TRYING TO COME UP WITH A SCHEDULE.

Today was another long swim day, so of course that meant lots of time to think. :) I forgot until I got to the pool though that they had to make a repair yesterday so had been warned that the pool would be cooler than usual for a few days. 78 degrees. Almost cold enough for a wetsuit. Once you're in, its not so bad, but it definitely took my breath away for a few laps. It got me thinking what my coldest swim temperature was, and most likely it was in Lake Michigan, at any time in the summer, and being under 60 degrees. I am hoping it is not that cold for Steelhead next year!

Other thoughts going through my mind was reclarifying my running plans. I had said I would need to be running outside all the time from now on, and Sharon asked if I didn't like the treadmill or running inside. On the contrary, I like doing that too much! I get way too attached to creature comfort running, but realize I need to get back to reality running more often, and that means running outside more. Oh, I don't expect to do it more than once or twice a week over the winter. I'm not that much of a diehard any more! I just figure I need to do my long runs outside to get me used to training in adverse conditions. I read once where you need to train in the worst conditions to be able to handle anything on race day, and I believe that. But I definitely will use the treadmill to fall back on for short runs and times when I just can't face the weather. I just don't think I need to be going out in subzero or icy conditions all the time trying to prove what? Its as much of a mental toughness to stick out the mileage on a treadmill too.

My other train of thought took me to figuring out a workable, yet effective, training schedule for the next few months anyway. I'm sure things will have to be ramped up once biking season comes (and you never know when that might be around here!), but for now, I want to figure something out that eliminates the need for any "two-a-days" as much as possible. I still find I get fatigued easier so have to allow for recovery time, and once I am done with working for the day, I find it very difficult in the dark and cold months, to think about training again. It gets to be a vicious cycle then: get up at butt early o'clock to go to the gym for workouts, get to work and face whatever comes your way for the next 8+ hours, and then head back to the gym for another workout, hustle home and make dinner, and then reorganize for the next day. I'm not ready for that much yet. The only day I want to do that is on pilates day, which is an evening class. My friend Jan from work keeps pushing me to get in on spinning, but truthfully, right now I just can't seem to justify that. I really need to focus on running during the winter, because I know that's what will work best for me. She's training for Boston and really isn't concerning herself with the triathlon season that will follow, but therein lies our differences: she has the run down, I don't.

So here's my initial thoughts on my workout plan:

Monday: swim
Tuesday: Weights/short run in the am; pilates in pm
Wednesday: Bike/run
Thursday: Weights/short run
Friday: Swim
Saturday: Run, building on distance weekly as much as possible
Sunday: Bike/short run

I figure this covers it all. But where's my rest day or day off you might wonder? Those would be my swim days. I am fortunate enough to be okay with my swimming to be able to use those as "off" days. Its not swimming that makes me tired. Its everything else involved with going to the gym and then to work that gets to me after a while. I figure I have some flexibility on when I can do most of this stuff as long as I am not taking organized classes like spinning. If they had spinning on days when I was doing biking otherwise, I would do it. If they get a spinning class on Wednesday mornings, I will consider that. Otherwise, it looks like I will be working out on my own most of the time. Again, this is a frustrating issue with me and Don, that I don't work out with his group more, but I don't see any of them with the same life issues I have, and they are all so much more advanced than I am. I find that changing my schedule around to fit theirs just doesn't work most of the time.

I'm sure I will tweak this schedule from time to time, so don't want it written in stone, but it seems to be easy enough--that is, flexibile--for me to follow. I will need to allow for any weeks when I might be doing a race, and that always confuses me. Too much or too little? I just am someone who finds it easier to do something every day, varying the long and short.