Jock math

I was Michael Phelps, if only for a little while.
The training plan called for 3 x 800 non stop (well duh!, it is an 800 after all).

I really though that this was easy. I mean just the other day it had me swim 1.5 miles. So an 800 no problem. So I just jumped in and off I went.

Now lets see.

Each pool length is 25 so down and back is 50.
50 goes into 100 2 times.
There is 8 100 in 800

I swim 8 laps.

I did math 3 times. Just to make sure. I confirmed the math at least once during each 800 swim.

It helps that my brain is oxygen deprived.

I swam each 800 in 10. Actually 9:XX.

Had I actually took the time to analysis the time I might had figured something was up.

I mean...10 minutes for 800? That's like a 45 sec per each 50 for 800. That's fast, at least for me.

This week I had the same workout planned. OK, sure. No problem. 10 minutes per I'll be done easy.

Until the Mrs. Mentions 16 laps. (apparently she's much smarter than me. She did this without counting!).

16 laps?

Crap! Yep, just to confirmed I checked my time at 8 laps (400).

Guess what my time was? 10 minutes!

Rest assured, my actually 800 was much higher.

20 minutes each.

I was Phelps for a day!


Speaking of Jock Math,

I was thinking about my recent race.

I had a good time and it was a good test race, but it wasn't great. Yet everybody kept saying how good I did.

"My race splits were good."

OH! Wait a minute, you guys don't know the course.

See its the Lake Las Vegas course. We had to do loops around the course.

Sprint had to do 3, Olympic had to do 5 laps. 3 vs. 5. The Sprint was 10-11. That's about right, but the Olympic? 5 laps only equaled about 17 miles.

Way short for an Olympic!

You guys saw my time of 1:08 and thought "wow! That Formulaic guy is fast. He biked 25 miles in one hour". Good try!

Now I'm still happy with my average speed, after all 17 mph is tough to maintain in Las Vegas, but its a far cry from 25.

And since we are on the subject on the impossible. I don't get my swim.

Stef pointed out that there was a 2 at the start of it (28:36) not a 3 or a 4. That's great! Except it doesn't make sense to me. I usually swim in the 3X-4X range. Always!

But this time it was MUCH lower. According to the Garmin, the distance was right (.93) and I swear I didn't cheat.

So what gives? Either I rose to occasion or... Well I don't know. The race time is the official time, so its not my Garmin. The distance seemed right and the Garmin confirmed it.

So... Whatever it is, I know that I won't be relying on me to add it up.

M-athlete? Not I!