It Starts Monday, I Hope

My butt will no longer be acquaintances with comfort after this weekend.  No longer will I be sleeping in and blowing off going to the gym before work.  On the rare opportunities to watch television, I'll be sitting, sprawling on the floor, stretching this or that and that the other.  Monday will mark the beginning of a twelve week training program for a 73 mile bike race.  It will be my first attempt at receiving a "platinum" medal, which would require completion in under three hours.

I've taken an idea from On The Bus Running, printed the training plan and posted it to my refrigerator.  For the picture, I've selected a trifecta of fridge magnets.  Take a guess at what the middle one is.

I go into this training fairly happy with the body fat I've trimmed in the past three weeks, but the weight hasn't dropped.  My cardio base is solid.  My mind is fresh and recovered from riding my first century race and first half marathon (within three weeks of each other) at the end of last November and early December.  I pulled my left hamstring (right one hurts too) sometime last week, which means I'll be limping into this training.  Not as planned, but that's okay.  It'll work out just fine.

The total plan calls for 2,056 miles ridden and a high week of 245.  In preparing for the century ride in November, I rode more, but the difference now is that each ride will have a specific focus, providing for higher intensity.

I created the plan from past experience (what works and to fit within time constraints) and ideas in The Cyclist's Training Bible.  However, the plan is dual purpose as I'm also going to be building a running base for my first marathon, in the winter of 2012.  I've been running about 25 miles a week, but would like to lower the mileage per day and increase the number of days running.  So, while I'm healing the hamstring, I'm going to work towards that end.  To further complicate things, in the first third of the training cycle I'm running a trail half marathon and my first duathalon.

Regarding nutrition...well, I'm going to have structure.  I've recently read Racing Weight and it's focus on nutrition for endurance athletes is superb.  I've purchased a huge tub of Accelerade.

And the best part is that I'll really get to push my new bike, the one I sold my Gibson to finance. 

I'm excited about the challenge!

Events for 2012, None after 12/21/12

In 2011 I got my feet wet with a few races.  In 2012 I'm looking forward to participating in more races, performing better because I'll have prepared for the races, as well as participating in a few races just because they're fun atmospheres!

I'd like to throw in two or three more 10K's as well as at least one more half marathon.  There are a few that are the same weekends as major bicycle races (which are quite fewer), so I'll keep my eyes open for future races.  

I've targeted races that I think I'll be really serious about, others I'll just show up and run.  The races in blue font are races I'll take seriously, but not train for specifically.  Those in red are things I'll train for specifically and make a real shot at accomplishing one of my time goals for the year, or a PR.

1. 1/7 Sabino Canyon 5K
2. 1/14 Great Expectations Academy 5K
3. 1/29 Old Tucson Trail run 4 Miler
4. 2/18 Duathalon 2 mile run, 17 mile ride, 2 mile run 
5. 2/25 Rangar Del Sol Relay
6. 3/4 10K with no name, SAR
7. 3/? Lucky Clover 5K
8. 4/28 Tour of the Tucson Mountains (bicycle)
9. 5/12 Nogales Bicycle Classic
10. 6/2 Tucson Downtown Night 5K
11. 6/9 Colossal Cave 5K
12. 7/8 Run with the Roosters 5 Miler
13. 7/21 Breeze Through the Trees 5K
14. 8/4 AZ Dirt Hog 5K XC
15. 8/12 Tombstone 10K
16. 9/22 Catalina Park 10.35 miler
17. 10/14 Great Pumpkin 5K
18. 10/21 Everybody Runs Half Marathon
19. 11/17 El Tour de Tucson
20. 11/22 Thanksgiving 5K
21. 12/9 Tucson Marathon
22. 12/15 Vail Jingle Trail 5K

Now I really like to just wake up and know what I'm doing that day, without thinking.  I don't like schedules, don't like to remember what's going to happen next Thursday. 

That's one more thing to get over, one more change in my new lifestyle!  Especially since I'm doing two sports, being organized is paramount.  So, as I've shared before, I'm developing an excel spreadsheet to manage everything.  It's a bit ugly, but it works.  Not only do I make sure I get planned down time, alternate intensities appropriately, but when I'm actively training for an event, I can click on the distance in the main book and it takes me to a brief description of the workout for that day.

Here it is.

 
Now of course, since the last day of the existence of this planet is 12/21/2012, I've not planned anything after 12/15!  That gives me a week of eating pork rinds and mainlining Oreo ice cream cakes.