Excellent report EG - never fear about being "boring" - I'm sure you could write about the quieter moments in the life of the three-toed sloth and it would be a riveting read.
Great to see you using the treadmill for hilly intervals: it's been said here many times and I still hold it to be one of the great running truths; that hill training is speed training in disguise.
Keep 'em coming E<2G - this is the stuff of excellence!
Of course he is.
He knows only too well that the opposition was out tying one on last night on the Lewes Brewery tour followed by a large, late Ruby Murray
Training's going well this end ...
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
HR and BP pretty much back to normal this morning. Am in London today, but may get back home in time for some sort of cardio activity.
I picked up a cheap blood pressure monitor at Aldi a couple of weeks ago that tells you systolic/diastolic readings, plus heart rate. It should be obvious, but I was still sort of impressed to see how it shot up after 6 days of activity, and was telling me to take a day off. I'm not certain I would have done so if I hadn't seen the technological evidence.
As for the goings on in Lewes, I must thank Sweder for the way he looked after my well-proportioned rival. I see elements of the Coe-Ovett contest in this struggle for athletic supremacy.
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
Just caught-up with a couple of your latest posts E<2G. Somebody once said 'A man without a plan is not a man.' Sounds like Fred Nietzche to me. You're the philosophy grad. Anyway, you're to be commended on your meticulous approach.
I would add the following 2 points to your list.
Stay hungrier for longer. I'm not advocating fasting or missing meals. Neither am I recommending this for post-run recovery meals. Just experiencing the feeling of hunger for an hour longer than normal if you're not running that day. I think it's as important as what you eat or how much you eat.
Secondly, join a running club. I'm not really prone to joining clubs. But if you're looking to raise-your-bar then this is the most effective thing you can do. Running with somebody else can improve your performance. Running with other people during an event further enhances your effort. Pulling on a club shirt adds another dimension. This weekend I ran a road-relay and ran as part of a team. This added yet another element. I really pulled-the-stops-out.
So there are five levels of running intensity that are available to us. Others (upto running in an Olympic relay final) are probably unlikely given our age, work commitments and general tendency towards the consumption of fermented beverages.
I've been cantering back-to-base on an evening club run at a much faster pace than normal, wondering were the last hour has gone. Perhaps I'm lucky to have such great clubs on my doorstep with the likes of Keighley and Bingley. (There's an Idle Athletic Club near Bradford. How I want one of their vests.) I'm sure Berkshire has it's fair share. Think on lad.
@El Gordo Wrote:survived presentation course. Delivered 2 presentations - both rubbish, and was heartly praised. Ridiculous.
This reminds me of an old post by one of my favourite bloggers, Scott Adams. (I can take or leave his cartoons.) I find him to be a very astute observer of human nature. He once went on a public speaking course, and observed that the single most effective tool for improving people's presentation skills was to praise them. Whether they were actually great or awful, telling the speaker that she spoke brilliantly raised self-confidence, which improved the next attempt at a talk.
Maybe that's not such a secret among the presentation-course fraternity?
@El Gordo Wrote:survived presentation course. Delivered 2 presentations - both rubbish, and was heartly praised. Ridiculous.
This reminds me of an old post by one of my favourite bloggers, Scott Adams. (I can take or leave his cartoons.) I find him to be a very astute observer of human nature. He once went on a public speaking course, and observed that the single most effective tool for improving people's presentation skills was to praise them. Whether they were actually great or awful, telling the speaker that she spoke brilliantly raised self-confidence, which improved the next attempt at a talk.
Maybe that's not such a secret among the presentation-course fraternity?
Ah, the great Scott Adams. I should reacquaint myself with him.
Interesting, but it wasn't the case here. The praise came from the group. I think there's an element of self-insurance involved. I'll praise you so that you'll praise me.
That sounds rather cynical. I did learn some things from the day, but I know when I've done a good presentation, and I didn't think mine were good today. I can do better.
I'm not sure I go along with the Adams idea. Confidence is obviously good for public speaking in general, but there are lots of dos and don'ts that people should be aware of, and if you praise them unreservedly, they might make the same mistakes.
Anyway, not something I want to talk about much more
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
(29-09-2009, 04:21 PM)glaconman Wrote: Just caught-up with a couple of your latest posts E<2G. Somebody once said 'A man without a plan is not a man.' Sounds like Fred Nietzche to me. You're the philosophy grad. Anyway, you're to be commended on your meticulous approach.
I would add the following 2 points to your list.
Stay hungrier for longer. I'm not advocating fasting or missing meals. Neither am I recommending this for post-run recovery meals. Just experiencing the feeling of hunger for an hour longer than normal if you're not running that day. I think it's as important as what you eat or how much you eat.
Secondly, join a running club. I'm not really prone to joining clubs. But if you're looking to raise-your-bar then this is the most effective thing you can do. Running with somebody else can improve your performance. Running with other people during an event further enhances your effort. Pulling on a club shirt adds another dimension. This weekend I ran a road-relay and ran as part of a team. This added yet another element. I really pulled-the-stops-out.
So there are five levels of running intensity that are available to us. Others (upto running in an Olympic relay final) are probably unlikely given our age, work commitments and general tendency towards the consumption of fermented beverages.
I've been cantering back-to-base on an evening club run at a much faster pace than normal, wondering were the last hour has gone. Perhaps I'm lucky to have such great clubs on my doorstep with the likes of Keighley and Bingley. (There's an Idle Athletic Club near Bradford. How I want one of their vests.) I'm sure Berkshire has it's fair share. Think on lad.
Ah, great to see the return of a couple of GM favourites -- the Nietsche quote (which I still recall from the first time you imparted it -- nearly 20 years ago), and the praise for hunger. The latter has fascinated me since you first mentioned the idea. Must admit I have trouble with the notion of voluntary hunger, though I still remember the phrase you used previously about "inviting hunger into your life", and I should take a look at this again. It's culturally unnatural, and I suppose counter-intuitive as an aid to the running life. These are the obstacles in my way at present.
Bingley Running Club? Believe it or not, I nearly joined this club about 5 years ago. I emailed them to enquire, but never heard back. Perhaps they were unimpressed with the reason I gave for wanting to join i.e. the blue and white hopped club vests, which I've never been able to find elsewhere. Now alas they have changed the design too much.
As for clubs in general, I quite agree with you. I've been a member of two local clubs. The Reading Road Runners were just too big and disorganised and directionless (or were about 5 years ago). The other, Reading Joggers, are much more my cup of tea but I seemed to upset the club nobility with a jokey comment in a race report -- the funny side of which they were unable, or unwilling, to see. I occasionally toy with the thought of rejoining for the reasons you state. When I ran with them, I was conscious of being pulled out of my comfort zone, which was beneficial despite the temporary pain.
Just at the moment, my main driver is weight loss. Once I'm down to fighting weight (about another 10 pounds), I'll look at how to change things. The gym I use has an informal running club that meets weekly in the months leading up to the Reading Half in March, so that's another option.
In the meantime, there are a couple of things that might fill the gap. One is my casual collaboration with Phil the sports therapist. Not a club, but still a positive external influence on my efforts. The other, which I will start just as soon as I feel able to maintain a half-decent pace, is the weekly Reading 5K park run. 5K is no great shakes, but it's been suggested that this could make a good weekly tempo run, at least for a while. If I feel up to the 7 miles each way on a bike, this could be a quite a thorough workout. (Perhaps too thorough -- not sure if I'll want to dash 3 miles after 7 miles on the bike, which is still a fair old ride for me.)
I will indeed "think on", though I will probably wait until after the Crawley 10K plod on Oct 18th in 2.5 weeks before making any big changes. Thanks for the ideas and insights.
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
(30-09-2009, 09:13 PM)Sweder Wrote: Slow news day?
Let's talk about Chelski almost slipping up in Cyprus.
Much more fun ...
Chelsea "almost slipping up" isn't quite good enough.
A fair point, well made.
Ancelotti was singularly unimpressed; good chance the Mickeys will trounce them this weekend, especially with Cech in the sin bin.
E<2G? I missed something there ...
I though M=EG2 more appropriate
ParkRuns are excellent 'out of comfort zone' experiences.
It's because I've been slumped in the well-worn armchair of sublime comfort, legs akimbo, bowl of Japanese crackers on my paunch, that I've steered well clear lately. Back this Saturday for a jolt.
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
(30-09-2009, 09:13 PM)Sweder Wrote: Slow news day?
Let's talk about Chelski almost slipping up in Cyprus.
Much more fun ...
Chelsea "almost slipping up" isn't quite good enough.
ParkRuns are excellent 'out of comfort zone' experiences.
It's because I've been slumped in the well-worn armchair of sublime comfort, legs akimbo, bowl of Japanese crackers on my paunch, that I've steered well clear lately. Back this Saturday for a jolt.
Good man. I may join you, as it were, though believe me, my time will be truly shocking. Probably 35 minutes at least. Still, the worse it is at this first stage, the more impressive the improvement will look as I chop slices off it.
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
(30-09-2009, 10:17 PM)El Gordo Wrote: Still, the worse it is at this first stage, the more impressive the improvement will look as I chop slices off it.
... and therein lies the magic rub.
As you continue to whittle your time down to something approaching acceptable (to you) you're already drawn into the sticky web of measurable self-improvement. It's brilliant, especially when one is heading back along the lonely road to fitness after a lay-off.
B&H ParkRun has a lady who continues to strive for a sub-40 minute circuit. All human life is there, and not all of it quick.
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
Good to see you getting back into the outdoors EG - it's the only place to be.
Born To Run is a corking track. Cliched in this running community perhaps, but it works for me every time, especially when it pops up unexpectedly. Sadly for Chicago your spiritual return did nothing for their Olympian hopes, brushed aside as they were in round one of voting for 2016. Rio is an interesting choice. It is without doubt a fascinating city, but one fraught with danger for the unwary visitor. Yes, much more so than other 'big cities'. Whilst I'm pleased for the locals I'm fearful for those famous street kids who can now look forward a series of 'cleansing' sessions.
But, as usual, I digress.
Great to see you out there again. My man will be joining me for some cool weather training on the continent this week, starting with a 06:00 start tomorrow. C'mon SP ...
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
(06-10-2009, 06:37 AM)marathondan Wrote: Diligent slogging and blogging, EG -- keep up the good work on both fronts. 8.8 pounds speaks for itself (as do the near-daily posts).
Ah! Good to see that someone's noticed!
It's all MLCM's fault, though am not sure how long the diligent blogging will last. His comment coincided with a feeling I've had for a while that it would be good to move back to the little-and-often for the most part. The big set-piece things are all very well but they miss out the minutiae which are often the most interesting things. Yep, I'm a minutiae man.
Same weight for 3 days in a row, which is annoying, given that I 'ran' 6 miles Saturday as well as...
Sunday - 76 aerobic minutes in the gym + 66 minutes cycling.
Yesterday - 65 minutes and 10.55 miles on the bike.
These weight plateaux are inexplicable, though they always happen.
.
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
