Sprint Triathlon Training Program

So I’m going to cover old territory. Live through it!

A few weeks ago, I wrote about training for a triathlon event. Please don’t think this is an “impossible” endeavor. If you have successfully competed in some running, biking or swimming events; it’s not that hard to adapt the other disciplines. If you would have asked me when I was 25 if I thought I would ever complete a triathlon, I think the answer easily would have been “no”. But here I am, now 43, and I have several events under my belt.

I’m most excited about the upcoming Hy-Vee Triathlon for which I’m training now. My training has gone well and I feel good about my speed in all disciplines.

My point is . . . and I do have one . . don’t ever sell yourself short! While you may think a triathlon is too difficult – how do you know until you try (or tri . . . no pun intended)? I’m amazed at the progress of some of the people in a training group in which I’m currently participating. It’s very inspiring.

Bottom line . . . if you have any interest in doing a triathlon event, do your homework and give it a shot.

Triathlon training plans are hard to come by these days unless you pay for them. While you can collaborate with others who have done the event to try and come up with your plan, there just isn’t the amount of information available via the web for training the way there is about running events. Triathlon training is still in its infancy. Therefore, I thought it might be helpful to share this plan for a “sprint” event that was recently published in the Sacramento Bee -- http://tinyurl.com/d7r82c.

This plan may be a little aggressive for a sprint event, but give it a look and maybe it will inspire you!

Exercise In The Water

Feeling a little sore in the lower extremities?

Maybe some water exercises will fill the bill. There are a number of exercises you can do in the water that have a great aerobic effect along with a resistance training effect.

“Water running” is great if you’re feeling sore from an excessive amount of running. You can use this as a cross training exercise too. Either “run” the laps of the pool or you can hook yourself to the side of the pool and run in place. A few women I know at my health club who are very intense runners regularly use this exercise as a cross training activity each week.

If you belong to a health club with a pool, check into the water aerobic classes that are offered. Again, another way to work hard with minimal impact.

There are many other ways you can use the pool as a workout aid. I recently saw a gentleman at our pool who did an interesting round of exercises with light weights tied around his ankles.

And you know what I think about swimming . . . it’s a GREAT exercise. There is no fitness activity that offers a more total body workout at minimal impact than swimming.

Here’s an article from http://www.sparkpeople.com/ about more fitness in the water -- http://tinyurl.com/dfgj2y.

How Fun Is This?

Sometimes we just need to step back and enjoy the simple things in life.

I ran across this article about a running event at a local school that was held as a fundraiser. It is GREAT.

Check it out as the photos really tell the story -- http://tinyurl.com/c2ulvp.

Adopt A Running Buddy

The benefits of having many “running buddies” are numerous.

This article -- http://tinyurl.com/clgzan made me think about the benefits of adopting “running buddies”. A group of young women formed a group in Oregon to recruit other women to adopt girls as “running buddies”. It’s a fitness mentoring program meets Big Brothers/Big Sisters of sorts.

The benefits of such a program are noble, but you don’t really need anything formal to realize the benefits of running buddy adoption. So many people I have adopted as running buddies are people I consider among my best and most trusted friends.

Running buddies help you stay accountable, while you derive the benefit of acting as a “running elder statesman”, if you will. The sense of camaraderie is immeasurable.

Recently, I’ve adopted perhaps the most important running buddy I may ever have – my oldest son, Jay. As he’s made the transition to junior high athletics, we’ve found that a couple of runs together each week help improve his fitness training.

So, none of us needs to look far in identifying the next “running buddy adoptee”. It may be important to both of you.

Strength Training Made Easy

So, you’re ready to do some strength training.

This is great! This usually means you’ve achieved success by regularly committing to aerobic exercises and you’re now ready to take your fitness activities to a new level.

If you’re truly looking to “tone up” your body, ultimately you will need to commit to two to four strength training workouts per week to achieve desired results.

Generally, there are three levels of strength and resistance training – strength (lower reps/higher weight or resistance), toning up (mid reps/mid weight or resistance) and maintenance (higher reps/lower weight or resistance). Before you start, spend some time in the weight room gauging the “rep” and weight levels that “exhaust” you to the point of fatigue for the desired goal.

Take a look at this post from Sparkpeople.com -- http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=1033. I thought it offered solid direction toward getting started with a strength/resistance training program.

Run With Pace Group To Reach Goal

Running the Des Moines Half Marathon recently, I discovered the value in running with a “pace group” to help reach your goal time.

While we didn’t sign up for a group at the Des Moines event, a fellow running buddy and I decided to try and keep up with the 1:40 group as a way to help ourselves reach our goal of breaking 1:40 for the race. We were both able to reach our goal, which was a personal best for me in the half marathon event.

Most half marathon and marathon events have signups for pace groups like this one at the Carlsbad Marathon -- http://tinyurl.com/d89qk5.

The following article will give you more insight as to the dynamics of running with a pace group in an event -- http://tinyurl.com/day898.

Here’s another post from Andrea Hill indicating the benefits of running with a pace group – http://tinyurl.com/9mksw9.

If you’re looking for that extra lift in your training to get you to a specific goal for an event that’s coming up, consider running with a pace group to give you that edge.

Behave With Upcoming Baseball Season

It is SO GREAT to see teams out practicing as warmer weather approaches and baseball season moves closer. (Not that I’m counting, but my St. Louis Cardinals open against the Pirates in just 12 days!).

As we move toward practice and games, let’s remember to show a little respect for one another. Having coached baseball teams for many years, I know it can be difficult to find field space. It’s frustrating when you go to a field early and it’s full!

If you reach a field that’s occupied already, consult with the coaches of the other teams and see if you can work out an arrangement to share the infield/outfield. Most coaches are willing to cooperate and share the field. Certainly, 30 or 45-minute increments can be implemented to share the facilities.

Be a good sport and cooperatively work with other teams to share the fields available in our communities. Everyone faces this difficulty and it’s best to try and work through it together!