Well we started strong on week 5, but then missed biking on Tuesday, swimming on Wednesday, and jogging on Saturday. Most of the things I've read on triathlon say that people like the swimming the least, well my wife and I are agreed that the running is our least favorite. I have been reading "Triathlon training for complete Idiots" and they have a 12 week program to get you in shape for a sprint triathlon. So maybe at the 12 week out mark from our race we'll switch to that program. It's more spelled out step by step, not that our free one isn't, but it should get us right were we want to go.
And here's the existing program for week 5...
Monday - Swim 250 yards+ 100 yard cool down, Walk/Jog for 20 minutes
Tuesday - Bike 4 Miles
Wednesday - Swim 250 yards + 100 yard cool down, Walk/Jog for 20 minutes
Thursday - Day off...woohoo!
Friday - Swim 250 yards + 100 yard cool down, Bike 4 miles
Saturday - Walk/Jog for 35 minutes
Sunday - Bike 4 miles
Ok today is the last day of week 4 and I've managed to make a pigs breakfast of the training. I didn't get back until Weds. night, and then things have been so crazy with work that needs to be finished. So we're going on a extra long bike ride up in Tilden Park today and then we'll start again fresh on Week 5 and get back on the wagon so to speak. Now swimming for a few days, really does make it hard when you get back into the pool.
Monday - Swim 200 yards+ 100 yard cool down, Walk/Jog for 30 minutes
Tuesday - Bike 4 Miles
Wednsday - Swim 200 yards + 100 yard cool down, Walk/Jog for 30 minutes
Thursday - Day off...woohoo!
Friday - Swim 200 yards + 100 yard cool down, Bike 4 miles
Saturday - Walk/Jog for 35 minutes
Sunday - Bike 5 miles
As we pull into week three, we're running into a few problems. Mostly, I'm taking off for San Diego on Friday and won't be back till Wednesday. I'm flying so I can't take my bike and there's no pool down there so no swimming or biking will be taking place.
Other than that...eating healthier and getting regular exercise is making for a better sense of being overall.
Monday - Swim 150 yards+ 100 yard cool down, Walk/Jog for 25 minutes
Tuesday - Bike 3 Miles
Wednsday - Swim 150 yards + 100 yard cool down, Walk/Jog for 20 minutes
Thursday - Day off...woohoo!
Friday - Swim 150 yards + 100 yard cool down, Bike 3 miles
Saturday - Walk/Jog for 25 minutes
Sunday - Bike 4 miles
Things are still going well. We're trying to get the scheduling down. Something is going to have to go away to make room for the triathlon training and at this point it seems that cleaning the house is it. Of course I'm cooking a lot more at home, no more Western Bacon Cheeseburgers for dinner, so that creates more dishes and mess in general.
There is a Farmer's Market that just started in our neighborhood. It's a block away from the house so Sunday's are market day. They've got the best fruit and vegetables there. My shopping list, while this stuff is in season, is strawberries, blueberries, peaches, apricots, cherries, grapefruit, fava beans, onions, asparagus, broccoli, carrots, red potatoes, basil, tomato and pesto focaccia bread, and the occasional bear claw. There is also a stand that sells fresh fish and crab, I'm not experienced enough cooking fish, but as soon as I find some recipes I'll be buying there as well. The stand that sells the bread and bear claws, Beckmann's Bakery also has sandwich/toast bread and some good looking short cakes that I'm sure would be fabulous under some fresh strawberries and whip cream. I'll try and post some more links to the vendors.
Ok...more about food later, as you can tell I haven't had breakfast yet, and on to the week 2 training schedule.
Monday - Swim 100 yards, Walk for 20 minutes
Tuesday - Bike 2 Miles
Wednsday - Swim 100 yards, Walk for 20 minutes
Thursday - Day off...woohoo!
Friday - Swim 100 yards, Bike 2 miles
Saturday - Walk for 25 minutes
Sunday - Bike 2 miles
I should add here that all of these activities have a "warm-up" and "cool-down" associated with them. The plan doesn't provide any guidelines for what "warm-up" and "cool-down" mean, but that's what you get with the free membership at beginnertriathlete.com so we just do the scheduled activity as an easy pace until the heart rate gets going and the muscles get warm. This, along with some stretching seems to do the trick. Stretching is included both before and after the exercises. Other than it looks like some pictures are in order, cause who wants to read a bunch of text all the time?
Since I don't own a road bike I may just be in the market for one. Here are the contenders thus far in no particular order.
Comments as soon as I find one to look at.
Specialized Tarmac Elite Compact
I rode one of these at Mike's Bikes in Berkeley. Nice bike, quick, responsive and on sale, at least it was when I was there yesterday. $1619 down from $1990 so that's a 20% savings. Although it felt small to me, but then the seat wasn't adjusted correctly so that might have been the problem. Mike's doesn't do much fitting for a test ride, at least they didn't for me.
Specialized Roubaix Elite Compact
I looked at one of these at Solano Avenue Cyclery but didn't have time to take it for a test ride. I remember the price being about $2100 which seems high, compared to Mike's. I have it on good authority that the service at Solano is better, so it might be worth a little extra price on the bike?
This is a comfortable bike. Great ride and it doesn't need 12 inches of seat post sticking out to make it the right length for my legs. This is what you get when you're 6'6" and have a 37" inseam. My only reservation is that the bike is "Made in China" so I could get lead poisoning from the paint or something.
Mike's had one of these, racing red, but considerably heavier than the Tarmac or the Roubaix, both of which are full carbon frames, while the Cannondale is a carbon/aluminum mix. The only real advantage to the Cannondale is that it comes with a Ultegra rear derailer and the size goes to 63 instead of 61.
Comments as soon as I find one to look at.
The joy of the first blog post...all full of hope and good intentions. This should be the chronicle of my journey from the couch to an insane race. People ask me "why?" and the only good answer I can give is "Everyone needs to have goals." That and I don't want to die of a heart attack, which is entirely likely. As for why a triathlon the answer is simple.
1. It's something that not EVERYONE does, as far as I can tell it's more of a unique sport.
2. It gives you a great varied training program, swimming, cycling, and running. Any ONE of which would make me crazy to do all the time, but switching up between all 3 keeps it fresh.
3. While there are triathlon team and clubs where you can meet people just as insane as you, and probably more so even, with whom you can form some comradeship but at the end of the day the sport is about you doing your best against yourself.
For this year my goal is to complete a "Sprint" triathlon. I'm looking at the Day at the Beach in So. Cal. This is 1/8th of a full Ironman, so it's a 1/2 mile swim, 12.4 mile bike, and a 3.1 run. After that it's Olympic distance then a Half-Ironman and then a Full-Ironman. Each time it doubles the distance of the previous step. Lucky, I'll not be doing this on my own. My wife is going to be joining me on this first step and perhaps the second and third steps.
So since my program assumes that my current exercise level is walking from the couch to the kitchen to get another bag of cookies, which it's NOT, it starts slow...very slow. This is good, it gives me a chance to get my schedule together and get use to getting up at 5:45 am to go to the pool, etc...
Here's the schedule for week 1...
Monday - Swim 50 yards, Walk for 20 minutes
Tuesday - Bike 2 Miles
Wednsday - Swim 50 yards, Walk for 20 minutes
Thursday - Day off...woohoo!
Friday - Swim 50 yards, Bike 2 miles
Saturday - Walk for 30 minutes
Sunday - Bike 3 miles
Seems easy, and it is, but I've started off too hard before and gotten injured so this will hopefully keep me from doing that this time.
Neighborhood
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Links
Triathlon Training for Begi...
This is where I got the basis of my training program
The American Triathlon Cale...
Find a triathlon near you!
