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Archive for the ‘Weight training’ Category

My Workouts on the Run Less, Run Faster Marathon Training Plan

Posted in Biking, Marathon, Running, Strength training, Swimming, Triathlon, Weight training, tagged , , , , , , , , on August 31, 2012| 6 Comments »

I confess I have the dread disease that requires me to log every mile of every swim, bike and run, and every minute of exercise. If I don’t document it in at least three places, it didn’t happen, much like if a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it. I track my runs and bike rides with a Garmin and/or with MapMyRUN, then record them on MapMyRUN, on my computer spreadsheet, and on my paper marathon training schedule. That’s normal, right? 😉 Just nod and back away slowly, and maybe you won’t catch this dread disease.

The fact is I find the data fascinating and it all helps me keep on track for my triathlon and marathon training. I’ve got an Olympic distance triathlon coming up in two weeks (!!) and the marathon in 10 weeks (!!!) I’ve been following the Run Less, Run Faster beginner’s marathon training plan. It calls for three runs per week (speed work, tempo, and long run) plus at least two cross-training workouts. For cross-training of course I do swimming and biking, a natural fit for the triathlon training. I also throw in some strength training. All that means that I exercise an average of six days per week for an average of six to six-and-a-half hours total. (Now I know that sounds like a lot to someone training for her first 5K, and like nothing to someone training for an Ironman. I don’t compare myself to anyone else (although if you want to leave a comment to tell me how much you’re training for your 70.3 or 140.6, I’d be curious to know the answer!))

For me the week generally looks like this:

Sunday: 60-minute bike ride or 30-minute ocean swim
Monday: rest day, possible 30-minute strength training
Tuesday: 60-minute speed workout, generally 6 miles including warm-up and cool-down
Wednesday: 30-minute swim or 40-minute bike ride, plus 20-30 minutes strength training
Thursday: 60-minute tempo run, generally 6-7 miles (this will be going up as the plan proceeds)
Friday: 30-minute bike ride plus 30 minutes of strength training; optional rest day or only strength training
Saturday: 120-minute long run (soon to be more as I head into new territory with 14+ mile runs!)

It ends up being three runs, two bike rides, one or two swims, and an average of two strength training sessions. By the numbers for August:

Swim miles (a swim mile being 1500 km): 5.25
Bike miles: 101.3 (full disclosure: I count 30 minutes on the spin bike as 10 miles)
Run miles: 100.59 (woo hoo, broke my first 100!)
Number of strength training workouts: 8, for a total of 3 hours 25 minutes

My handy computer spreadsheet shows me a pie chart that compares the ratio of swim to bike to run to weights, all based on minutes. It consistently stays at about 58 percent running, 18 percent biking, 14 percent swimming and 10 percent strength training.

Do you log all of your workouts? In more than one place?! Please confess that I’m not the only one.

What are you training for if anything and what does your mileage and workout time look like recently?

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A Fit Fun Mom Says Hello!

Posted in Racing, Running, Strength training, Swimming, Triathlon, Weight training, tagged , , , , , , on August 7, 2012| 1 Comment »

I am an amateur athlete who prides herself on being a fit, fun mom. I have always been focused on fitness as a key to health and well-being. My long-standing goal has been to exercise at least four times per week (now I average six!) At first that meant running, mountain biking, swimming, hiking, or just plain walking. If I had the time, maybe yoga or an aerobics video.

At the age of 39, after having three children, I was ready to commit to more. A friend issued a challenge in March 2011: run 30 miles in 30 days. I was equal to the challenge. My fitness built from there. Soon I could swim a half mile (back to my high school competitive swimming days) and I decided I could commit to a triathlon. Of course that meant that I would need to build on my running ability and get a road bike! Soon I was swept into the world of triathlon. I celebrated being “fit at forty” with my first sprint distance race.

As soon as I finished my first sprint tri, I signed up for an Olympic distance tri. In the meantime, I tested my running fitness at the 5K distance. I was hooked! I loved running. Still, it was the weak leg (so to speak) of my race. I could swim fine and loved the biking but felt like I would slog through the run. I sensed a need to work on my running form and speed. So when I finished the Olympic distance tri, I signed up for a half marathon training class. The class was just what I needed. I trained through injury to run an 8K, a 10K, and finally the half marathon. During the half I told myself I was crazy and I never wanted to race again. Two days later I signed up for a full marathon six months in the future! (That tends to be how things go in the post-race glow.)

That’s where I am now — training for another Olympic distance triathlon, a repeat of my first sprint tri, and my first full marathon! Join me as I talk about my training, about fitness and nutrition, and about how to get the whole family involved in the fun of fitness!

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