2012 Training Outline

Following on from my last post, so whats the plan?

Well, so far I've basically followed the plans laid out for training in the Joel Friel book Your First Triathlon and Matt Fitzgerald in Racing Weight. These are great books, not only do they provide a great training/eating plan but they also provide a broader perspective which allows you the ability to modify the plans they give you to fit into your life. I'm still using the Matt Fitzgerald book but I need more than Friels first tri tome. I have Joel Friels follow-up, The Triathletes Training Bible and while its certainly given me even more info that I've built into a training program I've tried to build a comprehensive program but keep getting caught up into much detail and falling in a heap.

But just as I was wondeering what direction to take one of the magazines I subscribe to, 220 triathlon, came to the rescue in their dec 2011 edition. They provided a 20 week traing program for rookies preparing for their first ironman. Given im a rookie and im preparing for a half ironman in about 23 weeks well it seemed close enough for government work and im using it as the basis of my training moving forward.

So, I have the beginnings of a program, what other rules will I apply? In short I have the following.

1. Program starts on sunday 15 jan.

2. There are 9 'core' sessions a week (3 run, 3 swim, 3 ride).

3. I may replace 1 core session a week with gym work. I may add 1 extra session a week in the gym.

4. Try to not run two days in a row.

5. A ride to and from work equals ONE ride session.

6. I will program a forth ride session but may drop 1 session without a catchup required.

Also, there is another consideration. For the next two years I will we commuting between melbourne (where I work during the week) and newcastle (where my family will be living). I will generally fly home to newcastle on fridays and return to melbourne on Mondays.

So broadly, this is the plan.

Monday. Rest (possible catchup)

Tuesday. Ride (to and from work), swim.

Wednesday. Ride (to and from work), run.

Thursday. Ride (to and from work), swim.

Friday. Run.

Saturday. Long ride, swim.

Sunday. Long run.

Triathlon Goals for 2012.

Back in May 2011 I decided to change my life.  I wanted to lose weight and get fit.  Like lots of people in this position this wasn't a new desire, I'd dreamed of being lean and mean for ages but had few ideas of how to make it real.  Triathlon, the idea of competing, the training this required and the lycra it required me to wear all conspired to give me a focus and and framework I had lacked until then and its worked.  In the 7 months since then I've lost 28kg and gone from struggling to run/walk 3ks to routinely running 16+ k's and while the goal I'd once had of averaging 30 kph on the ride to work has become my average speed on a bad day.

So, here we are, approaching 2012 with a pretty successful 2011 behind me and its time to set new goals.  So what will they be?  Well the core of my new goals will be tri based and thats what I'll discuss here:

1.  Finish Sparke Helmore Olympic distance triathlon in Mar 2012.

2.  Finish the Cairns Challenge 2.80.20 half(ish) ironman in Jun 2012.

3.  Finish losing weight - get to 90.0 kgs average (about 10% body fat)

4.  Come up with some other goals for the back half of the year.

Based on 2011 form these should be achievable.  What I need now is a plan.  And I have one!  Buts thats for tomorrow.