Just keep pushing

So training has been very limited the past few days bc of the ice storm that came through Atlanta a few days ago.  Which is an interesting note in itself... long story short, the city has been crippled for 3 days since it doesn't have nearly enough equipment or experience to handle a moderate snow/ice storm.  Nevertheless, I've been doing everything I can to keep working up to a base fitness for this season... mainly a lot of indoor cycling on the trainer, weight training, and core exercises.  So far... I'm feeling very out of shape and slow... but time and repetition is the only way out of this funk, so I'll just keep pushing. 

To quickly elaborate on what I mean by "base fitness"... Most triathlon training programs are designed in a very structured, progressive manner that is organized by periods (aka  periodization).  Just take a peek at this picture to see how each of the periods are typically designed...

Sometimes, you'll have two build periods, but no need to talk about that here.  Currently, since I took a very long off-season to give my knees a break, I am working through the prep period till the end of next week or so.   After that I'll begin my base period of training on a schedule that I'll tailor using Endurance Planner (EP) software (www.enduranceplanner.com).  Previously, I've used Mark Allen Online for training (which gave me AMAZING results... I have nothing but praise for MAO), however, I'm trying to save more money this season... so I decided to go with EP.  Only time will tell if this was a smart decision, but after talking with the EP owner/head coach (Kevin), I'm very confident that this was a great move.  Also, Kevin is a multi-time Ultraman champion... sooo, definitely a great source for information.  To conclude, during the final period (peak), you have anywhere between 2-4 weeks of tapered training volume (time) with an increase in intensity... by doing this, you're body goes into a strong recovery mode, which equates to a significant spike in fitness over a short amount of time.  

Why am I giving you all this information?  Some of you might actually find it interesting, but for those who don't... knowing this information will help you follow me through the coming months, and makes it much easier for me with posting the upcoming training extravaganza.

Till next time...  stay healthy & be happy