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Getting to know....... Kurt Godel
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24-10-2013 3:35pm#1
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What do your wife and kids think about you parading around in Lycra?
Whats you favourite mathematical puzzle?
Favourite flavour of crisps?
Did you ever see Interested fall on his arse on the pool side? If not you are seriously missing out!!!
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I always liked this thread from before, and being first means things can only get better. Here goes, I'll try and answer everything as best I can, hopefully I won't put too many to sleep...
* How did you get into triathlon?
I was a failing jogger with very bad knee problems, so wanted a sport hobby that was non-impact. Swimming seemed a good choice, so I joined a pool, and loved extending the distance a bit more every time I went. Soon I was up to a whole km, and was thrilled with myself. I started swimming further lengths, and dipping into peoples logs to see they were doing shorter sets and reps, and I got advice here to do that too. Next step was a road bike, then join the local tri club for company, then sign up for Bunclody Tri (pool based), which I enjoyed.
Knees have fixed themselves, I can jog again without pain, so I signed up for another Sprint, then another, and before you know it you're trying to beat your previous time and/or those who beat you last time. I love the buzz from Tri, I love the variety in training, I love that there's so much to improve on.
* What was your sporting background before that?
I was a mid-pack hill runner. Came to it when I moved to Ireland and was depressed (had moved from the more exciting NYC). One day I decided I could stay depressed or make the best of my lot, and so I started running round the many trails and hills where I live- the best part of Ireland is its countryside. Pretty lazy when it came to training/stretching/core work, so I was heavy and good at letting gravity pull me downhill fast. Hence the knee injuries. Jogged a few marathon's because, well, that's what joggers do, right? Blew up twice while trying to break 3 hours, not a nice feeling after training hard(er) the previous 18 weeks.
* How long have you been in triathlon?
Really this season has been my first proper year (a couple of sprints the year before). I learned an awful lot, mainly about what not to do, mistakes I hope to avoid next season. I trained last year and got proficient enough in swim and bike, but couldn't run (couldn't break 47mins for a 10k), so I focussed on that for a while- while ignoring swim and bike. Bad mistake, its not about focussing on your weakest, its more about being Jack of all three trades. Race prep, tactics, stretching, core work,... there's a load of stuff I intend doing better this year.
* Strongest discipline?
Swimming, (I got down to a 6:05 400TT in May), although I was very hit and miss in races. You can do all the work you like in the pool (and its always a good thing), but ignore training for group swims at your peril. I swam out strong in the first Bray Aquathon this year, got walloped in the scrum going around the first bouy, and started hyperventilating. Didn't make that mistake the next time I swam a Bray series. Likewise drafting, I have started races and got caught cruising behind someone slowish, and been shocked at my slow swim time on exit. Before the Lanesborogh Tri swim, I made sure I noted a strong swimmer at the start, got on his feet, and got a strong draft for a much better exit.
I've still a load to learn about swimming, but I can make a big improvement this year.
* Weakest discipline?
Probably running, because I'm lazy and don't stretch- hence get impact injuries. Or, more to the point, am scared of going close to the red line during races in case a calf pops or hamstring snaps or whatever. Which is a pity, because you don't get a much better feeling that collapsing at the finish line knowing you've ran harder than you thought possible.
I've started to pay attention to core and stretching for this very reason.
* Must expensive tri related piece of kit?
TT bike (not saying:)), I got got a good deal from a good owner. I shelled out for an expensive wetsuit this year too. I don't practically ever go to pubs or clubs, so justify my hobby spend this way.
Best kit "bang for your buck" has been my Elite Chrono Elastogel Turbo, its a fantastic way to get a workout when kidsitting or in bad weather.
* What gets on you t1ts about triathlon?
Swim cancellations. We live in Ireland, we wear wetsuits, we do not need back-of-pack ability to determine if everyone swims or not. I'm 100% behind inclusiveness (heck I'd want to be
), but any swim that I've been at that has been cancelled or shortened, has been eminently swimmable by anyone who has trained. A duathlon option should be put in place to accomodate those too scared of waves, let everyone else race.
* How many brothers and sisters?
3 bro's. All younger, all more successful and better looking, all still with their own hair:)
* Favourite food?
Chicken? I guess, I eat a lot and eat well. All home cooked, little red meat.
* Favourite tipple?
Bordeaux (although I'm partial to Saumur reds, and Loire whites). Total wine snob;)0 -
*what AG are you in?
40-44
*What are your goals for the 2014 season?
*What's the best advice you've gotten since starting triathlon
Goals- 550+ NS points, 1:08 for a Sprint, under 2:20 for an Oly.
Best advice- make the best shot of it. I was down in Valentia this year, had just heard they canned the swim, and didn't give a fyuck about the race. Talking to someone with more sense, he told me to treat it like a training session- learn from the transitions, see what could be done better. I had a decent bike (**** transitions though! I had left on my runners as I tried to mount the bike;)). A race is a race is a race, whether is a triathlon or a duathlon or the egg-and-spoon.
You may as well make the best of every situation, and do the best you can in whatever you do.What do your wife and kids think about you parading around in Lycra?
The Tinahely Trisuit is a tad, ah, revealing. They think I'm a pervert.
Whats you favourite mathematical puzzle?
Not quite a puzzle, but Euler's Identity is pretty mindblowing: e^{i \pi} + 1 = 0
Or:
Take a calculator and type the number 142857. Multiply it by 2, what do you get? Now try multiplying 142857 by 3,4,5, and 6, see what you get each time. Now multiply 142857 by 7.... WHOOOAAA!!!!
Favourite flavour of crisps?
Racoon Flavour
Did you ever see Interested fall on his arse on the pool side? If not you are seriously missing out!!!
Something to look forward to!0 -
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Favourite session would be a turbo one, SF "Downward Spiral". No matter how many times I've done it, I'm always "surprised" at how hard it is. It would be my key bike session.What's your favourite training session?
Which session do you tend to avoid the most?
What were the benefits of joining a club (I think it was last year or so?) compared to before?
For swims, I get a lot from doing 100's, if I can end the last set going off 1:35 I'm happy. Need to be getting this down to at least 1:25 over the winter.
Run, 10k tempo, its just long and hard enough.
I avoid long bikes (and suffer proportionately in anything longer than a Sprint race), mainly because of lack of time.
Best benefits of joining the club has been rivalry, and how that spurs you on. Some of the guys are much better runners, and I have to work hard to avoid being dropped in training.
Also, there's good banter and cameraderie at races, and we can organise group swim training etc.amphkingwest wrote: »What are the DCM pacers really like? (you're among friends here
)
Honest answer, most of them are sound as a pound, and do it for the right reasons, to help out a little, pass on advice, encourage others around to push harder, and give something back to the sport (jogging) they love. They know who they are.
I've come across a (very) few who do it because they enjoy running with slower runners.
I've met the organizers a few times, its a very good example of what a mass-participation race should be. They want the front end to be as competitive and rewarding for the winners as any race can be. They want this to foster and enhance domestic development. They want and facilitate everyone else to run their best time, and there's even space left over for the box-tickers to complete or walk, bless their little socks:)
Turbo, turbo, and turbo. I try and involve the kids if I can, so they are getting swim training now, and they've been promised they can do some Kidathlon's next summer.How do you juggle family life and training?
Did your family try and have you locked up when you tethered yourself in a paddling pool in the garden?
The paddling pool was initially a 12-ft diameter, 32" deep project, that needed a lot of excavation to level. I set it up, filled it with water, and within 2 minutes knew it was too shallow. So a quick purchase of a bigger deeper pool, more excavation, was needed. Thankfully we had a great summer, so the whole family spent every day in the pool, we all had a blast, and the tether worked!0 -
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career_move wrote: »I'm going to gatecrash this party and ask ...... Why do you dislike runners in general and novice marathon runners in particular?
Do you miss running in the hills all the time?
Favourite hill race?
Where do you see your swimming going? Are you planning any monster distance swims?
What's your favourite flavour of crisps? :mad:
Cadbury's or Nestle?
Do you see yourself doing HIM/IM distance races?
You talk a lot about getting back running decent speeds, how far away from the sub 40 10K are you know? do you see yourself getting back there quickly or do you reckon you'll have to do specific 10k work for this?0 -
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I'm proud to say I have any deadly sins. Just bleedin' rapid ones.Which is your favourite deadly sin and why?
They have been club discussions about a new model of suit!griffin100 wrote: »You can say that again, I nearly hung my wetsuit on you at Pikeman this year :pac:
Why at your advanced age (:D) did you chose maths?
Ok, maths, because I work in the field of Finance, and I need to have a greater understanding of how it operates on a financial model-building level. And I like maths, as its the only language that expresses things with certainty. I used to be an artist, and I don't like the current "anything goes" language that modern art expresses.career_move wrote: »I'm going to gatecrash this party and ask ...... Why do you dislike runners in general and novice marathon runners in particular?
This perplexes me... I'll leave it at saying I don't dislike runners in general, and/or novice marathon runners in particular.
Ah, this has been cleared up for me, a lack of smiley
... I hate them because it gives me a sense of superiority to look down on them from my pedestal of being slightly faster. The novice marathoners are the worst because they have a whiney sense of entitlement, facilitated by their leader who might be marginally faster if she spent as much time training as she does polishing her treasured fun-run medallions:) 0 -
Hadn't realised you were American.
You say depressed - do you mean just down about living in this sh1t hole or do you mean actually depressed?
Going off 1:35, hitting what?
Not diagnosed depressed, depressed at having left a successful fun career painting murals in NY, to be living in the arse end of Cavan (at the time) surrounded by people talking about how smart they were for owning/selling/buying land/houses. Not a good move, but its done now, and with kids settling I chose to make the best of things.
Say 5* off 1:35, in 1:29 dropping to 1:33. I think I've only done this once (as part of a 5*off {1:50,1:45,1:40,1:35}, a week before I hit 6:05TT). I've done this session too where I'm in 1:36, 1:37- so you keep going... useless, there would be more benefit in changing to off 1:40. Those couple of seconds rest can make a big difference (and sometimes they can be the longest, most precious couple of seconds).
This forum (last year at any rate) was/is a great resource for swim tips and sessions.
Yeah, I miss running the hills:) My knee hurts going up, and hurts real bad a few hours after running down. Should have lost weight when I was hill running instead of dragging side bags of lard with me:)RacoonQueen wrote: »
Do you miss running in the hills all the time?
Favourite hill race?
Where do you see your swimming going? Are you planning any monster distance swims?
What's your favourite flavour of crisps? :mad:
Cadbury's or Nestle?
Do you see yourself doing HIM/IM distance races?
You talk a lot about getting back running decent speeds, how far away from the sub 40 10K are you know? do you see yourself getting back there quickly or do you reckon you'll have to do specific 10k work for this?
Favourite hill race was probably Ballybraid, just because I pushed it harder than most races, and got a high finish. Great fast downhill finish on it too (down a trail along the Shay Elliot).
No monster swims, I'm not good at speed endurance. There's nothing better than a long slow plod (or swim), but the focus next season will be racing sprints or Oly's, and getting fast at shorter stuff.
Cheese and Onion
Aldi hazlenut chocolate
No real interest in HIM/IM, although I'm sure if I stay in Tri for a couple more years there will be some box ticking, if not racing. Hard to justify the entry fees, TBH.
On the 10k, I've done a couple of training runs lately that have come in around 42:30. I wouldn't do a specific 10k running program, but I'll need to bring in hill intervals once a week, if I want to up my running for Tri, and that should feed into a nice 10k road race somewhere.nerraw1111 wrote: »Are you you American??
What can runners learn from tri and vice versa?
Bucket race? (Tri/run/whatever)
Initial impressions of tri compared to impressions now?
Most satisfying moment since switching to the dark side?
Naturalized Yankee, I lived there 8 years. Grew up in Ireland.
To be honest, I don't know if I can answer the vice versa question. They are two totally different sports (something I didn't appreciate when just running).
I've no real bucket races as such. Maybe one of those Norway ultra Tri's that Oryx posts about. For the moment I guess the focus is on the next sprint, probably Valentia next May. That's a great course (and lightening can't strike twice, right?). The Tri club down there are one of the best in the country, as regards putting on races and getting people involved.
Impressions? I didn't actually think Tri would be as different, or as enjoyable, as it is. For some reason too, I expected a lot more people to be dicks and prima donna's- in fact the vast majority of people I've met at races have been extremely friendly. The pervading sense of competition is great, and thats something I hope continues as Tri entices more and more people looking to tick boxes.
Most satisfying moment was hitting 6:05 during a 400m swim, followed closely by a decent showing in one of the Bray aquathlon races, where I determined to bust a gut running hard. Its a great feeling to collapse on the finish line when you've been willing it to come for the past two km in lactic:)0 -
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Hi Kurt!!
If it's not too rude, may I ask how tall you are and how much do you weigh?
Also, what book are you currently reading or last read?
Favorite movie?
Favorite color and why?
As a parent, what do you hope to impart to your kids about involvement in sport - what do you hope they learn from you?0 -
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Hi Kurt!!
If it's not too rude, may I ask how tall you are and how much do you weigh?
Also, what book are you currently reading or last read?
Favorite movie?
Favorite color and why?
As a parent, what do you hope to impart to your kids about involvement in sport - what do you hope they learn from you?
188cm tall (6'2"), 90kg (198lbs)
Any book for the past few years has been coursework (Maths & Statistics), I literally don't have the time for other books. Last proper book I read (and was incredibly impressed by) was "Clous Atlas" by David Mitchell.
Favourite movie? Hmm, maybe "A Serious Man". Anything Kubrick, Coen, Mike Leigh, Peter Greenaway for visuals. Partial to cartoon sci-fi stuff too:)
Favourite colour is Schmenike Ruby Red (oil paint). The reason being, when I worked in NY, for a time I was employed in the studio of an artist called Jeff Koons, and after a brief apprentiship mixing colours (and working with the finest materials money could buy), he asked me to paint this huge 1.5meter wide set of lips using that colour, superimposed over a highly detailed foliage background (image is here). It took quite a while, on this huge canvas, and when it was done he had a look, and said the lips were too wide, could I trim an eighth of an inch from their border? So I spent ages overpainting the foliage by a tiny amount. When that was done, he wondered if maybe we had taken too much off: could I add back a sixthteenth of an inch on the lips? Madman! Interesting times though:D
As a parent, I think its important to foster a sense of improvement into your kids (its always a fine line between encouraging them and being overbearing). If you are competitive in sport (and I mean that across all levels, so long as you aim to improve), this will feed into your general life achievement. So the kids get to do whatever sport they want (and are allowed leave sports they don't like if they replace it with another). Both are currently doing swimming and enjoying that, and are improving all the time.
"Run to the line" is what I want them to learn from me- give it what you got no matter what your level, a race is a test of your current state (of course I sometimes need to be reminded of this myself!)0 -
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Kurt Godel wrote: »The reason being, when I worked in NY, for a time I was employed in the studio of an artist called Jeff Koons,
Wow. Screw your swim times
I was at the Guggenheim last month and his stuff is all over the place.0 -
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This thread is great for getting an insight in to the real people behind these cyber aliases. You're an interesting guy, no doubt about it.
You mentioned trying to go sub 3 in a marathon. How close did you get?
What were your 5k, 10k and HM pbs at the time?
How many hours a week do you typically train?
How much time do you allocate to each of the 3 disciplines over a week?
Is it safe to visit your new log? I avoided your old one last month and still am as I haven't finished watching Breaking Bad yet.
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What do you do for S&C?
You love maths, do you spend hours pouring over stats from training?
What would your patronus be?
s&c?
I don't really apply any metrics or data analysis to my training- if I see from my training log that I'm hitting better times than last week, then things are progressing just fine. I'm at a mid-pack stage where improvement is easily measured- cut down on the booze, run more times a week, increase bike intensity; that sort of thing.
I do read the Science of Sport a bit, and sometimes have a peek at their models and methodology. On a macro level, statistical analysis is very useful for Sport, especially at the high performance end. On the flip side, practically every mainstream article I've read about conclusions from sports analysis has been flawed. This often includes peer-reviewed published work, which often runs with a sexy headline, in the hope print or TV media will pick it up. Its sad to see see so much lazy analysis, and to see how many people lap that up.
Patronus? A squirral, why not, they're pretty cool. And I'd get to live in my treeEver shaved your nads?
Jesus, there's "getting to know you...", and then there's this...:eek:
No comment!0 -
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Is it safe to visit your new log? I avoided your old one last month and still am as I haven't finished watching Breaking Bad yet.
I couldn't believe it Gibbo - it was the last place where I thought I would get nailed on the ending. I am hoping with my goldfish like memory I will have forgotten it by the time I get to season 5
Q - Sports people that you admire?
Q - Non Sports people that you admire?
Q - People that you don't like?
2 of each please0 -
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You mentioned trying to go sub 3 in a marathon. How close did you get?
What were your 5k, 10k and HM pbs at the time?
How many hours a week do you typically train?
How much time do you allocate to each of the 3 disciplines over a week?
Is it safe to visit your new log? I avoided your old one last month and still am as I haven't finished watching Breaking Bad yet.
Ok, on the sub3 marathon attempts... I had run a 3:10, off max 40 miles training, one long run of 16 miles, and felt great doing so. Off that I decided the sub 3 was there for the taking if I put in a disciplined 18-week P&D program. Training went well, although I should have raced more often in retrospect to get markers (my races will hill runs rather than standard road distances). 5k I ran 19:10,19:30,19:10 back to back one night in training, didn't race 10k, ran 1:28 half in training (paced the first half at MP and sped up a bit). On the day (in Rotterdam) I felt great at halfway, bang on, then just overheated and died at 14 mile mark. Pretty much the same thing happened again six months later in Dublin, blew up after 15. After that I just decided marathons weren't for me, its crap to put in a huge amount of effort (I was doing up to 70+ mile weeks) and get no reward.
I've taken about a month off now, but hope to be doing 10+ hours a week over the winter. I think I get more out of intensity rather than volume.
The new log is ultra-boring. Breaking Bad, great show. Who would have thought it was the robot monkey-priest all along?;)0 -
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What advice would you give your 20 year old self?
What advice would you give your 30 year old self?
What is the most random crazy urge you have had this year?
How do you like your eggs?
Oryx, Racoon Queen or DoryDory for a night?
Pet hates?
Describe your swimming bliss ?
Thanks 0 -
If you could go back in time and change one decision youve made, what would it be?
I wouldn't have come back to Ireland in 2005. Still, its done now. The best definition of humanity I ever heard was "we are the sum total of all our choices". Also I like John Lennons "Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans". There are worse things you could regret, the main thing in life is to get through the day mostly smiling and/or laughing, that way you're winning. That's the important thing.How do you relax after a day of crunching numbers,
favourite race, local or foreign
what drives you to compete,
*How do you relax after a day of crunching numbers,
Pretty much the whole reason I do exercise is for relaxation. If I don't exercise I'd pop a cork and relax that way. Its a much better feeling after a good run or swim, you feel alive.
*favourite race, local or foreign
Favourite race- have to say I really liked Pikeman, Wexford Tri put on a great show. Any well-run club race, really.
*what drives you to compete
As above, I only compete to feel alive. When you are running hard towards the line, there's a km to go, you are hurting but you know you have the beating of the lad in front... that's living in the moment, and slowing time right down. Ditto hurting on the bike and lying to yourself that the summit if 200m away when its 800m, or savouring the precious two seconds between hard swim reps.shotgunmcos wrote: »What advice would you give your 20 year old self?
What advice would you give your 30 year old self?
What is the most random crazy urge you have had this year?
How do you like your eggs?
Oryx, Racoon Queen or DoryDory for a night?
Pet hates?
Describe your swimming bliss ?
Thanks
*What advice would you give your 20 year old self?
I hit the pubs and was smoking heavy at 20- it might have been fun but I'm envious now when I see young guys in Tri making better use of their youth.
*What advice would you give your 30 year old self?
Travel around the States more instead of coming back to Ireland ten days every year. You can't buy back time.
*What is the most random crazy urge you have had this year?
To give up maths and take up painting again.
*How do you like your eggs?
We have two laying hens at home, a nice fried or bolied egg goes down a treat:)
*Oryx, Racoon Queen or DoryDory for a night?
Just one night?:D Nice choice Mike, but I'm not going to answer that one. But I will devote a lot of thought to it;)
*Pet hates?
People who are stupid but loudly want to express their whinging opinion on every bloody topic on god's green earth.
*Describe your swimming bliss ?
Swimming slowly in the coastal waters of Kerry, looking down at the sea life, turn the head right to gaze at the Magillicuddy Reeks in the distance, gaze back down slowly at the underwater magic again, turn my head left to see Mark W on the shore frantically doing that thing with his hands that means "kick harder!", and knowing I'm leisurely drifting out of his bottle throwing range:)0 -
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