Competitive Jerks Racing and Training - 2023 (Read 574 times)

I know, but it's already hard enough to convince my legs to go that slow. I'd rather run almost LT pace every other day for another week or two and let my body adapt.

Re: Rammstein - I think right now at least half of the Germans would face palm not because of the sometimes irritating lyrics but because of allegations of sexual harassment and rape against two of the members. My wife is a big fan of them  - and of Kraftwerk as well.

 

They also cover popular songs because who wants to listen to a cover of a song you've never heard? Just because something is popular doesn't mean it is influential. You still didn't tell me what is so influential or great about the song. "yay it's a popular song." so is Friday by Rebecca Black and I don't see Taylor Swift covering it any time soon. Five Finger Death Punch covered Zombie, and I wouldn't say it was influential. I really like the song, but I wouldn't call it influential. Metallica covered So What by The Anti-Nowhere League. Doesn't make it influential OR popular.

 

No, Bad Wolves covered Zombie.  Five Finger Death Punch have done a number of covers but that ain't one.

Picking two specific examples where artists have covered less well known songs doesn't change the fact that the Beatles material is sufficiently influential it's been covered by thousands of artists, and that continues almost 60 years - 2 generations - later.  Those songs are good enough and memorable enough to be inspiring artists and people that weren't even born, or old enough to appreciate music, when they came out.

How many of today's artists are still going to be played in 60 years time, much less be recognised by a wide range of people?

And that's before we even get into how they pioneered the use of multi-tracking, backmasking, music videos, and were definitely a big driver behind the album being the primary method by which artists released music - although the digital era is kinda changing that one.

You're pushing shit uphill here RP, seriously.

Teenage Kicks by The Undertones.

 

No band could cover that song and make it better, plenty have tried and embarrassed themselves. 

On the topic of worst covers... there was some pop group that attempted to cover Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Under the Bridge".  I remember that was pretty bad.  I actually can't even remember who the group was now, just that the cover version was terrible.

Best cover of a song was The Wildhearts version of the intro to Cheers. Brilliant! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2qv4xb5kFI

Flavio That workout with 30 total minutes at 10k pace sounds rough. Nicely done.

Here's a week I'm finally happy with

Totals: Time: 09:56:55 - Statute: 77.00 mi - Metric: 123.90 km

Note that the rowing miles got counted towards the total, so it was actually 74.5 miles / 120 kilometers of running. I feel forced to conclude that I don't adapt to the heat well. The combination of treadmill miles to avoid the heat and finally having a "low temperature" long run did me wonders. Last race of the summer series this Thursday. It's an 8k with a nasty long hill at the end. The next couple weeks the long runs might pop up in weird places like Mondays. I have some family things with travel going on during the weekends.

My week, Mon-Sat: blah blah blah.

My HM today: holy shit.

My previous PR was 1:33:46, which I knew was soft. It was in 2019, and I’ve PR’d every other distance since then. But the planets have just never aligned to run my best half, for a variety of reasons. I was shooting for sub-1:32, and thought if things went well maybe sub-1:31. Official time: 1:28:58. If you told me that beforehand I would’ve laughed in your face. 

The race was run on a point-to-point downhill course, which is used for a number of races that people flock to for PRs, BQs, and NYCMQs. It’s unpaved but mostly hard packed gravel. I’ve never raced on it so had no idea how much time it would get me; people have varying results. Also, this was the first half I’ve raced since getting the Vaporflys. And the weather was amazing; it’s been unseasonably cool at night, and the forecast looked like about 53F at the start, which is 6 AM to get it in before it warms up too much. According to GC afterwards, it was in fact 48F. So: cheater course, cheater shoes, cheater weather. But I ran it with my own two legs, so I’m counting it. 

My main concern going in was the fact that I’m still getting over a cold which ended up aggravating my asthma. I’ve had a lingering cough and my lungs have been iffy, I wasn’t sure how they would hold up. Also the 6 AM start + 45 min drive + bus from parking to start + 1 mile uphill trail hike from bus dropoff to actual start = 3 AM wakeup. Could not fall asleep last night, thinking about not being able to fall asleep; ended up getting about 3 hours. Fortunately everything came together once the race started. Other than managing the gravel that kept getting in my shoes.

Plan was to go out at 7:00 splits which would get sub-1:32. Usually for a half, how I feel at mile 8 is the key indicator of how the day is going to turn out; if I’m still feeling good at 9, I start picking up the pace. Potentially that would get my sub-1:31. I was nailing the 7:00s and was in fact feeling quite good; got down to ~6:45 for 10-11, and ~6:30 for 12-13. But I saw the finish line and knew it would end up short. Came in at 13.0 on the watch; thought about running the extra 0.1 but didn’t. Still, I was totally amazed to see <1:29 on my watch, which would be <1:30 even with an extra 0.1. I never dreamed of <1:30. I was also surprised it was short, since the course is certified. However I went into Strava, clicked “adjust distance,” and it ended up right at 13.1. I think that’s more accurate? The course is on a heavily wooded mountain trail, and GPS tends to get wonky. My watch was ahead of the mile markers, then even, then behind. I’m gonna call the distance legit. Regardless, it was a great day.

Weekly for period: From: 07/24/2023 To 07/30/2023

Totals: Time: 08:09:10 - Statute: 58.15 mi - Metric: 93.56 km

Dave - Yes!!  Even if the course is what your watch says it is, that's a sub 1:30 but given the tree cover it's likely your GPS is wrong.  Great run, I hope you're celebrating appropriately.

mmerkle - You should be happy with that week, really impressive.

Flavio - Geez there's some good training going on here.  Agree with Mike, that 30 minutes at 10km pace even with a short rest is a big workout.

Mark - Given these races are probably beating up your legs a bit, a down week is a very good idea.

me - Solid enough week with some workouts at mid Zone 3 and sub threshold after the tough LT test last week, and before the 5km this week.  Happy with how comfortable I felt at just below my goal half marathon pace for 40 minutes.  I've been carrying a few niggles after that LT run, sore hammy and calf at times but not getting worse.  Now into race week where I'm having a real crack at a PR+ (Keen please update my goal to 18:29).  Hagley Park has been under water with the heavy rain of the last week.  I hope it's good to go by Saturday, and the forecast is for no rain.  It may just be a bit slippery like it was for the LT test.

Weekly for period: From: 24/07/2023 To 30/07/2023

Totals: Time: 08:20:38 - Statute: 60.06 mi - Metric: 96.64 km