the gutter lane so....

Nah. I wont inflict it on ya. See you next week

Dilbert75

Pity. I was so looking forward to all those things Dory was promising :eek:. Actually I nearly gave up on it before I even got in the door - parking was nuts; even worse than usual. Some people ended up parking on the quay. :mad:

Oryx

Dilbert75 wrote: »

Pity. I was so looking forward to all those things Dory was promising :eek:. Actually I nearly gave up on it before I even got in the door - parking was nuts; even worse than usual. Some people ended up parking on the quay. :mad:

Thats brutal. Its since they metered the lower car park maybe. I couldn't have done it anyway. Been horizontal all evening

Dilbert75

Oryx wrote: »

Thats brutal. Its since they metered the lower car park maybe. I couldn't have done it anyway. Been horizontal all evening

It was full too. Dunno what was on.

If you're feeling crap you're better off staying well away from pools anyway - I often go feeling fine and come home feeling congested so it was unlikely to make you any better. Hope the rest works though.

Oryx

Dilbert75 wrote: »

It was full too. Dunno what was on.

If you're feeling crap you're better off staying well away from pools anyway - I often go feeling fine and come home feeling congested so it was unlikely to make you any better. Hope the rest works though.

You may have to try a nose clip if the pool does that to you.

Oryx

Was under the weather all week, missing all but the turbo, which I had to lead, and yesterday mornings swim. The swim was fine, if a little slow. Main set 10x 100 off 2.30 which was a very soft target even for me. We are swinging between extremes here.

Run today was a tempo but my target pace times were way off. Well slower than they should be. I had to query this (as I do so many things). They were adjusted but jeez... I shouldn't have to.

I managed fine just losing target pace on one stinker of a hill which coincided with a full 10 min interval, so that was fun. Calves are tight and need a rub out but good otherwise. 15k in 1.20

Oryx

No long bike on sunday, dreadful weather. So I did 100 mins turbo and a run strength workshop which was challenging.

Day off yesterday. Good job, I was wrecked.

Run intervals this morning. 5x 4 hard 3 rec. Nearly quit but didnt. It was tough in the foggy windy dark.

Im still very tired. The dose I got is a gift that just keeps giving.

Oryx

I swam on Tuesday, club session. I went into the pool tired, and came out more energised. A strange and curious thing. I think I've finally shrugged off the majority of the dose. The swim was tough, I was mid pack in my lane, struggling to catch feet, but that's okay. It will improve. Chasing feet is a good thing, it makes you stronger.

Turbo class yesterday, a change in the type of set, which nobody struggled with at all. I'm trying to introduce heart-rate, but the crowd are reluctant to either wear theirs or invest in one. Weve only just got 90% into cleats I will slog on though! Did the whole set last night, and enjoyed it. Core afterwards was short but tough.

This morning I had run intervals. On post turbo heavy legs. But it was short enough, the majority of the time taken up with warmup and drills. Then I had 10x 1min on 1min off. (I was given the option of between 5 and 10 intervals, but pffft, I was never going to do less than 10) I was happy with this, I am definitely finding these easier to do, even if theyre still imprecise. I run by feel, because numbers lie depending on wind, hills and sleepiness. 50 mins

hf4z6sqo7vjngi

Oryx wrote: »

Turbo class yesterday, a change in the type of set, which nobody struggled with at all. I'm trying to introduce heart-rate, but the crowd are reluctant to either wear theirs or invest in one.

Unless you are doing longer interval type sessions in those classes HR is not great to use with HR lag. In the absence of power you are better to get them going by perceived effort. Problem there is it takes a while for people to learn what hard really is, same also applies to keeping easy, easy!

Oryx

Sloan Tangy Stewardess wrote: »

Unless you are doing longer interval type sessions in those classes HR is not great to use with HR lag. In the absence of power you are better to get them going by perceived effort. Problem there is it takes a while for people to learn what hard really is, same also applies to keeping easy, easy!

Its about giving tools they can use elsewhere, too though. And even with lag, HR can be very helpful in showing when hard, is not actually hard, at all.

tunney

Oryx wrote: »

Its about giving tools they can use elsewhere, too though. And even with lag, HR can be very helpful in showing when hard, is not actually hard, at all.

but what are their zones calculated off?

Oryx

tunney wrote: »

but what are their zones calculated off?

At the moment Im introducing the concept, so its still in beta; levels are RPE, while watching hr. When the majority are set up, we do a lt test.

sconhome

Should have Worth having a look at Polar Team app for the ipad. A free app that allows you to track, monitor and compare 10 users together. Ideal for a group session.

Oryx

AKW wrote: »

Should have Worth having a look at Polar Team app for the ipad. A free app that allows you to track, monitor and compare 10 users together. Ideal for a group session.

Does that only work with polar or all ant hrms? I dont have an ipad so I dont know why Im even asking....

Oryx

Last night I had hoped to swim but life got in the way, so it was the antithesis of swimming, horizontal on the couch with crisps and cookies. I am a bad, bad Oryx.

I did swim this morning, though it meant missing a club strength session I really wanted to do. Oh well. Felt sluggish and clumsy but hit my times ok and the set flew by. It was short though. 2k in the hour.

Oryx

Long run today. Out at not just stupid, but ridiculous o'clock today to do 2.5hrs. It rained. And rained. And then it rained some more. And boy it took a long time for the lazy buggering sun to rise today. Over halfway through this before I could see the grey roads in front of me instead of a 6 foot pool of light. It was spooky and dark and not altogether unpleasant . I love the quiet of a run like this. Even if you sometimes jump when you hear a rustle right behind you - then realise its your ponytail rubbing on your hi viz.

26.2k in 2h30.

Oryx

Sunday: No long ride due to gale force winds and being a scaredy cat. 100 mins turbo and core work

Monday: Ez 40 minute run. Had bricks for feet. Heavy going

Tuesday: Club swim. Lots of IM. Ewwww. Coach said I am tired. I must be so used to being tired I hadnt noticed myself.

Wednesday: Group turbo... finally a hr set. Went well. Tired going in. Energised coming out.

Thursday: Interval run. Ick. Horrible stuff. Brick feet were back, but I hit paces and zones as required. Better at the end than the beginning, which is a trend.

Friday: Tempo swim. 2300m with timed 200s pull as the main set. Warmup felt tough, after that it ticked along nicely, hit all planned paces.

Tomorrows LThr test run is cancelled as I actually am a bit pooped, and as soon as I mentioned that, the test was wiped from the schedule. I cant help feeling like a weakling for making that happen though.

Dilbert75

Oryx wrote: »

I cant help feeling like a weakling for making that happen though.

Tish and piffle.

Oryx

Wobble-tastic tt ride yesterday, easy, as instructed. I know it was dark and I know I was bundled up in winter gear, but jeez. Two months off it and I forget how to ride? Actually it wasnt that bad but I do need to stick with this regularly.

Another ride today. 6.45am. 2 degrees. Only lost drunks and lycra people out at that hour. Tt style. Better today but still went ohjesusmotherfcuk when going across frozen metal grids at a railway track. Less than two hours then did a run workshop which was pretty good. But i got very cold and it made me tired. Running at half speed since

Oryx

Day off yesterday. I ate bad food and drank cider. When I switch off these days, I do it properly. Which meant this morning my run intervals were particularly heavy-legged. I got through them, even though I felt sleepy all the way. 1 hour total, with 16 minutes of hard stuff in 2 and 3 min blocks.

Oryx

Swam Tuesday evening, I am definitely tired, even I could feel it this time. Got through the set just fine though, midpack all the way. God be with the days I used to lead out.

Turbo yesterday morning, a set written up as 50 minutes total, that when you add it up was actually 65. Cockups like that are not nice when you have limited time to schedule this stuff and only realise as you are getting on the bike. I did the 65 not knowing if I should have or not. It was a tough set, but got through it.

In the evening I supervised group turbo but didn't take part, then did some static stretches with them, on cold legs. This may not have been wise.

Short intervals this morning. 10 wu, 10 drills, 10 x 1 min hard, 1 min ez, 10 cd. On the 6th rep I got pain in my knee. The not nice kind that signifies something is really Not Right. Did some squats and swings to loosen whatever it was, and finished the run, taking care to isolate the area affected. (I learned this trick during my first marathon training, switching off all tension in a part of the leg, while still running on it, and I describe it, but no-one ever knows what I mean). No pain for the final intervals, but there is definite weakness, and mild pain in the muscle behind the knee coming into the hamstring when under contraction. I blame the cold leg stretches.

I'm hoping its just a small bit of soft tissue inflammation that will ease with time. Like, I have a marathon in 9 days. It has to.

MojoMaker

Hope it settles down in time - nothing like the fretting otherwise. Best of luck in the marathon incidentally, which one is it?

Oryx

MojoMaker wrote: »

Hope it settles down in time - nothing like the fretting otherwise. Best of luck in the marathon incidentally, which one is it?

Thanks Clonakilty is the one. Quite looking forward to it.

Oryx

Swim this morning. 2600 as alternating 8x25 drills and 200 streamline swim. It wasnt good, it wasnt bad. Just another set onto the pile.

Oryx

Enjoyable road run today. 60 mins 5 to 5.20 pace was the plan. I didnt hit the pace right because of a blustery wind which pushed me along for the 'out' and really made me work on the 'back'. I started watching hr instead on the way back as pace was no guide at all. Funnily enough the first half hour was the tough bit, I had settled in after that. 62 mins 12.1k with my run buddy proving you should never take a spinach smoothie before a run. I thought he was gonna nutri bullet all over the pavement.

Oryx

My wings were clipped today so no long ride. So I did two hours on the turbo instead with an eclectic soundtrack that went from Iron Maiden to Calvin Harris. It was fun. Head down. Eyes shut. Sweat. No plan, no intervals. Sometimes it's nice to switch off.