Exercise Plan These Days

I still have my eye on the June 9 Tri Latta as my next race.*  Training for a sprint tri is not as hard as you might think (because the distances are really short), but it does mean I need to get regular workouts in three different sports in.  It can make scheduling difficult, even though I'm not following a particular training plan.  So here's the plan I worked up for this week and hope to follow for the next few months.

Top priority: run/walking three days a week, Monday/Wednesday/Friday

This is what I look like when I
run in the winter.

I'm still not running well enough/far enough to be happy.  This is my weakest area, and therefore gets the most number of workouts per week.  This week I resigned myself to running inside on the track (never the dreaded treadmill!) if it's too hot.  While the track doesn't have the rolling terrain and the weather elements of the outdoors, it's better than nothing. If I can, I'll save my runs for after work and go outside.  But when that's not a possibility, the track at lunch is better than nothing.











2nd priority: bike twice a week: Thursday and Saturday

This is what I look like when I
bike in a race.

 I got in some quality cycling last week in Birmingham, so I feel better about this then I did.  I'd still like to build up my distance some as my longest recent ride is 14 miles and the tri is 17.  Most, if not all, cyclists will tell you that 17 miles is nothing, but I think it would boost my confidence to know that I've already done 17 before race day.  On Thursdays, I'll be riding during lunch, and I won't be able to do more than 9 or 10 miles. So on Saturdays, I'll try to bike further.











3rd priority: swim once a week: Tuesdays

This is what I look like when I swim
next to my friend Bryan in a kayak.

Swimming, while not to be ignored, is the easiest for me to pick up and go do if I haven't been in the pool in awhile. It also only constitutes about 15-17 minutes of the actual race, whereas I'll be biking for over an hour. I do need to keep it up at least once a week, though, so I can keep up my endurance and teach those 750 meters who, exactly, is the boss.





However, do you know what's missing from this list? Strength training.  I'd also like to fit in two short strength training sessions (like 20 minutes) each week.  I will either handle those after work  or after my lunchtime runs, as the runs are usually pretty short workouts. I haven't been strength training regularly since October, which means I really need to get back into it and I need to ease back to it so I don't hurt myself.


Obviously, this is plan not set in stone**, as if it looks like rain on a Thursday or Saturday I'll have to switch up the biking with something else. But I'm glad to have a plan.  Even if you're not in training for anything particular, it's helpful to schedule your workouts so you can't skip if you just don't feel like getting your sweat on. What's your workout plan look like right now?

*Although I reserve my right to wait to register until the last minute, when I know whether or not I can run a decent amount of 3.1 miles, if not the whole thing.
**Technically, I've never set anything in stone as I don't have a chisel or large, flat stones for writing on.  But you know what I mean.