ride out the wave

Or not :) I declared this 100-100-100 challenge with good intentions, but the reality is a bit of a struggle. Basically, to do ANY cycling, I have to do 4-a-days (swim, bike, run, P90X). The typical days have gone like this:

1. Try to get up a 5 am to go swimming. Too spent from P90 the night before, so sleep in.
2. Work, then squeeze in a swim at lunch. With a 15-minute drive each way, plus 1-hour swim, looking at a 90-minute lunch break... Work for a couple hours, then leave to pick the girls up (read an optimistic 6-7 hour day at the office).
   
3. Squeeze in a run before dark, take a shower (non-showered dad/husband at the dinner table is no good!).
4. Dinner, cleaning up after the girls, packing lunches for the next day, tuck girls in to bed. Suddenly it's 8 pm. P90 from 8-9:30. Cool down, shower (wet towel, argh!), pack for the next day, finally finish my work day, etc., and suddenly it's 11 pm. After that, no wonder it's a struggle to get up 6 hours later...
   

With no cycling involved and/or if I didn't work full-time, it wouldn't be as big a deal. But, the reality is that my goal is to become a better triathlete through:

• increased run and swim fitness (and hopefully speed to come with it over the course of the year)
• increased core strength (to help with back issues)
• increased flexibility (for my back and ITB syndrome, and to help with swim, bike, and run form)
• increased general strength for injury prevention
  

I guess I have realized that through a more balanced approach, I should be able to accomplish these without sacrificing my strength on the bike. This is going to be VERY important considering my race schedule is filling up quickly with some moderately-serious ("B") races in March, and my first A race in April at Wildflower.

I might revert to a basic P90X program next off-season, but I'll have to start in early November so that I finish the program earlier in the spring. For now, I'm going to a hybrid program, with 4 days of P90X per week, 7-ish runs, and four swims. The good news is that, at this point, I have gained a lot of run fitness (up over 40 miles/week with no aches or pains), and my strength has already improved A LOT (there is no denying that P90X works!). I will be moving on to an early-season run and swim build, while getting back on the road bike in earnest. I have ridden my road bike exactly four times since Ironman Arizona; my tri bike has not moved from the stand since it returned from Tempe... :) Going off-road has just been much more appealing!

Speaking of which (as a side-note), I have started a new group MTB ride in Tucson! We ride every Friday, and finish around sunset (start time is sunset minus 90 minutes). If you're in Tucson, or will be visiting, check out the Facebook page: Tucson West MTB. Many of us will be racing off-road tris, duathons, or just MTB races this year, but we have beginners as well. Come check it out!

I'll be throwing on my new Cobb V-Flow Plus saddle today and then setting the bike up on the Cycle Ops Mag Trainer (no, unlike lots of others, I have not upgraded to the Lemond Revolution). Yes, we sometimes ride on trainers in Tucson too. The days are just too short! I am so happy that the days are now getting longer. I'm savoring the extra minute or two per day!

If not now, then when?

My plan for the new year is just about set! I will be racing a lot (again), but doing more shorter races. My long-term (over the next couple years) is to be able to realistically chase after a Kona slot. To get there, let there be no doubt. I need to get FASTER. So, this year will be about intensity--getting to that "next level" of fitness; learning to push even when it hurts; learning to turn off the mind and trust the body. So, a lot of short races (oly and shorter) with a few halfs thrown in because I want to (it is my favorite distance after all). In my mind during all races, I will GO FOR IT. Here is a decent article from Active.com on doing just that.

That's all for now. I'll try to get a draft race schedule up this week, and a quick update on my 100-100-100 self-challenge. Sneak peek: it has been a challenge...