All About That Base

    All about that base, 'bout that base...  Yes, that is the plan, all about Base Building. Though I haven't been writing as much as I should, I have managed to get my training back on track, for the most part. The biggest impediment these last few weeks has been the weather. Yes, the sunshine was forcing me to finish up my summer projects at a frenetic pace. Knowing the rains were acomin' and there was too much to get done. It's hard to get in a solid arm workout when you've been scraping paint, sanding, priming, and painting a house. But now we are settling into the rainy season, and I can narrow my focus a bit.
    October has been tough. There were outdoor home improvement projects that had to be finished, cutting into my daylight hours. The pool was closed for two weeks for cleaning and resurfacing, and now will be closed again for the first part of next week, so my swim has suffered. Week before last I had several events that took up entire evenings (work and fire station annual events), which blew holes in training. Then last week I was hit with the wretched cold that has been going around, topped off with 2 days of an intestinal bug that left me feeling pretty hollow. But that was then, this is now. Back to a solid training schedule.
    Base Training, building the foundation of fitness that is essential to have solidly in place before you can really start pushing boundaries. I have managed to keep up with strength training and core work. My cardio has slipped a little from not spending enough time, as well as a week of sinus and respiratory viral distress. I am still having some congestion, so am forcing myself to take it easy. Maybe it is best that the pool is closed for a few more days, keeping me from going overboard in the chlorine laced air. I have been spending more time in the weight room at the club, focusing on leg work. I have stayed very consistent with upper body work, adding in some heavy work as well as swim specific strength training. Core strength is one thing a lot of people skimp on, but it is vital for swim/bike/run, especially once fatigue sets in. I do some level of core work on most days, and do at least 2 days a week of intense core work.
    I am looking ahead to next season and know that the two events I have to do are the Bridge Swim, and The Best in The West half-Iron. Those are essential. I am going to pay the entry fees fairly early in the year, to make sure I won't be able to back out. Hopefully I can remain injury free, which is where Base Training really comes into play. A strong base will help prevent injury later. Of course the Run is where I am most vulnerable. Knee and hip injuries have sidelined me the last 2 years. I have spent the better part of a year working on physical therapy, and strength training to try and prep myself to get back into a regular run schedule. I know I need to keep actual pavement pounding to a minimum, so I have to make up the gap with alternative training.
     I have 11 months until Best in The West, 9 months until the Bridge Swim. That may seem like a lot of time, but I know it will go by too quickly. The best way to deal with it is to follow the First Rule of Ironman: Train Every Day. Build the Base: Strength, Core, Cardio. Then: Swim, Bike, Run. So much to do, so little time.

2017 No Excuses

    Sitting here in a mucous fueled fog, fighting a cold and refusing to be sick, I am looking ahead to 2017. I always have to have one eye on the future, even if, like the last 2 years, there has not been much racing involved. I don't know that there will be very many races in 2017, but I have to make sure there are a few epic ones. There has to be a reason to train, a purpose, There has to be at least one good reason for me to drive myself, push past the pain, live happily with the aches.
    Last season I was deflated by the announcement that my A Race was cancelled, permanently. I shifted my sights to long swims, and a shorter triathlon, But those plans were sidelined as well.
    The coming season, 2017: No Excuses. I don't have a solid race schedule yet, or a corresponding training plan. I have a decent idea of what I want to accomplish next year, so that does give me a wide target for training. I will start with base building, as one should always do. Then, as I get events solidly on the calendar I can narrow my training focus.
    Right now, this minute, I need to get over this cold. But I also need to get in at least a token workout. I am thinking weight lifting, upper body, and maybe some core work. Adding strength is always appropriate, no matter what the training plan. Tomorrow is Leg Day followed by a moderate swim.
      Looking ahead to 2017. No Excuses. There will be epic events.

Food. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

   A major downside of healthy eating habits is the healthier you eat, the healthier you have to eat. I am currently suffering the consequences of a week of injudicious choices. Okay, actually more than a week. I have been over-doing the carbs the last few weeks, and feeling the effects. This last week I have been in work and social situations with bad choices available, and me availing myself of them. I am really feeling it this evening. The general intestinal disquiet, bloating, heartburn brought on by consuming wheat hither and yon over a period of several days. I can get away with a bit of wheat now and then, but not in any quantity, and not several days in a row.  Adding insult to injury, my body is trying to come down with a cold, so I have added doses of decongestant and ibuprofin to the chaos.  Tonight I dosed myself with digestive enzymes and probiotics, and am now sipping herbal tea. Now is time to get back to stoking my system with the jet fuel it has become accustomed to, not kerosene that burns too cool and leaves a black smokey mess behind.
    I was talking with a friend this evening, a friend who has been on as arduous a personal physical journey as I have. He pointed out that when he backslid there would seem to be a delay between the transgression and the noticeable results. I have to agree here. I've been under some weird stress, starting about 6 weeks ago. Stress is the gateway drug to poor eating, disruptive workout plans, which leads to sleep troubles which lead to poor eating. It is a vicious cycle. Now, 6 weeks later, I am really noticing a few weeks of falling off the wagon.
    As of today the work and social events are now things of the past, as is the cause of the weird stress that bushwhacked me. No time like the present to get everything back online. Time to purge. Cleanse. Detox. I will get back to gluten free, cut back on the cheese (though I do so love cheese), lower my carb intake, avoid simple carbs. And cardio. Don't forget the cardio.

Off Season, Getting Back On Track

    Where has the time gone? Pretty sure no one has really noticed my absence here lately, but it has been a while since I posted. I haven't been as diligent with my training this last month as I would like. Partly because I don't have anything on the calendar to be training for, but there have also been mitigating circumstances that have caused a minor break in my habits. The pool was closed for nearly 2 weeks for cleaning and resurfacing. That threw a rock in the cogs, for sure. Then, this last week has been chockablock with outside responsibilities surrounding work and fire station events. I am not making excuses, well, not really anyway. But when an 8 hour work day then extends another 4 or 5 hours, it does make it tough to get in a decent workout. Add in the intruders that came over several times to lay claim to the tiny house, interrupting my peace, and it made for stress and chaos all around.
    Enough of excuses. I have been maintaining my strength and core workouts, even if my swim and cardio have dropped off the last few weeks. Where I have been failing though is in the nutrition arena. This time of year all I really want to do is eat carbs and sleep. Events at work and in various life circles have not helped me refrain from the carb indulgences. This weekend should be the last of the distractions though, as our annual Fire Station Chicken Dinner is tomorrow, with cleanup on Sunday, then I am back to a semi normal routine.
    Monday I will be back in the weight room and the pool, come hell or high water (okay, with the storm warnings for this weekend, high water could be a real thing). I will get back on track with training and nutrition, before the winter doldrums can claim me, and add that winter fat layer. I think that is where I am freaking out the most, I do not ever want to return to my previous, heavier self. Ever. I worked too hard to get where I am to let a month or two of overwork and stress derail me for life. So, Monday. Back on track. Off season training begins in earnest. Weights, strength training, core, cardio, plyometrics. I am on it like sweat on a runner. Back on track.