Training in the Winter

Some of you may be wondering how you train for swimming, biking, and running in the late fall, winter, and early spring.  Don’t let the low temperatures, minimal daylight hours, or the potential for rain, snow and ice be your excuse to further mold a butt-print on your sofa. It is easy to get de-motivated in the winter months, but instead you can use this time to add some valuable base-training or intensity to your work outs.   

For the swim, things are pretty easy - the local Y has a pool. It's warmer than most lakes, treated chemically to try to kill the nasties that get in from people who don't shower before jumping in, and has a black stripe along the bottom. Granted, it's not the ideal training ground for open water swimming, but it does have the benefit of a pace clock and the certain knowledge that there's a 99% chance we won't freeze to death, and we won’t get arrested for trespassing, unlike the local lakes. It definitely helps to swim with a partner or group (like a masters swim class) to keep motivated.

For the bike, you can always move to the deep south, like Florida or southern California, and ride every day of the year!  But if that doesn’t work out, then there are other fun options for your consideration.  If your roads are clear of snow and ice, then you can still ride outside using “snivel” gear.  Lots of companies sell cold-weather cycling clothes to keep your core and extremities (especially toes, fingers, and head) warm.  Still, on some days the cold is just too much to bear, so there are multiple indoor options.  We use a “trainer” parked in our living room in front of the TV.  You mount your rear wheel on and it provides enough resistance to allow you to pedal your way to a respectable puddle of sweat on the floor (so we also suggest rubber mat under it). Our trainer is made by Kurt Kinetic and it's awesome. And by awesome, we mean it would be at home in any torture chamber.  You can pedal your legs to exhaustion while watching cycling workout videos from various companies (we like the “Sufferfest” series), or you can watch whatever’s on the tube.  A half hour on the trainer feels like about an hour of outdoor cycling.  Oh yeah, don't forget to point a fan on yourself!  Other options include exercise bikes (either at home or at the gym) or “spin” bikes like the kind used for spin classes at the gym.  If you’ve never tried a spin class, give it a shot.  They usually last 45 minutes or an hour, are fun while providing a great workout, and unlike zumba or aerobics, don’t require much rhythm or skill. 

For the run, again, put on snivel gear and get outside if the roads are safe.  You definitely don't want to be wearing cotton though - learn a lesson from mountaineers and explorers and stick to the wools or synthetics.  Indoors, the treadmill is the obvious choice and works well as a task master – you can vary the speed, vary the slope, use the buttons to hit your intervals, and watch the improvements build over the winter months, all while keeping current on your favorite Food Network programs!  And, since most treadmills are easier on your joints than running on asphalt, your body may appreciate the softer ride provided by the treadmill. If the TV is too mind-numbing while on the trainer or treadmill, then try listening to an audiobook.  “The Game of Thrones” series of books will give you hundreds of hours of literary listening pleasure and you’ll find yourself looking for ways to exercise so you can listen to more of the story!  

 

Finally, consider using the winter “off season” to bump up your strength and core training.  Multiple options here from simple body weight exercises you can do at home, to dumbbells and gym circuits.  More about this later!

What Hath Odin Wrought

The Norseman Lottery  

We did something a bit crazy and entered the lottery for the Norseman Xtreme Triathlon. It seemed like a good idea at the time. That's how most of these things go...very excited at the sign-up, slightly nervous as the days pass and you realize what you've done, terror at opening the email. Add in the horror that the "wrong" one of us got in. Dean was fired up and excited by the challenge; I was a bit hesitant and queasy at the thought of entering. Google Norseman Xtreme Tri (or just go to www.nxtri.com) and you'll see what I mean. No really, go check out the site and watch the video. Back - yeah - it's that epic. I mean, I don't even win scratch off lottery tickets, much less a powerball or megamillions, but sure enough, I had attracted Odin's attention (wrath?) and my name was drawn. 

The kind folks at Norseman put up the odds a day or so in advance of the email notification. For non-Norwegians, the odds were about 17% for the guys and 60% for the gals. While I'm not surprised that there were more guys than gals signed up...I was a bit surprised (concerned) that my odds were 3 times better than Dean's. I was hoping that signing up together (same reservation transaction) might tip the scales of justice. I thought wrong. So, after getting the "you're in" email, while I notionally had a choice - I didn't really have a choice. There's no rolldown - if I passed on the slot, it would go empty. With a total field of about 250 - and enough warnings and other signposts requesting you make *really* sure you want to sign up in advance - wasting a slot seems wrong. Especially a slot as potentially epic as Norseman. So, I'm in. I'm excited to be in, but at the same time - holy crapt. 

One of the quirks of this "race" is that, weather permitting, only the first 160 folks to show up at a mountain checkpoint (really, check the website) get to continue up the course and earn a black t-shirt. Number 161 and down follow an alternate course in search of a white finisher t-shirt. There is obviously no shame in a white t-shirt -- finishing Norseman would be epic enough -- but, oh, the lure of the insanity of the black t-shirt and mountaintop finish. As with all these things, goal 1 is to get to the start line healthy and goal 2 is to finish. But then the other goals creep in, whether it be time related, placement related, or - in a new and magnificently challenging twist - t-shirt related. And goal 3 must be, you guessed it, the black t-shirt. I don't even know if it's realistic. I don't know if it's possible. But, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want one. Yeah - going to Norway to do an extreme tri and all I can think about is the t-shirt. Nuts. 

So, what do I have to do between now and then (then being 03 August)? I have to train my arse off, both literally and figuratively.  Looking at my limiters (no particular order): I weigh too much (especially for a hilly bike course), I need to get stronger on the bike, I need to get faster in the water, I need to have enough run fitness to get through 35 kms of the run and rely on mental fortitude to manage the last bit up the mountain, and I need to learn how to descend well on a bike to avoid giving back time that I will desperately need. That's what I need to do in the next 8+ months. And, I need to remember the lessons from IMFL and not become anemic and pay attention to the details of nutrition so I can stay healthy and fueled. 

I've spent the last year working out (as opposed to training for something specific). That's about to change dramatically as my "something" was just set: 03 August 2013 -- Norseman. It seems a long way off, but it's not. I'm going to need help getting there. Dean continues to be the best coach ever and despite his disappointment, he's all in for this adventure. But, I'm going to need some extra mojo help along the way, so the Mortal Man Tri challenges will likely be back. And, there's a really good chance that Broccoli Man, Red Panda, and the Bear will be making some repeat cameos - once I stop hyperventilating, there'll be a video. And, I'll be trying to keep folks updated in various forms and sharing too much information. And, when you get into something like Norseman, there's no option but to hang out the window and beseech Odin. So, for those of you who've requested help from Odin before, give him a shout out your window for Norseman 2013.

ps-no, I didn't give Dean a chance to edit this one. sometimes, you're just stuck with the stream of consciousness.