Another College Tri

Here we go again. After completing four half irons over the past two years I am ready to move onto the next and see what I can pull out of myself. I am on a quest to complete the half iron in 5:20 or less. So far my PR has been 5:38 and that was done with what I consider a craptastic run. Even if the course was a bit short I am still convinced that 5:20 is not out of my reach.

To start things of right I first completed a 4 hour swim clinic back in November at Caan Sports. Candy Angle and her husband own/run this business and I walked away with a few excellent corrections to my swim. I have been practicing my new technique since then.

This week is the start of my new training regime for 2011. My first week I am to do 7.5 hours of prep work to acclimate my body for more hours later on. Since I haven't been doing to much lately I am grateful for the prep period as it is 4 full weeks and stays at 7.5 hours each week. This will allow plenty of time to acclimate with very low risk of injury or unimaginable fatigue.

A helpful nugget of wisdom came from Mary IronMatron who suggested that I read "Triathlete Training Bible" by Joe Friel. This book really has become my major point of reference for my training. My other major point of reference comes from Jen Harrison and all that she taught me. I refer to this data often to compare with the plan that I have made up from the book.

What I was most afraid of when I read this book has become what I most LOVE about this book. Joe Friel gives you your annual training hours each week based on your current fitness level and your "A" race goals. He then provides you with an outline for the periods of training and how to progress. He also gives you sample workouts you can use. What he does NOT tell you is how many hours to allot to each discipline. THAT is left up to you to figure out.

At first I was like "SHIT" I don't know what to do. After I calmed down I realized that, if I thought about it, it wouldn't be so hard to decide how many hours to apply towards the swim, the bike, and the run. This is actually one of the elements that allows for my own judgment and creativity. To be able to say what I feel needs work on or what I feel needs a bit less attention etc...

Spinvercal class and triathlon swim group starts this Saturday. The classes will be hard and will work us from 1.5 hours to 4 hours (for the bike) by March. This could be a bit much I realize but I can adjust the time if needed.

In all honesty the first test will be next week. Will I still feel confident in my plan? That will be the first real test.