This month began with a lot of excitement. I had hoped the worst of winter was over and that it was time for some warmer temps. Well, that's how March usually is around here. Instead we had another month of freezing temps and snow. I had hoped for two "50+ degree" days a week, but it felt like we had two all month. Apart from the crappy weather, my training went really well. As I was able to string some solid runs and rides together. I had been fighting some slight discomfort in my hip, but I dialed things back a few times and I do feel better now while riding and my stride seems to be much smoother when running.
Lots to look forward too in April. Depending on the weather, I hope to get in some solid outdoor workouts and maybe a race or two. I need to log some outdoor workouts to get ready. I also need to focus on getting to my race weight by Spring. The best news of March is that I'm down 6 pounds for the month. Hopefully we have some dry weekends
This was another decent block of training for me. The good news is that I was able to get outside for some runs. The bad news, its still been entirely to cold to ride outside. In my breakdown you can see that i've been focusing more on running lately as it is what the weather has been dictating. Hopefully in March I will be able to get outside full time running and riding. Plus, the local high school will be done with the pool and I will have more access to swim.
This really has been a frustrating winter. Hopefully things get better soon. So far it doesn't feel like I am getting behind as I was pretty satisfied with my transition from treadmill running to outdoors. Each year I've used March 1st as a date in which you can get outside pretty regularly. Hopefully that holds true again this year.
Lets face facts. This is the point of our training when it's time to ramp things up a bit. Unfortunately, Mother Nature has been doing the same. 2014 has been nothing but below zero temps and snow storms every weekend. It has been easy this year to get frustrated and even behind in our training. As a Triathlete, winter can be a hard time. So we get creative to keep workouts fresh and exciting. All while doing most of the work indoors. I thought it would be fun to share some sample workouts of mine that would translate well to running. Adding some of these will help keep your training on track while keep things fresh in the gym.
Swimming
A dip in the pool can be a great way to improve your running. You don't necessarily need to know how to swim either. All you need is a pool and a kick board.
I've found that kick drills can be a great way to improve your running. It builds strength in your hips and can provide you with that extra umpth when tackling hills in races.
All you need to do start at end of the pool. Put your kick board in front of you like the video below and kick 25 yards to the other side. You can stop with a 15-30 second break before heading back. Repeat these for 30 minutes.
Spinning
Spin classes can be a great way to break up the monotony of indoor training. You can find these classes at your local gym or a private spin studio. I prefer the private studio as they tend to be more fun. I get asked a lot about spinning during the winter. I lot of people are curious about spinning, but are apprehensive about it being too intense. Let me be the first to tell you, spinning is really only as intense as you make it. Essentially, you dictate the resistance on the bike. It's up to you to push yourself. So, if you're new to it. Don't worry about making it through class as you can dial back the resistance, but the only way you'll get better is if you keep it on or go harder in your next class. Another benefit of studios in our areas is they are private, lights are off, and it's not a race. Many studios are a sanctuary for your work out. Not a place that fosters competition. Spinning can help your running as not only do you keep fit, but your heart rate will be elevated like running.
Running
I'm sure everyone reading this has there own ways to deal with running indoors. I keep things interesting with changing my runs up during the week. I like to do 1 speed work session during the week. Essentially, it consists of a 15 minute warm up at easy pace. Then I do 6-8 intervals of 800 meters at slightly above my 5K pace. I take a 400 meter rest between intervals and then do a short cool down afterwards. If you want to add speed during the offseason. This is the best way to do it. Another change of pace I do is week is I start the treadmill at a decent pace and then increase the speed slightly each half mile. I've found that adding these works to my treadmill routine spices things up from just logging miles away at the same pace.
I hope some of these sample workouts help if you are finding yourself in a rut or falling behind in your training. There's no exact science behind these workouts. They are just a sample of some things that have helped me with running and training.
