All about the food!

I think that my training is starting to come together. I am hanging in at 20 miles per week of running, one day of swimming, two - three days of riding, and throwing in some strength training two or three days per week, too. (Did I mention that I am doing REAL pull-ups now, not girlie ones, even!)

The next piece of the puzzle that needs to fall into place is to zero in on my nutrition. I have been getting so much inspiration from Zen and the Art of Triathlon podcast! Look for lots of pictures of food and posts about food. I would love some comments about what you are eating, too.

Also, please check out my article on Examiner.com. Thanks!

Sick this week, but better

I had some minor bug this week that made me run a low fever and feel bad for about 3 days. I feel better now, and that is the first time I have been sick in about 2 years so I am grateful. I did take 3 days off because I was running a fever. I just rested and I probably needed it.

Now, I am thinking about my Spring races that are just around the corner. On April 17 I will run my first 5K in awhile. Orlerr keeps telling me that I will run a sub-25 minute 5K, but I don't think it will happen this year. I do hope to beat my best time, which is 27:11. My base fitness is a lot better this year than it was last Spring, so it's a possibility. That race will be a test of how fast I am running right now.

In May there are two sprint triathlons that I plan to do and I am looking forward to those. My swimming so far this year has been about the speed that I left off with last year. I don't think I will improve my time much in a 400 m swim, but we'll see. I haven't ridden outside yet this year, but with the time change and the nicer weather I should get out sometime soon.

Thanks for reading!

Image from www.pixelperfectdigital.com

My Training Week

Last week was a big one for me. It was the third week in a row of progressively longer training and this week will be an easy week. This coincides nicely with my spring break from school, so I can take it easy with my family.

Monday - This is usually my rest day, but I did an hour on the trainer
Tuesday - 5 miles of running, alternating easy and hard miles
Wednesday - Master Swimming
Thursday - Another hour on the trainer
Friday - 4 mile easy run
Saturday - 3 miles of running and another hour on the trainer, this time with drills
Sunday - 8 mile long run

That was about 8 hours including my strength training and 20 miles of running. It was a good week!

How much can you handle?

Part of the reason why I like triathlon is because it shows you what you are made of, mentally and physically. This season, I want to see just how much training my 2010 self can take without breaking down. I found out last fall that 20 mile running weeks were just about perfect for me, but I was not swimming and was biking only for cross training/ recovery purposes. This spring, I want to keep up my running mileage, while adding back swimming and amping up my biking.

Of course, in addition to my physical limits, I also have work and family responsibilities that have to come first. Triathlon can be a selfish sport, but I'm not out for faster times this year. I want to find that sweet spot where I am as fit as possible while still meeting the needs of those I love. I don't think that these are mutually exclusive goals. Training gives me more stamina for LIFE and LOVE. Being outside by myself gives me time to think, to pray, to dream, and to appreciate the abundant life that I have. I'll keep you posted!