Guest Post · running

Back to swimming and running (Guest post)

I haven’t run in a very long time but the momentum I’m feeling from recent gains in cycling encouraged me to recommit to triathlon training. My partner gets a great deal on a gym membership so we signed up and I’ve been to the pool twice, the scheduled 500m beginning workouts morphed into 800m ones. I just love the pool and, really, I feel my best when I can get 1,200m in but I’m trying to pace myself. I know I need to ramp up slowly or I’ll get too sore and tired.

I’ve found that the best workout is the one you like re: ramp up, distance and rest days. I’m using a free Sprint and Olympic 12 week plan as I’m 24 weeks from the Woodstock, Ontario race on June 6, 2015. My sister and I are returning to the Sprint distance there after a 2 year hiatus. It’s a basic plan and I like Friday rest days and clustering the cycling on the weekend but really there’s a ton of aps if you are looking for one plus triathlon clubs and training groups abound.

My first scheduled run was a little 20 minute go. I must say, I hate running. It’s hard on my asthma, I’m short and wide, not a good build for running and my DD chest is….floppier as I age.

So I trotted out on a fairly cool night just as the sunset and it felt..ok! What? I’m down quite a bit of weight and that definitely improved how running feels. My thighs felt strong as I ran, they seemed to magically spring forward, the cycling I had been doing gave me thighs some great conditioning.

I walked for 30s after 8 and 12 minutes and came in feeling good. I was matching some of my fastest pacing from 2 years ago (thank you free app that still has my data!) so, ya, I ran and it did not suck and that was a total victory!

image

8 thoughts on “Back to swimming and running (Guest post)

  1. Congrats on getting back to it and best wishes for great training! I noticed (when I opened the pdf) that it doesn’t list any resistance training….just swim, bike, and run. Do you do any resistance training or use another program for that?

    1. I dont do resistence training at this point. I find it boring (character flaw)
      There are great programs for triathletes who want to do weights, in college we did a lot of circuit training.

  2. Great motivation. I really love my runs even though they suck sometimes. But running is like living with intervals of ups and downs. Thanks for sharing

Comments are closed.