Pre-season is winding down

I'm into my last week of winter base training (see earlier post on the program from TriRadar).  Next Monday starts a 4 week plan focusing on speed and sprint format triathlons.

Again, I've picked a race and lined up a training plan to get ready for it.  End of March is the race and this 4 week plan gets me there.  Take a look.

http://mos.triradar.com/Training_Plans/Sharpen_Sprint_Speed.pdf

Author Phil Mosely writes that "during these four weeks of training I want you to separate your sessions into two main intensities: easy or hard. When I say easy, I mean easy, so save your energy for the hard stuff. It’s the hard sessions that’ll make you faster, so you need to be fresh."

This goes well with the periodization and polarization talk I posted about.  Don't train at race pace.
When you're supposed to work at easy efforts stay there.  Same with hard efforts, go all out!  Stop making the easy efforts sessions harder and the hard sessions easier. Avoid that "black hole of training".

With a race on the horizon, it's a good time to focus on those transitions.  Not just the logistics of gear, but the muscles that get engaged at T1 and T2.  Know how you'll feel and be comfortable with it so you know what's normal and what's not on race day.

Hour Of Power Triathlon Brick Workout

Since I partook in my first brick workout on the new bike, I'll post this.

Today was a Zone 2 bike day and good run. I really wanted to see how the legs were going to feel after a high cadence bike today.  Also, with a solid swim session yesterday, I was eager to see how my body was going to do with both sports after 24 hours of recovery.  The short answer to both was "awesome"!

It's never too early to start working in some brick sessions to the training.  You know, to mix things up and see how you'll adapt.

Here's a plan from Jene Shaw over at Triathlete online magazine from April 2013:

http://triathlon.competitor.com/2013/04/training/hour-of-power-triathlon-brick-workouts_74788

Training Periodization

Interesting video on periodization.

http://www.canal-insep.fr/fr/training-periodization-deep-root-cultural-heritage-and-innovative-paradigms-2013/ei_13_10_va_pr_stephen_seiler-mov

'X' is race pace

Indoor cycling workouts

If the weather is keeping you inside and you've exhausted your current stash of workouts, here's 3 that you can crush on the trainer:

http://www.usacycling.org/3-indoor-cycling-workouts-for-the-winter.htm

Try working these into your base program (you are embracing your base program right?).  See 'Remember Planning' post for the program I'm currently using.

Tip:  I set up a separate Google Calendar showing me which week and what program I'm in.  This really helps back up programs and training from your 'A' races while timing your peaks.

10 Tips For Running In The Cold from Runner's World

You don't want to, but you know you should.

http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/10-tips-running-cold?cm_mmc=Facebook-_-RunnersWorld-_-Content-Training-_-TipsForColdWeatherRunning

Visualization... OK, it's daydreaming

So if you're like me, you've grown antsy about wanting to race.  You might even be looking on active.com or bikereg.com for a race sooner than one in your plan and worse yet, one that you're not trained up for.

I can't sit around in some pose with nothing on around me while humming or whatever.  I thrive on music.

One method is making a playlist of songs from race videos.  From racing cyclocross this past fall, I've diligently watched all the CXHairs.com video series, "Svenness".  With a playlist on Soundcloud of the music from the videos, I can visual the races or better yet, just racing.  This playlist gets me into the mindset of thinking about powering hard through a bike session on trainer.  It also gets me amped in the car ride home from work to get on the trainer.

I'll also listen to the playlist from my runs while not running.  In fact, I have a set of 40 songs on my mp3 player that hasn't changed in over 2 years.  Sure, there's an added 2 or 3, but it's very much the same since I made it.  This allows me to get amped for an upcoming song.  Even better, when I hear these older songs, I can get in a better mindset.  There's something comforting there I guess.  I can drift off, clear my head, and think about a run, or see myself kicking it in to the finish line.

Now, the flip side.  When racing, there is no music.  Rules are rules and both USAC and USAT do not allow headphones or personal music during a race.  That's OK!  If your imagination is as vivid as mine, you won't need actual music.  You can immerse yourself in your head.   Switch up your training sessions without music to be used to it.  I've seen a lot of people post race comment on no being able to pace themselves because they didn't have their iPod or whatever.  I've even seen some people just about freak out pre race becuase an official told them that they couldn't wear their headphones.  Remember the adage:  NOTHING NEW ON RACE DAY.  If you have to train with music, be sure to train without music.

Well, that was all over the place, but hopefully you can take something away from it. Spring is almost here!