Here We Go Again

Yesterday was the official start of training for the 2011 season. Originally, I had planned January 2 as the start date but mentally, I'm ready to go. My first workout was a 28 minute run, in the rain, accompanied by some new songs on the ipod. If you happen to like techno music, the beat of these two songs match quite nicely with running stride: White by Smith & Pledger and Escape by Liquid Soul. And if you're not a fan of techno, I also was listening to Kanye's Runaway. A 28-minute run doesn't allow for too many songs. The combination of the soothing rain, the overcast day, and the music really put me in a great place mentally, and I was loving the run...smiling from ear to ear. Though my glute and hammies still felt tight, they felt less tight. More importantly, my body felt strong.

I'm convinced now that my weight (123 lb.) for the latter half of the 2010 season was too low. The past six weeks of weights followed each time by a glass of chocolate milk has rewarded me with my current whopping 131-pound frame; and all I can say is that I feel solid and strong, whether it be during a swim, run or bike. My 30-minute twice per week weight sessions somehow evolved to one-hour sessions each time. It happened pretty organically, and there was a lot of motivation behind the time increase. I'll just go with the flow until I feel otherwise. Today was a ride in the Pain Cave followed by a swim. The pattern for the next 9 weeks will be:

Two weeks build, one week recovery
Ride Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday & Sunday
Run ever third day
Swim three times per week
Yoga twice per week
Weights twice per week
Foam roller every day

And gradually work my way back to a 9:30 PM bed time...I'm currently 24 minutes past due.