Tri Schedule

image from www.heleneboudreau.com
I have sorta, kinda, maybe wanted to do a triathlon for quite sometime but didn't have enough direction to get my body ready to do it. I would get excited and go exercise really hard, end up over doing it and then not doing anything for several more days while I healed. I wasn't building my endurance or getting any stronger. I decided to ask my sweet hubby for help. He is an avid athlete who has been doing triathlon for 4 years and has completed 2 Ironman races. We decided on a race I wanted to do and then he wrote me a training plan to get me ready to do it. Over the past 4 weeks I have been working out a lot more than I ever have in the past. Consistently 6 days a week! Huge for me. I have 1 week to go until my 1st sprint triathlon.

I am grateful for my hubby's help. He is a fabulous teacher in general and this is an area that he has excelled in. I started out barely being able to run a mile. One month later I can run a 5K (3.1 miles) and feel good after. He has giving me a couple of swim lessons and I am improving. I still need more lesson for sure but I am getting strong and I am happy about that.

I also learned something else over the course of this month. I learned to really enjoy exercise. I have been active and enjoyed active things like hiking in the great outdoors all my life. But exercise for the purpose of exercise ehh I'd do it but not for fun. I posted before about waiting, praying & having gratitude for my life while facing the unknown. We don't have resolve yet on what is going on with our child. Just more tests and more waiting. But I have found that when I am exercising it can be a time of release for me. I still worry. But the physical activity makes me feel better, it makes me stronger and helps me prepare to face my challenges. I now can appreciate exercise and enjoy it as something I do for me. It is also fun to go on exercise dates with my sweetheart and share his passion.

I have had a handful of friends ask what the training plan Josh wrote for me is. I am going to post it here. Mine is on a calendar starting on a Monday. I work out 6 days a week with Sunday's as my off day.

Day 1: Swim 20 min total warm up, drills, 4X50's drills, 50's, cool down
Day 2: Bike 30 min 5 min w.u., 5 X 30 spin ups, 2 min recovers, 10 min consistent,c.d.
Day 3: Run 30 min w.u. 5 min run/1 min walk then c.d.
Day 4: swim 20 min w.u. 4X50 multiple sets c.d.
Day 5: Bike 60 min
Day 6: Run: 5 min w.u. 15 min run 5 walk c.d.
Day 7: OFF
Day 8: Bike 1 hr or spin class
Day 9: Swim 35 min 2X100 2X50 multiple sets
Day 10: Run 30 min w.u. 7.5 min run 1 min walk repeat till cool down time
Day 11: Bike 30 min run 10 min
Day 12: Swim 25 min 2X100 2X50 multiple sets
Day 13: Run 30 min 5 min w.u. 20 min run 5 walk c.d.
Day 14: OFF
Day 15: Bike 30 min
Day 16: Swim 30 min 3X100 2X50 multiple sets
Day 17: Run w.u. 10 min run 1 min walk X3
Day 18: Bike 20 min Run 10 min
Day 19: Swim 30 min 2X150
Day 20: Run 35 min 5 min w.u. 25 min run 5 c.d.
Day 21: OFF
Day 22: Bike 1 hr
Day 23: Swim 4X100 multiple sets
Day 24: Run w.u. run 7.5 min walk 1 min X3
Day 25: Bike 30 min run 10 min
Day 26: Swim 30 min 2X200
Day 27: Run 40 min 5 w.u. 30 min run 5 c.d.
Day 28: OFF
Day 29: Bike 30 min easy steady pedaling
Day 30: Swim 10 min easy
Day 31: Run 20 min easy
Day 32: OFF
Day 33: Swim, Bike, Run 10 min each at venue
Day 34: Race!

So there is my schedule. Remember as with anything else I am not a dr and if you are concerned talk to yours and don;t mistake what I am doing as advice ;D Sometimes I flipped them around but I did all but 1 assigned workout and added a few pilates classes to the mix. I am stronger and excited to keep improving thanks to my hubby.