To the waters and the wild

Kurt.Godel

Wed 50min Fastlane; 10min S&C, 40min turbo

Fastlane:
400 warmup 1:47 pace
5*100 off 1:45
5*100 off 1:40
5*100 off 1:35
5*100 off 1:30
200 swim down

The pool was way too hot for this, I left the heater on too long. Anyway, all went well, BE3 throughout (if I relax more the breathing sorts itself out- one feeds into the other really). A lot more relaxed in the water, any time the feet started to drop or I snaked out of the current I didn't panic and just reset the stroke.
The last set were hardest, alternate sw/pb/sw/pb/sw

Turbo:
10min easy
4*(10sMAX, 2:20 EZ)
5*(1min build to 9/10PE, 2min EZ)
5min EZ

Happy enough with the effort, they stung as they should. No apparent illness issues, first real intensity since the weekend and all was good during/after.

Kurt.Godel

Thurs 15min yoga, 60min run; 60min Masters swim

A wild and windy night on Arklow track, I was pushed for time so did 25min EZ, 25min steady, finished with two fast km. The track was a tale of two halfs with the wind, and I found the last two km a bit of a struggle mentally but got through them alright.

Straight into the changing room and in the pool within 10mins...

400m WU
8*(25k, 25dr, 25sw, 10s)
10*100 (target 1-6 off 1:30, 7&8 off 1:35, 9&10 off 1:30)
8*(25 long stroke, 25 short, 25 swim, 10s)

The goal is to do as many 100's off the time straight, if you miss 1:30 you jump to off 1:35 etc. I got 4*1:30, 4*1:35, 1*1:40, 1*1:35 (cramping towards the end). I was pretty tired after the run, and it showed even during the warm up, but in my favour I kept a good long controlled stroke throughout, and was breathing well albeit BE2 towards the end.

Kurt.Godel

Fri 40min S&C; 30min Fastlane

Sat 1:55 turbo

A bad nights sleep with work on my mind, a Parkrun was planned (or 5k TT) but waking up exhausted I switched to the turbo. I wasn't looking forward to any exercise, however felt much better when this got going. The effort was solid, it seemed manageable for the first couple of reps and then felt much tougher (but holdable) for the last couple.

Sun 15min run yoga, 10k hill run; 30min Fastlane

Work all morning unfortunately, it was 3pm before I managed to get out onto Annagh Hill. My legs were noticeable tired after yesterdays turbo, but its always good for the mind to get up on top of the world and run through puddles.
A very enjoyable brain-wash afterwards in the Fastlane.

Kurt.Godel

Mon 15min yoga, 30min easy run; 60m Masters

I was zonked today, a terrible night sleep followed by a client meeting in Dublin... work has gotten very busy and very stressful, its all going well and people are making money, but a lot of hours are going into it at the moment. Thank Grud for training, which really helps. It was tempting to skip tonights session and go to bed early, but I'm really glad I went, all stress washed away and I feel a new man again.

600 WU (fast every 4th length)
4*100 on 1:35
2*50 EZ 20s
4*100 on 1:30
2*50 EZ 20s
4*100 on 1:35
2*50 EZ 20s
4*100 on 1:30
2*50 EZ 20s
200 swim down

I liked this set, the longer ones target was in 10s under, the shorter ones 5s. We didn't quite make 'em all, but pretty darn close. Stroke is coming along nicely, I'm relaxing a lot more and some of these 100's were BE4, which tells something about smoother breathing.

I frackin' love swimming

joey100

Once it's not just other people making money for the stress it's ok!

Kurt.Godel

joey100 wrote: »

Once it's not just other people making money for the stress it's ok!

Yeah, as jobs go, I can’t complain. What is most satisfying is using maths learned over the past ten years to good effect.

Kurt.Godel

Tue 45 min S&C; 15 mins yoga, 14k run

The first 6k were easy, next 6 steady, and the last two were fast, and pinched a bit. All done on my concrete floodlit path, which gets monotonous very quickly. I guess that’s probably no bad thing, you need to focus on form and pace with no other distractions.

Kurt.Godel

Wed 10min yoga, 40min turbo; 71min hill run; 30min Fastlane

Turbo:
10min EZ
4*(10s MAX, 2:20 EZ)
5*(1min build to 9/10PE, 2min EZ)
5min EZ

This is a regular midweek session, and todays was about the toughest effort I've put in. (Judging from the power meter, and the sweatometer).

Run: 9.5k 450m elevation gain
A bonus run with Mick as we scouted potential routes for the Annagh Hill race. The usual hands-on-knees plod up along the initial climb, before we tested the waters along the long ridge. Snow was blowing into our faces as we ran along here, nothing too heavy but it made sighting that bit more difficult. A nice drop down Connahill, and an even nicer drop down the really steep Beech avenue. Some more meandering up and down the lesser traversed traversals, and back to the pub for a breakdown of the route.

Fastlane
easy recovery pace after hill run, with pb

Kurt.Godel

Thurs 15min yoga, 10k hilly run; 60min Masters

Run:
An earlier start than usual, up around my staple Hillbrook loop. Its is a pretty hilly route, the first 30mins were nice and easy (legs felt a little stiff after yesterdays hike), started to pick it up over the last 4k, which were done into a headwind. A nice easy jog to cool down for the last km.

Masters:
200m warmup
4*(25k, 25sw, 10s)
20*100 off 2:25 (alt hard, easy)
200m swimdown

This was a tough enough session, my first hard 100 was about 1:15, but from there I soon slowed towards 1:20, and the last few were 1:22-1:24. On the positive side breathing is better, but I need to tumble turn, and I need to get more aggressive with my goals. All of these should have been around 1:15, so there is work to be done.

shotgunmcos

Still, getting all 20 sub 1:25 prob with an average around 1:18 or so (guess) bodes well for your 1,500m 21:XX LC target (unless you already hit that and I missed it).
Either way its super swimming!

Kurt.Godel

Fri 30min Fastlane; 40min S&C
Fastlane:
5min easy
10min mod pb
5min steady pb
5min mo pb
5min easy pb

focus on shoulder rotation and reach

shotgunmcos wrote: »

Still, getting all 20 sub 1:25 prob with an average around 1:18 or so (guess) bodes well for your 1,500m 21:XX LC target (unless you already hit that and I missed it).
Either way its super swimming!

Cheers Mike, but it wasn't quite as good as that! Every second 100 was easy pace (in 1:40-1:45), and I'd say my average for the ten fast 100's was 1:20. As regards the 1,500 I'd bite your arm off for 21:XX LC! There's still a month to go, and my stroke is starting to see dividends lately, but even holding 1:30/100 pace means a tough 22:30 time... we'll see what happens over the next few weeks, but right now holding 15 straight 1:30's seems a big ask.

Kurt.Godel

Sat 15min S&C, 15k run

Plan: 40min easy, 20min build, 20min build to finish last two km around 4:10 pace

I didn't feel great for this, the effort seemed higher for the paces. The legs didn't seem to have much bounce in them- possibly the hilly runs on Wed&Thurs catching up on me. In any case, I was glad to have company when it started to pinch. We started early, kept the pace right down on a cold dark morning as we ran out around Tara Hill. Our pace and spirits both rose watching the rising sun over the horizon. A headwind for the second half of the run, and I might easily have ditched on the last two faster km if I didn't have a partner to guilt me to finish... breathing and effort were higher than I expected, but thanks to the company I saw the session out to the end.
Probably a good session for the mind, keep going when you want to quit.

Kurt.Godel

Sun 10min yoga, 1:20turbo, 20min run (bric); 30min Fastlane

Turbo:
10min build to steady
4*(10sMAX, 2:20 EZ)
3*(15min build 3-8PE, 5min EZ)

straight onto run:
1st km breath through nose, focus on good running form
2nd-4th km build
jog 0.5km

First bric session in a long while. The one thing that has improved over the past few months is my control- I can handle the bike a lot better, any of these builds were well controlled to where I wanted them to be. Ditto the run, I'm controlling the pace (with better form) as it builds.

Kurt.Godel

Mon 45min S&C; 15min yoga, 30min easy run; 55min Fastlane

Run: 5k
Felt better after this easy trot (legs a bit tight after yesterday). My breathing wasn't great, its a heavy cold evening. I've been cutting down on gluten hoping that is an issue, it might be all in my head too, but I did have wheat pizza last night watching the Superbowl.

Fastlane- I am preparing for a big meeting tomorrow, so skipped travel to Arklow to save time.

600m WU
5*100 off 1:45
45s
5*100 off 1:40
45s
5*100 off 1:35
45s
5*100 off 1:30
45s
400m swimdown
all with pb

shotgunmcos

Kurt.Godel wrote: »

Mon 45min S&C; 15min yoga, 30min easy run; 55min Fastlane

Run: 5k
Felt better after this easy trot (legs a bit tight after yesterday). My breathing wasn't great, its a heavy cold evening. I've been cutting down on gluten hoping that is an issue, it might be all in my head too, but I did have wheat pizza last night watching the Superbowl.

Fastlane- I am preparing for a big meeting tomorrow, so skipped travel to Arklow to save time.

600m WU
5*100 off 1:45
45s
5*100 off 1:40
45s
5*100 off 1:35
45s
5*100 off 1:30
45s
400m swimdown
all with pb

How does the fast lane actually work for sets like that? Manual timing or dialled in? Did you watch the whole thing. I lasted to the 2nd quarter and fell asleep missing the best of it

Kurt.Godel

shotgunmcos wrote: »

How does the fast lane actually work for sets like that? Manual timing or dialled in? Did you watch the whole thing. I lasted to the 2nd quarter and fell asleep missing the best of it

I have a pace clock which is a gauge of the current, and a wall clock at the side. For example the set 5*1:30 the pace clock was set to 1:28, and I kept an eye on the wall clock (and grabbed 2 secs rest).

I bailed just before the halftime show, my son was starting work experience the next day and wasn't happy he couldn't watch it all! Some great throwing from both QB's, but both defence's were absent all night! Made for good viewing though. I just watched the second half this evening, we were rooting for the Patriots but they were outplayed by Philly. Good game all right!

*Edit- just grokked what you were asking... you can't program in the set into the Fastlane, pace needs to be physically changed by pressing remote control. There is a new iPad app developed by Endless Pools that will allow preprogrammed sets, but it was about $1,000 or something crazy!

Kurt.Godel

Tue Nothing

I had an easy swim planned, but a very busy day had me wrecked come evening, so I took the day off physically (mentally was a different story!)

Wed 10min yoga, 55min FTP test; 30mins Fastlane

This would be my first FTP test in a while, not something I was looking forward to, but geared myself up mentally and started the warm up... phone goes, office stuff for 10mins :rolleyes:... back on the horse...
Finished the warmup, now into 5mins hard. I was trying to keep it over 340W and looking at the graph now I was over 350W average for the lot. No hiding on this effort, it was a tough slog counting down each minute.
10mins easy, then onto the 20min section. I was aiming for 310W+ throughout, but this started to drop after a few minutes. Its hard work, I got through 5mins and the doubt started to creep in... I'll never make this... told myself I'd get to a third in, then 8,9, mins, then halfway (stopped and considered bailing before starting right back up). The second half was a familiar set of lies, markers, mini-goals, demons battled; that everyone who does an FTP knows well. By the last quarter I was trying hard to stay over 270W... the end finally came and a 286W average for the 20mins. Garmin says thats a 271FTP but I reckon thats a generous multiplier.

I'll get in 30mins swimming later, right now I'm absolutely beat. Very glad I didn't bail during it, that sort of doubt can consume you.

joey100

Nice numbers Kurt, 350w is big! I'm going to suggest that the majority of your bike training would have you set up for a big 5 min effort and struggling a little the longer it goes, your log seems to be a lot of short hard efforts on the bike, have seen some longer steadier efforts but the focus seems to be on the shorter stuff, this could be the reason for the fall off from the high 5 min to the longer 20 min?

Kurt.Godel

joey100 wrote: »

Nice numbers Kurt, 350w is big! I'm going to suggest that the majority of your bike training would have you set up for a big 5 min effort and struggling a little the longer it goes, your log seems to be a lot of short hard efforts on the bike, have seen some longer steadier efforts but the focus seems to be on the shorter stuff, this could be the reason for the fall off from the high 5 min to the longer 20 min?

Yes I'd agree with this, certainly the 5min seemed a lot easier than the 20min! Higher rpm for the 5min too, in the same gear. Overall though, I'm happy with it, longer bikes will probably come into play closer the season but right now I'm happy with where the bike (and run, and swim) are in early Feb.

Kurt.Godel

Thurs 15min yoga, 30min easy run

It’s a busy work week, and mentally I’m feeling the strain. The plan tonight was to add some steady running off this easy, but to be honest the mind was beat even before I laced up. 30 mind-numbing loops around various Gorey housing estates, and by the time I was due to up the pace I chucked in the towel. Any extra wouldn’t be worth drawing from the depleted mental reserves.

Someone told me there are two types of quitting- bailing yesterday half way through the ftp would have been the bad kind. Tonight’s doesn’t feel like that.

Kurt.Godel

Fri 40min S&C; 30mins Fastlane

5mins easy
3*100 on 1:45
3*100 on 1:40
3*100 on 1:35
3*100 on 1:30
3min easy

I felt much better today, and enjoyed being in the water for these. A little harder than a recovery swim, but perfect mental recovery.

Kurt.Godel

Sat 70min run

One of those dark rainy mornings where staying in bed was very tempting... thankfully I had to take the kids swimming so a bleary drive to Courtown and wait in the car until dawn broke. Of course once it got started all was well with the world. First 30 mins were easy, then steady for the next thirty, and finish with 10 mins fast. No better feeling than running on dark empty backroads to start your day.

Kurt.Godel

Sun 10min yoga, 1:55 turbo

An early-ish start (make the coffee, let the dogs out for a pee, feed the cat...) and into a standard turbo, main 6*(10min 225W, 5min EZ). Nothing to report of note, a steady drip of sweat but holding 225W felt too easy. Besides that, nothing to report of note, other than "Suburbicon" is a disaster of a movie. It might have been a decent viewing if the Coen Bros. directed as well as writ. I went looking for "A Serious Man" but got "Burn After Reading"; suffice to say I will be on to Pyrte Bay to get my money back.

Kurt.Godel

Mon 30min run; 45min S&C

A client meeting today went well, something I've been working on for a while, came out of the meeting pumped and did this run after driving home... didn't look at the watch but went way too fast- although the effort felt easy.

This evening we went for a meal to celebrate, a nice thick steak and nice a bottle of merlot. Pre-loading before the Lenten challenge; do as I say not as I do Mike :D

Kurt.Godel

Tue 15min yoga, 14k run

5k easy
7k steady
2k fast

Another freezing night along the concrete wasteland, the bits of my brain still functioning were tired today, I could very easily stayed in tonight... thankfully Junior has swimming so I had to drive in anyway. I didn’t look at the watch much, so the first easy section was too fast, and both the steady and fast km’s were a little slower than expected. I find it hard to gauge pace in the dark. Still, session done, box ticked, all is well with the world.

Kurt.Godel

Wed 10min yoga, 1:30 turbo

10min EZ
4*(2min EZ, 30s MAX)
60s EZ
3*(12min 230-240W, 5min EZ)
20*(20s 110+RPM, 20s EZ)
5min EZ

This session isn't as "round number" as usual and so I found myself going astray a little (the main efforts were 12min, then 10, then 15). That last RPM section is a killer!

Kurt.Godel

Thurs 15min yoga, 8k trot; 3,000m Masters

The first 5k were very easy, around the dark streets of Arklow before hitting the cinder track for some steady loops for the last 3k. Nothing too fast, the legs seemed a bit tired after yesterday's turbo.

Masters
400m WU
4*100pb off 1:35
100 EZ
4*100 off 1:35
100 EZ
3*100pb off 1:30
100 EZ
3*100 off 1:30
100 EZ
2*100pb off 1:25
100 EZ
2*100 off 1:25
100 EZ
200 cool down

I led off the middle lane, which was a bit congested so a few bangs and knocks and at times bossing people to get past at the wall. Its part and parcel at this stage, you need to be assertive in the water, talk the talk and then walk the walk. The stroke felt good tonight, body position decent and breathing a thousand times better than usual...BE3 is default now at these paces (didn't quite make the 1:25's though). I need to tumble turn and learn to do so without going out of breath, before Limerick in two weeks time.

Neady83

Kurt.Godel wrote: »

A client meeting today went well, something I've been working on for a while, came out of the meeting pumped and did this run after driving home... didn't look at the watch but went way too fast- although the effort felt easy.

This evening we went for a meal to celebrate, a nice thick steak and nice a bottle of merlot. Pre-loading before the Lenten challenge; do as I say not as I do Mike :D

Congrats It's amazing what a good feeling can do for your pace.

There's serious consistency in your training for the last few months, how are you keeping the colds, ear and sinus infections at bay? Tell me your secret

Kurt.Godel

Neady83 wrote: »

There's serious consistency in your training for the last few months, how are you keeping the colds, ear and sinus infections at bay? Tell me your secret

Boring clean living I'm afraid Neady! Haven't had a beer since Xmas, only a bit of wine (and thats knocked now), eating well, plenty of sleep... lots of S&C helping the mind/body balance too.

I still get the odd ear pain, nothing too bad though, and EN&T infections have been drastically curtailed since I mainly swim in my own pool. Touch wood I don't get a cold now!

Kurt.Godel

Kurt.Godel wrote: »

swim

F***!