Something I've read in several sources talk about the different types of preparation that go into getting ready to train for six to ten odd months. The most popular is obviously physical and mental...the preparation of the mind and body through visualization and the creation and implementation of a solid regimen. There are several other aspects that people don't consider that will help to get your butt out the door.
What I'm talking about is stocking up. When your season begins you want to try and have all of your training tool reserves topped off. By this I mean tubes, nutrition, gear, bike maintenance, etc. Nothing can derail a training plan early in Base 1 like a severe mechanical failure, or running out of nutrition products early Saturday morning. So to get the ball rolling save a little extra cash and fork over for the goods. In some cases you will actually save money in the long run by taking advantage of shipping discounts or quantity based orders.
In all...set yourself up for success and not failure from day one. So with a little less then two weeks out from day 1 Base 1...I've began the stocking process. Now for me...and I know some of you can appreciate this...I'm not the type to go apesh!t and spend every penny on the most expensive stuff out there. There are plenty of products that will easily get you to the finish line...and the way marketing and sponsorships rule the athletic planet right now, product B may work a little better than product A...but by how much? ...and is it worth doubling or tripling your costs for that unknown benefit margin?
For me I keep it simple...your basic lemon-lime Gatorade powder coupled with Hammer Gel. This combination got me to the finish line 19 minutes ahead of second place at Hurkey last spring...so I think I'll stick with what works (for me!). Also, with the majority of my training taking place in the winter or colder months of SoCal (I'm sure all of the out of state readers are rolling their eyes right now)...I picked up the last few pieces of cold gear to finish off my setup. In an effort to keep it on the cost effective end, I picked up some Pearl Izumi shell gloves, lite shoe covers, liner shorts, and I splurged on another cycling cap. The average item price was about $20...can't go wrong with that! Couple those items with my arm and knee warmers and jacket and I'll be ready to tackle any cold morning SoCal will likely throw at me.
Now some of you may think some of these are items are NOT essential going into your training regimen. Ask yourself when you wake up on a chilly morning trying to motivate your butt out on the bike for a couple of hours...will I be comfortable, warm? Being able to say yes to that question can make a huge difference on your weekly training volume. So get your shtuff together...stock up, tune up...and get ready to put down some mileage!
Moving forward...dialing in the weekly routine is always an interesting moment of creativity prior to the season's start. From a coaches perspective it can become a work of art combining the week's workouts to ebb and flow, perfectly balanced on the fine line of stress and recovery. After reviewing quite a few resources I've settled on my structure (well for the most part). A lot of what goes into these things is the question "will I be able to get it done?". And that is on the forefront of my mind when developing weekly structures.
With me...I really wanted to focus on my limiter with the run. Swimming amazingly comes the easiest for me out of all three sports. It requires minimal amounts of training time for decent output. Cycling...well that's become my bread and butter. So the run will be my focus while maintaining cycling fitness. Here is my weekly routine thus far for Base.
Mon - Swim, Weights
Tue - Spin Drills, T-run
Wed - Long Run
Thu - AM Spin, PM Mod run
Fri - Long Swim, Weights
Sat - Long Bike
Sun - Mod Bike, T-run
When I look at this routine I can honestly say that I can do it. You may ask, no off day? Well...it's Base, off-days will always work their way into the system. Most likely Monday's and Friday's routines can be pushed into other days in the week allowing for a needed day off. And with all of this...the routine is best effort. Training must always stay dynamic. Within this routine are key workouts that will allow me to focus on the highest priorities. I like to over-schedule and if I can cram it all in and feel good doing it, great! If stress starts to snowball, it's time to focus on the key workouts for the week.
So that's it for now...just remember that preparation comes in many different forms. The guys that write the books will say it best. Set yourself up for success...and you will achieve it. Good luck!
5 comments:
good post dude... you are ready to go. let's definitely plan on knocking out some miles soon. I am hiting the Celo ride through pendleton on saturday if you are game.
Good stuff! I found a website that ships out of OC that has killer prices on most of the drink mixes I use. Get Hammer gel in flasks from the LBS and I'm pretty set!
Look forward to a "cold" weather review of your gear once it isn't high-80s out ;)
hey! looks like you're on your way!
question about the run focus- looks like 3 of your 4 runs come AFTER a bike that day. i know this is race-specific, but there's also something to be said for building your run on its own (when you're less likely to be lazy, run tired, or with poor mechanics on a t-run....) just a thought.
an idea would be to take sunday and run FIRST (moderate length) then do an afternoon ride/spin for 2 hrs. then you'd have 2 quality run first days.
great idea beth!! thanks for the input!
I was opening the comments to say just what Beth did but she said it much better!
The run is a weakness for me too so early a.m. runs or short focused running is what I am planning on for a few months. THEN when I get close to the race I will start running off the bike more.
My plan starts in late december bro! Looking forward to the transformation with ya!
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