Older cubers discussions

Saturday
2x2 R1 - Target was sub-6 average, ideally sub-5.5. Result was 5.45 average despite a few pauses and bad AUFs
Pyra - Two "maintenance" practice sessions since Guildford to maintain a sub-10 average. 9.66 average
4x4 - Target was sub-1:20 average and sub-1:10 single. 1:16.25 average and 1:10.82 single
2x2 R2 - Target was a fast single but I blew up the average (8.57) whilst trying. I think I was too tired by that time as well.

Sunday
OH - Target was sub-30 average (~28 globally) but I was unable to focus. 34.97 average and 29.51 single
3x3 - The video speaks for itself. 28.82 average for 2H is slower than my OH global average!
5x5 - Target was a 2:40 single. PBs in practice (2:25 single, 2:34 Ao5, 2:38 Ao12) but failures in competition. I was struggling in the low light during the first solve which resulted in a 3:09. The second solve was going well until I was distracted by my judge (3x3 practice) during my edges and I never managed to regain my focus - DNF

Highlights
Spending time with everyone I've met previously and meeting @Selkie for the first time. Great curry on Saturday night with Andy (@Shaky Hands) and Mark (@newtonbase). It was also cool to see Matt Parker in attendance (Stand Up Maths / Numerphile) and having a chat with him. In terms of performances it was nice to align my official times for 2x2 and 4x4 with my times at home. The competition itself was really well organised.

Lowlights
I am yet to reproduce my typical OH times in competition. I still can't believe my 3x3 performance!
It was a shame about my 5x5 times as I was solving well beforehand but it wasn't a priority event for me.
 
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Postmortem of performances:-

Saturday
2x2: Had practiced a bit in few days before comp as some may recall. First solve I had a corner pop on PBL on my stickerless Dayan so swapped to a spare cube (Black Moyu) for the rest. never did recover and had a really bad average. I had felt PB average was one of the certainties of the comp. (7.80 Single / 10.67 Average)

Pyraminx: A nice single where I skipped L3E stage. A counting 21.xy cost me sub 15 but content enough with the results (8.72 Single / 16.76 Average)

4x4: First solve went well but I had predicted I would get a lot of double parities. Solve 1 turned out to be the case and was the best time of the average when the second solve was double parity as well I lost confidence and lost lookahead. Though it is comp PB for single and average I am disappointed as I have not done 4x4 at comp for 3 years and nowhere near my goal of sub 1 / Sub 1:05 (1:03.57 Single / 1:10.69 Average)

Skewb: Was not going to be hard to be a 23.xy average set the first time I solves Skewb at Exeter. A second solve DNF meant the 26 at the end counted and was lucky to get a 20.xy (16.02 Single / 20.27 Average)

Megaminx: I felt this was going to be the closest one for me to make average cut but with @Shaky Hands sat as my lucky judge I made it by 0.22 and then relaxed. I think relaxing is the key to it being the best event for me at the comp. (1:49.83 Single / 2:08.33 Average)

Square-1: I knew this one would be tight to break PBs and started just sub par with 38, 43, 45 but then I messed up parity on solve 4 and started from the beginning. On solve 5 I had an edge pop and that killed the average. (38.99 Single, 57.90 Average)

Clock: Another event where my confidence was shaken from the beginning where I DNFed the first solve as 4 dials were pointing at 3. Managed to pull a single PB out of the bag but only just! (13.16 Single / 18.28 Average)

Sunday
3x3: I could not decide on which cube to use and also could not decide on what TPS to try. With my brain caught in no mans land I messed up the first two solves. I managed to concentrate and pull back a PB single and a low 15 but a lockup on the last solve left me with the most evil of averages 16.66 :D The second round I changed to the Valk and had another poor average. Silver lining was no solve over 18.03. 18.03 was my worst solve in both rounds! (13.39 Single / 16.66 Average)

5x5: With confidence already knocked and average cut set at 2:15 I lost time looking at the timer too much and got a 2:17 and 2:19.
 
CLL Smooth said:
This was exactly my problem for the longest time. It seems like it was the only event I practiced or even cared about the results in. Once I lightened up and stared caring less I started seeing better results.
Click to expand...

Quite possibly my problem at UKC combined with general tiredness. Conclusion... care less and try to get more sleep!

BTW: What's the story behind LL Cool Skip and CLL Smooth? I've only just spotted that you post under two usernames. :)
 
Logiqx said:
Quite possibly my problem at UKC combined with general tiredness. Conclusion... care less and try to get more sleep!

BTW: What's the story behind LL Cool Skip and CLL Smooth? I've only just spotted that you post under two usernames. :)
Click to expand...
You found me out... I actually started LL Cool Skip (a reference to LL Cool J, of course) after a long hiatus and shortly after that, my laptop crapped-out. I since haven't even been able to find the email account I used to start that username. I was, however, able to dig up my previous and current one I post under (a reference to a much better rapper, CL Smooth). Some good investigation might even reveal my first username here, but I'm not giving any hints.
 
Inspired by the weekend, I've just completed my first clock solve since 1989!

I had absolutely no recollection about how the puzzle works so it was back to square one (excuse the pun) and it took almost an hour to solve.

I need to refine my method a little before entering a competition. ;)

p.s. WH Smiths receipt is still in the box and dated 9th July 1989.
 
Selkie said:
Yup that second scramble was insane. I was scrambling 3BLD and could not believe it when I saw it. I wondered if anyone would try a U2 (or whatever 2 depending on your orientation) and change 4 edge targets to be honest :)
Click to expand...
Yes the trouble is thinking fast enough not to slow down the memo. U2 and switch edge targets would be most efficient. In the end I solved UFR (and my UBL buffer) as normal, then finished with V-perm to swap the other two. Today it occurred to me that a good compromise would have been H-perm U2 and normal edge memo.
 
mark49152 said:
Also, at lunch today I got my first sub-1 3BLD, 54.01.
Click to expand...

Well done. That's quite a milestone. I quit my lunchtime solve after 5 mins trying to make the memo stick.

Logiqx said:
p.s. WH Smiths receipt is still in the box and dated 9th July 1989
Click to expand...

How does it turn?

Selkie said:
Yup that second scramble was insane. I was scrambling 3BLD and could not believe it when I saw it. I wondered if anyone would try a U2 (or whatever 2 depending on your orientation) and change 4 edge targets to be honest :)
Click to expand...

The memo was very easy but I did a setup for one piece then undid the setup for the next piece so had to quit.
 
mark49152 said:
Today it occurred to me that a good compromise would have been H-perm U2 and normal edge memo.
Click to expand...

That sir is genius!

newtonbase said:
The memo was very easy but I did a setup for one piece then undid the setup for the next piece so had to quit.
Click to expand...

Had a couple of solvers including Joey come up to me and ask for the scramble again after the round was over. I am trying to feed of this positive BLD stuff at the moment, storing it up for my success push at Christmas. I figure since my 4 successes are now over 4 years ago it is time I "got back on the horse" as it were.
 
OK, here's my report on how things went. First off, really nice to see so many of the oldies from this thread irl, and I'm looking forward to seeing Bernzilla's photo. Venue was good, and it was the first time I've ever stayed in the building that the event is being hosted in, which made things a lot easier than usual.
  • 3x3: Meh. I've not really practised this for months, so I guess I get what I deserve. I felt like I was edging towards sub-20 a year ago, and now I struggle to get sub-25.
  • 4x4: Very surprised to get an average (which was a PB), given the cut-off. Very happy with this one.
  • 5x5: PB single.
  • 2x2: Really bad. One of those events where the fact that I don't practise really shows up.
  • 3BLD: 2 successes, including a PB single. Once I had those two successes I really thought I had a chance of getting the mean, which just meant the pressure was too great and I fluffed the final solve. So that's now my goal for next comp: get a 3BLD mean.
  • OH & Clock: disaster. I didn't make the soft-cut. Very disappointing.
  • Pyra: OK
  • Square 1: Pretty good times for me, but not as good as the super-lucky ones I got in Guildford, so no PBs.
  • Skewb: I've been practising this a lot at home recently, and becoming quite consistently sub-13, so I was disappointed to get a 13.91 average. Got a PB single, which was pleasing, though.
So I guess my highlights were 4x4 and 3BLD -- not at all what I'd have expected going into the comp! :-)
 
@bubbagrub - I agree 100% Being such a niche past time, the internet and these forums are an invaluable way of connecting us all. Without them we would all be somewhat isolated and unmotivated and wondering what we are doing investing so much time in puzzles. That aside there is nothing like meeting face to face and it is no secret the most important part of any competition for me is meeting fellow cubers and making friends. That for me beats any official times or chasing PBs. I enjoying meeting new cubers and catching up with known ones more than anything. Was a pleasure to meet you and your son :)
 
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