Today is a rest day.

I'm finding my 'training legs'.... I think everyone probably goes through their own sets of challenges when it comes to figuring out the right mix for their training.

The cycling is, of course, going to be my strongest area (even though I haven't ridden consistently for a couple years....).  I'm finding it true that 'it's just like riding a bike' meaning that although I'm starting off slow, I'm able to and wanting to go further than the my training plan(s) suggest. 

This week I rode 7.5, 7.5 and 13 miles.  One of the rides was on a day that I also ran (not quite a brick, though.)

Yesterday's ride was the longer one... and here is what I learned: 

• ALWAYS ride with a cycling short or brief... I rode without the day before because it was a 'short' ride and my bum was a hurtin'....
• ALWAYS take a bar or some sort of nutrition with you cuz you never know when you're going to feel like you need to refuel... if you don't eat it, no harm no foul & it sucks to bonk when you've got to still pedal back home
• Don't go farther than you feel comfortable doing... don't get caught up in showing off for a friend or lover.... let the ego go... you don't have to prove anything... you are in TRAINING!

I think for me part of the key will be in focusing not only on the tri, which is of course what started it all, but also getting a handle on what my goals are.  On June 27th I'll be taking part in a charity ride up in Marinette WI (where I'm working) and they have multiple courses from which to choose.  There is the 10 mi, 25, 50 and also a 75 mile course.  My goal is to at least do the 50 and perhaps the 75 and to work towards that end I thought I'd incorporate an added layer to my training. 

Right now my plan is to take my bike up to work so that I can ride back and forth from hotel to office (2-3 miles each way.... a nice little ride) and perhaps get an evening ride in on Tuesdays or Wednesdays.  Then, I will ride on the weekends when I'm back home, one shorter day (10 - 15 miles) and one longer day 20 + miles.  I'll add mileage to the long ride weekly....

I'm conscious of a few things:

1. It's easy to focus on the strength area (and FUN!)
2. It's very challenging competing in what essentially is 3 different events all on the same day back to back
3. I don't want to overtrain (I'm seriously not sure what/how about this so I need to do more research in this area)
4. I want to be sure and stick to the plan for the swim and run

The only one who can tell you 'you can't ' is you. And you don't have to listen. - Nike


  

Training Plan.............. TaDA!

I've been doing copious amounts of searching for training plans... some were tooooooooooo detailed.... some were not detailed enough.... some were build your own (if I knew how to do that, why would I be searching for a plan???) and some were just not designed for a newbie in mind, even though they said 'for the beginner' in the title.

Eventually I happened upon a couple that feel about right.... they are the right amount of time (12 weeks), the right price (free), and easy to understand and follow.  One is a plan that talks about training in terms of minutes... the other is a plan that talks in terms of distance.... so of course, like any good cook, I'm going to combine them into something unique and deliciously my own.

I've been exercising regularly for some time now... I think the biggest 'silly' question I have at this point is: Am I supposed to only do the training on my plan or am I supposed to do this in addition to any other exercising I do?  I ask because there isn't really any actual strength training in the plan.... it is all about the swim/bike/run, which of course, makes sense.... but..... I think I want to make sure I'm doing some strength training, too.....

I'm meeting up with a friend this weekend who has completed a tri and is currently training for another.  I will pose my question to her and see what she thinks.... so far the books and articles I've been devouring don't actually come out and state it clearly... probably because people tend to make their own adjustments anyway....

What does my plan look like?  Right now I'm still looking at the two plans on two separate documents... hopefully this week or by week's end I'll have created an integration of the two that feels right.

Today I did a walk/run this morning (I'm getting more and more confident in my abiblity to be able to run.... !).  I'm warming up for about 5 minutes and then I start doing intervals of 1 minute walk/1 minute run; today I did 3 sets of these then I continued to walk for another 20 minutes for a total of about 30 minutes.  Later I did a short ride (8 miles) in about 45 minutes.  Moderate pace, consistent cadence... felt good.

In tri lingo there is such a thing as a 'brick'.  A brick is when you do two of the 3 events in training so a swim/bike or bike/run or swim/run.  But I think to qualify as an actual brick the workouts have to be one right after the other, just as you would in an event.  I did my morning walk/run early and then did the bike this afternoon, so not a real brick.... still, though, got them both in and that feels good.

Some people say I have attitude- maybe I do...but I think you have to.You have to believe in yourself when no one else does- that makes you a winner right there. -Venus Williams









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