Hello Runner,
I am sorry for the delayed entriess into the training log. This whole system was setup to show that it was possible to get past “busy” and trying for a Triathlon in 12 weeks.
With that said, the one thing that has fallen apart is the training updates. I continue to train, but I am also busy making StrideBox even cooler than it already is, and sometimes, that means delaying the “personal” training update.
This last week of training was awesome…
Putting It All Together…
This past week of training had some major breakthroughs, with swimming being the biggest one.
I have always been good in the water, but training for a Triathlon has made me a little weary, and more conscious of my energy usage and technique. After buying the Total Immersion Swimming book, I put the training plan included in the book into practice.
It was a slow process only being in the pool twice a week (and skipping my sick weeks), but I literally have retaught myself how to swim in a fluid, economical fashion.
And last weeks training in the pool really reflected that. I am continually putting together laps with 12 or fewer strokes per length, and getting out of the pool with energy to spare.
Next up for the swimming phase is taking it to open water. There are some great little parks with swimming ponds to get started, and I will for sure be hitting the river to swim the actual course before the race date.
Wait, I have to Swim, Bike, AND Run?
OK, so I knew this all along, but now that my training on the individual pieces is starting to go well, I am looking forward to see what happens when I combine them in some of the workouts going forward.
With individual workouts, I usually perform them at a high rate, and go until I am thoroughly exhausted. I know if I am riding the bike for 12 miles, I can hit a certain pace, and when I get off the bike, my legs will be toast. Same with the run. The swimming is probably the one thing I perform at a sustainable pace.
Combining these three into a seamless event is going to be a welcome struggle. Pedaling for 12 miles is different when I know that I’ll still have to run afterward.
Fueling The Machine…
(Before I talk about this, please let me tell you I am not a licensed doctor, lawyer, or CPA, this is only intended to tell you about my experience, and is not to be taken as medical, legal, or financial advice.)
Another thing that suffers when you’re busy is your eating schedule. Between the Moutnain Dew mornings, and the training at lunch time, sometimes it is a struggle to eat enough calories to keep this machine moving forward.
Some people go on a diet to lose weight, and end up with no energy to workout. This gives them a sense of despair when it comes to working out and feeling “tired” when in reality, they are not eating the right amounts of food (Salads are for bunnies).
If you’ve ever done a workout system like P90X, you know that their diet plan allows you to eat like a Barbarian, but still lose weight. Even though you eat a ton of food 5x a day, you are eating the right amount and types of calories to help you get through the workouts.
For me, what happened here is that I had a workout plan, but not a life plan. Fueling and keeping the right kind of fluids and food in my body has been a struggle, but now has been changed.
I won’t post my personal fueling plan, because all people are different, but it includes more simple lean calories that are easy for my body to process, while giving me the energy I need to train at my optimal level.
(Blatant sales pitch: StrideBox includes some smaller/lightweight fueling options that are good for pre-training as well as snack time to give you an extra push when you need it.)
That’s it for this week, Only 5 weeks left to train, and then it’s the big day. I think it’s time to invest in a wetsuit.
Just Keep Running.
