First Entry

I've had an epiphany. I need to make some fundamental changes to my training if I'm going to enjoy the year round outdoor sports lifestyle I crave. I'm going to need to train like an outdoor athlete in order to enjoy backcountry skiing, mountain biking, running, and backpacking year round. For now, I think that means I have to develop a consistent training habit that happens regardless of the fun outdoor activities. I need consistent core training to prepare me for regular outdoor active sports - year round.

In the past, I've achieved a bare minimum level of fitness which has allowed me to hit the trails with buddies on a Saturday, or ski with the family during the winter. The problem is, my training has been inconsistent and seasonal, and I haven't had any focus on core muscle training.

I started coming to this realization late last year, and started lifting weights in early January. I also entered the Leadville Trail 100 race which is in August so I've got a looming deadline hanging out there to give me some starter motivation. That said, I don't want to make this a Trail 100 training experience. I want to finish that race in under 12 hours, but my uber goal is to achieve and maintain a sustainable fitness level that will enable me to do the stuff outside that I crave.

Last week I skied the Utah Interconnect with a friend. I had a blast but I was frustrated with my level of fatigue and soreness over the weekend. I think this pushed me over the top.

So I decided to blog my experience. I really don't care if anyone reads this. I guess I just felt like if I put down my goals in writing and track my progress as I go, it's more likely that I will achieve the desired result.

So - tomorrow is the first day of the rest of my life. Here is the plan. I'm going to start tomorrow by measuring my Lactate Threshold in a 30 minute running test. After warming up, I'm going to run 30 minutes as fast as I can sustain a consistent pace. I'll average my heart rate for the last 20 minutes and call it my running LT. In a few weeks I hope to improve it and add a biking LT baseline. I'll log the results as they come in.

One more concept. I've been worried about over training. I've decided that's not my issue and I get enough rest days when plans fall through so I'm going to do some 2 a day routines and I'm going to plan at least 6 days a week of workouts. I'll do daily posts with weight, workout stats and notes.

I also think I need a workout strategy for the pre season. So here's the plan for March.

Week 1:

-3 weights and core fitness

-2 1/2 hour runs

-2 1 hour rides

Week 2:

-3 weights and core fitness

-1 1/2 hour run

-1 1 hour run

-2 1 hour rides

-1 2 hour ride

Week 3:

-same routine, but add one big ride. 3-4 hours, possibly a weekend at the Swell.

Week 4:

-same as 3

The goal - use March as a base for perpetual SOT.