Lift Things Up and Put Them Down and Other Goals for 2015
Does anyone else look at weekends as an opportunity to get in more training? That’s where I’m at right now. I’m coming off of a long Valentine’s/President’s Day weekend where the aim of each day, besides keeping my flowers alive and my chocolates from disappearing, was to get in solid workouts and resting the remainder of the day. With an average high of 18 degrees this weekend, the latter was pretty easy to do. That said, I’ve been thinking a lot about my goals and what it will take to reach them. I want to break 2:10 in the Olympic Distance triathlon this summer (My current PR is 2:16:13). Training for a sport with three disciplines begets the obvious question – where shall I focus?
With a mathematics degree, I’m inclined to look at the data. Just one woman who beat me at USAT Age Group Nationals biked slower than me. Of the 63 women who beat me, just 9 swam slower than me. The best opportunity for me lies in the bike. To train to swim, say, 5 minutes faster during my swim would take far more time and energy than to train to bike 5 minutes faster, not to mention would make me look like a permanent raisin with goggle marks.
To accomplish my goals, I set some ground rules for training:
- Aim for 4 rides a week when I don’t have a day off that week
- 2 swim workouts a week
- When I have the option to run or ride, ride
- Carry post-workout bars (I like Clif bars and Horizon chocolate milk) all the time to ensure a prompt recovery
- Get regular massages
- Lift things up and put them down with my arms twice a week
- Bake bread once a month (oh wait, that’s a new year’s resolution)
- Run, ride, and swim with people faster than me (hi, CPTC teammates, NSQ, and Cousin Brian!)
Under the guidance of Coach Cane, I’ve been seeing a lot of this on Trainer Road while on the Wahoo KICKR and will continue to do so in my future:
When on my occasional work trips, I’m a frequent temporary member of 24 Hour Fitness in Provo, Utah.
Though the winter has been brutal, there has always been heat in my gym, so I have no excuse to miss any time on the bike. That is not to say I’m always prepared with coordinating outfits.
Well, I have some screens to look at, outfits to coordinate, and races to sign up for since some are already selling out!