TRI HARD, TRAIN SMART

We know I like to train hard.

Yea, too hard sometimes.  I have a tough time balancing easy days with hard days.  In other words, I have a tough time being smart about my training.

Before starting my Marathon Training plan with MTT/Sports Backers in June (giggling like a school girl!) I wanted to do 3 things.

1) Train for a TRI and race it ~ this means becoming a stronger cyclist.

2) regain some of the run speed I lost due to the F'ankle.

3) get stronger (and did I mention I bought a new bikini?).

SO I put together a training schedule for myself for my TRI/Speed/Stronger Plan... and can I just say?  That's a tough plan to build.  It has to have enough run that I can incorporate speed, enough ride that I can get stronger to take time off the bike portion of the TRI, enough strength/cross training that I accomplish my goal, and enough easy days/recovery that I won't get hurt.

I realized during the pre-construction that due to the fact that there are still only 24 hours in a day, and at least 6-7 of those must be spent sleeping, my (continued) PT efforts were going to have to serve as some of the strength training.

I should also say, I'm not a coach.  Nor am I a triathlete.  I'm fortunate enough to be surrounded by people who are coaches and triathletes, and they would have DONE THIS FOR ME if I'd asked.  I channeled my inner 4 year old ~ I wanted to "do it myself".  So if you're looking for a custom TRI plan, don't steal this one.  Contact TMB or SpeeDee or a local coach or beginnertriathlete.com, and get theirs.  This one is all mine.  If it works, well, I'll let you know and THEN you can steal it, OK?  That's not to say I didn't run a rough draft of this past a coach to make sure I was on track & not going to kill myself.

I put this together last week (as you can see by the date), and into the 2nd week I'm mostly on track.  I cut my ride a few minutes short yesterday (routing error compounded by laziness) and added 10 minutes to the run (run love compounded by above note on cycling laziness).  So far though, that's the only change I've made.  Um.  Cutting the bike and adding more run isn't going to make you a better cyclist G.  Yea, I know, thanks...

Cycle Hard = 3-5min intervals with a warm up and cool down
Run Hard = Repeats/Track work with a warm up and cool down
Swim Hard = 300m warm up, 8 X 50m intervals, 300m cool down
Run "easy" or 3 "easy" = skippable run.  There are a few built into my week.  If I am not feeling it for some reason, or the ankle feels even 1% stressed, I will skip it that day.

I'm not worried about not doing "enough" running, I'm more worried about doing "too much".  It's just SOP for me to over do things, add miles here and there, so I am working hard to TONE IT DOWN and be sane for a change of pace.  Yea.  On May 23, I'll let you know how it turned out!