January Training Summary

In January I got back into a regular triathlon training schedule for the first time since August 2011 (I did race a few tris in 2012, but other than a few weeks in the summer I didn't really swim/bike much). In early November I decided to commit to racing in 2013 and signed up for the Muskoka 70.3 In September. After a busy November, in December I got back into riding the trainer and swimming regularly, so I would be able to handle a regular training load in January.

Here are my totals:

Total Time: 37:28:19
Run: 93.6 K, 7:23
Bike: 210.35K (trainer only), 11:32 (spin bike + trainer)
Swim: 21.65K, 8:09
Strength: 8:37 (weights, crossfit, and yoga)
Other: 1:46 (Snowshoeing, other PT)

I was pretty happy with my progress in January. I managed to put in 37 hours, even with 3 days in the field. This is right in line with my aim for a seasonal total of 400-500 hrs. With the cold snap I did the majority of my running indoors on the track, with the exception of a few longer runs (10-12K) outside. I would prefer to run outdoors but when it's colder than -20 or the roads are snowy, running in the Petawawa winter kinda sucks. I've been starting with a relatively low mileage of 25K per week, doing one base run, one speed/tempo run, and one longer run. In Feb I plan to build to about 30K and continue to increase the distance of my long run. By April I'm hoping to be at 40K/week and a long run of 20K. My first big race is the Half Marathon at the Ottawa Race Weekend in May.

I bought the CycleOps JetFluidPro Trainer 2 years ago for my bike, but really didn't ride it much last year (being in a tiny 2 bedroom PMQ apartment didn't help). I've got a good set-up in my basement now, so it's easy to hop on for a quick ride. I've started off only doing 2 rides per week, between 45-60 min each. One ride I stick to Z2 and the other I'll do some Z3 work. I really didn't ride much at all in 2012 so I'm trying to build a solid base before I increase the intensity. Some of my previous hip injuries have come from building too quickly on the bike. I've also been going to LEAP High Performance spinning once a week, for a bit of variety and group riding. I've definitely noticed an improvement since December and will continue to develop my base in Feb.

Swimming has always been a struggle for me. Since I left Vancouver in 2009 I really haven't felt comfortable in the pool. Having much time to swim and greater facility access definitely played a huge part. There aren't many times/places to swim in Petawawa. I decided to commit to swimming 3x per a week in the base pool during the noon swims. It really only gives me 45-50 min to swim, but with my current fitness it allows me to get in a 2K workout. I've definitely noticed some progress, dropping from 1:50-2:00 per 100 m to a pace of 1:45. My longest sets are about 500 m now, but I'm going to throw in a few 500-1000m sets in February to work on endurance.

After getting back into Yoga and Crossfit in 2012, my goal was sustain strength training in 2013 even with 9+ endurance workouts per week. I've found a good Hot Flow Yoga class in Pembroke at White Pines. It's the most intense Yoga class I've been to since doing Bikram Yoga in Vancouver. Along with Troop PT, I've also been trying to make it to the gym 1-2X per week and lift weights. The strength training provides a good balance to the swim/bike/run workouts that will hopefully prevent injuries this year.

After 8 years of doing triathlons, I think I've finally found a training plan that will keep me injury-free and still get faster. It basically consists of low-mileage and a lot of cross-training. I've roughly following Joe Friel's Triathlon Training Bible, but with a lot of modifications based on my own history. It's only been one month but I'm feeling pretty good, and definitely in the best January-shape I've been in since 2008. With a lot happening this year (new baby coming soon :)! ), and field time in April/May it will be a challenge to maintain it. But as long as I can stay injury-free the lost training time will probably be better for me in the long run.