Back in the Saddle

I don't know where I stumbled across the "In The Bleachers" cartoon strip, but I've been following it for a while now and they sometimes have some pretty good stuff.  This is one of them.  I've never done a marathon but I've definitely hit the wall a time or two in training, and anyone who has been there knows that you don't need to ask for directions!

I'm starting to get back in the saddle.  Both literally and proverbially.  4 mile Big Peach run on Thursday evening with the Peachtree Tri Club crew (followed by the usual: a slice of white and a slice of hawaiian).  An hour mountain biking with Ted on the trails by Chattahoochee and Sope Creek on Friday evening, where we got so completely lost that we ended up running into a dead end: the "NO TRESPASSERS" sign/fence for the Atlanta Country Club golf course.  Another hour fifteen riding around the roads in Sandy Springs, including going around Chastain and up the big hill on Northside Drive (aka "Huff and Puff Hill").  Today is long run day, although my long run at this point is not very respectable.  Maybe 6 or 8 miles or so.

I'm beginning to put my plan together for the summer, though obviously it will change based on near-term travel plans and the availability of resources once we get to Montana.  But for now it looks like this.  It's a 10-day "week" since I don't have any formal time constraints (like a job).  Two 10-day cycles plus a rest day gives me a repeatable 3 week schedule:

Mon: Swim, Run easy, Strength

Tues: Bike hard, Run hard

Wed: Swim, Run easy, Strength

Thurs: Bike hard, Run easy

Fri: Swim, Run long

Sat: Bike hard, Run easy

Sun: Swim, Run hard, Strength

Mon: Bike easy, Run easy

Tues: Swim, Bike hard, Strength

Wed: Run long

(end of cycle #1)

Thurs: Swim, Run easy, Strength

Fri: Bike hard, Run hard

Sat: Swim, Run easy, Strength

Sun: Bike hard, Run easy

Mon: Swim, Run long

Tues: Bike hard, Run easy

Wed: Swim, Run hard, Strength

Thurs: Bike easy, Run easy

Fri: Swim, Bike hard, Strength

Sat: Run long

(end of cycle #2)

Sun: Rest day

THEN REPEAT again and again and again in order to slowly see improvements.  That's the theory anyway.

I have a few specific swim workouts I'm going to be repeating in order to measure increased fitness.  Biking is, at least for the first few weeks, just going to be unstructured time in the saddle, not any specific or focused workouts.  Once we get to Montana, I think the workouts will probably be as simple as "hey, let's go ride up to the top of that mountain, down the other side, and see where it takes us!".  I have a much more structured plan for my run training, which I'll explain in a later post.

For now, however, it's time for breakfast.  Gotta fuel up for the run later this morning!