2020 Triathlon Training Kick-Off

Another year has passed and we’re getting into triathlon training season. This year I will be starting two months earlier. Traditionally I have not gone full blast until April, but now I’m looking at February. Several reasons why.

First off, for the first time in two months my feet feel great. A combination of stretching, comfy house shoes, and heel inserts have helped alleviate much of my plantar fasciitis pain. That means I can start incorporating more running into my regiment, and since we now have a treadmill at home I can do so in the mornings again, which are my favorite time to run anyway. In the past I waited until the spring for the weather to change, but now that’s not an issue since I can do it inside.

Secondly my goal of trimming another twenty minutes off my time means I need to pick up time on the run. Yes, I can get a little stronger on the bike, but running is where my biggest pickup is going to be. The speed is going to come from cardio and strength conditioning, and that takes time.

Lastly, knock on wood but I’ve not been sick since November. Having kids in daycare means frequent colds, and my winters were always brutal as I battled whatever the boys would bring home. With one out and the other getting past the “let’s put everything in my mouth” stage, illnesses seem to have decreased some. I want to take advantage of the reprieve.

What I’m working on now

Diet

I love the idea of plant based training for older athletes. Training through arthritic knees is terrible, but I’ve noticed a lot less pain as I have transitioned to less inflammatory foods. I still have a ways to go but I can actually feel better when I’m eating right so it’s a huge motivator. We’ve had a lot of problems getting the family to eat the way I do, but found a winning combo by just increasing the portions of vegetables we already eat instead of radically changing the menu.

Technique

Swimming is so technique driven, and I’ve been working on getting more efficient in the water. My 1000M swim workouts are less than 30 minutes and getting faster and am considering increasing them to 1500M going forward.

Routine

Since we’ve moved work offices, I’ve been able to find a gym I can get to during lunch. This has been tremendous, and I can now get a workout in during the day. Most importantly I am attending a spinning class and that’s helping me build my legs up. If I can combine a morning and lunch workout that’s getting me to an hour a day, which is my ultimate training goal.

What I am happy about –

I am probably the strongest I’ve been in several years. I love the term “tris save lives”, and they do, because they give you something to work towards. Yes, everyone wants to feel better and look better, but the notion that you can fail at something if you don’t work hard at it motivates me. This sounds odd, but I like to imagine that if I try this race out of shape I could have a heart attack if I don’t get ready for it.