A Triathlete in the gym...

Yesterday my wife and I went to lift weights at our local gym. This is probably the 2nd time I have set foot in the weight room this year. I have just never really been into weights, it's been all about the swim, bike and run for me. Besides, when training for a race, who has time to add weights to the mix?

Well, races are over for me this year, and I am gaining some weight, so I need to do something. I am not interested in large miles running  (more than 5) right now and I am not interested in sitting on my trainer, so that leaves swimming and short runs. I thought about trying to start another run streak, then I thought about trying to make it into a run/swim streak for 30 days but running just for a streak doesn't really motivate me, but then the gym happened.

I actually enjoyed lifting yesterday. Now my wife had to show me how to work some of the stations and how to make the right adjustments, which did not make me feel weird at all, but it was fun. There were several machines that I think can really benefit me, mainly the machine that works your hip abductors. (I have never seen another guy on that machine, but who cares right? And now you know which machine I mean)

So today, Monday, I am already feeling it from yesterday, which I suppose is a good thing. It is also surprising how little strength I have. I admit I am weak. So what I am lifting is not important to this post, but I think I am going to work out a swim/run/lift plan. It seems so foreign to me as a triathlete to not work out everyday, and I am not sure how to work out the lift/run, swim/run or lift/swim days of the workout. So it all could change. But this is my plan (you should know by now that I am big on planning)

Sunday- Run, lift run

Monday- Run, swim, run

Tuesday- Run, lift run

Wednesday- Run, swim, run

Thursday- Run, lift run

Friday- nothing

Saturday- run (4 miles)

With this schedule, I can run to the gym, which is about a mile each way. This would give me about 12 miles running a week, I could swim 2500 yards a week and lift weights 3 times a week. I am not sure about you, but that looks like a recipe for success. Now if I can only eat better...

Opps, I Did It Again...

I have a race in 4 days, a sprint triathlon and I am not trained for it. This is starting to become a habit for me and it's a bummer. Things were going well on the whole training aspect until we moved, then it broke up a little bit and now I am here with a nasty head cold that leaves me only wanting to go to bed. I am suppose to be jumping in a lake in an hour to get in an open water swim, but I am not sure that being sick and jumping into a 65 degree lake is the smartest thing to do!

So I know I am not trained for this race, but the odd thing is this. I still feel like I can go out and hit a 1:25 for the sprint. A 580 yard swim should be around 10-11 minutes, a 13 mile ride conservatively should be 45 minutes (that's based on my trainer rides) and a 3 mile run, even giving myself 30 minutes, this all equals a 1:25 minus transition times. IS that so far fetched??  I'm not sure honestly.

Like I have said, I have not done this distance in a really long time. It should be fun. Yes, It should be fun, and I am sure I am going to get smoked because there are always really fast people at this race, but I could careless (yeah, I know, it means I still care by caring less, blah, blah, blah) This race is about me (and my wife and my friends doing their first triathlon). SO whether I smoke it it sludge through it, I am gonna have fun.

***Side note*** I have found the perfect weight loss plan for me. It 's called "Not eating on the new white sofa" plan. Seriously, since we got the new couch (see previous post) we have rules about eating on it. And apparently I am too lazy to get up and stand in the kitchen to eat a snack vs. taking it back to the couch to eat that I choose not to eat anything at all! I am down to 191 lbs! (And it ain't from training either) Maybe all these experts are right about diet!