First Runs of the Year

By Mike

Last week (Saturday) I had my first run of 2011. I've been doing trainer rides just fine but it's been very tough to get out and run due to the weather conditions. I ran for about 4-5 miles last Saturday and it felt quite awkward. Everything starting hurting and aching. Getting back into training or a specific type of training (running in my case) after a long break is always tough.

The last 9 days or so have been good though. They've consisted of 4 runs (4.5, 2, 2, 6.5 mi), 2 gym workouts (mostly legs and core), two trainer rides (1hr each), and a day of snowboarding. Today's 6.5 mile run felt quite good. It was slow but it I didn't feel any randoms aches. Yesterday's snowboarding session felt pretty good too - my legs felt quite strong considering it was my first day out - perhaps a credit to some of my other cross training activities.

It was also interesting to see many people taking Gu Gel on the slopes. I think there may have been someone giving them out because the people taking them seemed confused on how to eat them. Whereas a sports nutrition veteran would likely have finished a packet in 5 seconds, this one particular person was taking a good 3-4 minutes and I don't even think he managed to eat the whole thing. Still it's interesting to see the idea of winter sports nutrition start to take off; I think it's long over due.

So despite a slow start in January, February is starting off well. It's also time I make some final plans for the season. I'm still planning on an early season (April-May) marathon but that may change. My big race of the 2011 season is likely to be a Half-Iron race again but I am not sure which one I'll do or where. Right now I'm thinking about breaking 3:10 on a marathon, ~1:26 on a half-marathon, some new PRs on 5-10K races, and going well under a 5:00 on a Half-Iron. I'll likely have firmer plans in the next 30 days.

Some Thoughts on the Off-season

By Mike:

With the marathon over and no plans for another race for the rest of the year, I've been getting a ton of questions about what I've been up to for the last few weeks. I've been taking it pretty easy and many folks have been surprised by that. Easy's a relative term however so to give you an idea about just how easy is easy I did a Turkey Trot 5K at a pace slower than my recent marathon.

The off-season (for me at least) is a time to recharge and to explore other things I like doing such as strength and conditioning work in the gym or snowboarding or just plain downtime. To make sure I don't lose too much fitness, I do some maintenance work such as easy runs or trainer rides with a good DVD or TV show. I know some people will preach that there is no off-season but if you're like me you may want to allocate time for other non running/cycling/triathlon things as well and this is a perfect time to do it... well at least for the folks on the northern hemisphere! Unless you're a professional though it's hard to imagine going through multiple back-to-back seasons without some sort of respite and even then most folks probably still need some sort of "vacation."

But anyway... there's no right or wrong answer... fundamentally I think it comes down to the priorities in life.

Climbing Out of the Off-season

Shortly after the holidays, I stepped on the scale and discovered that I “accidentally” gained 8 lbs in as many weeks during the off-season.

WHOOPS!

Yes, I did read nutritionist Reyna Franco’s article on Off-Season Nutrition and Exercise. (Says Reyna: “We are not bears who hibernate and need the extra fat to keep warm.”) Though somehow between my third helping of Thanksgiving turkey, my second helping of Christmas ham, and sixth glass of New Year’s champagne, the thought of cutting calories never quite crossed my mind. Not discouraged in the least bit, I’ve since made a few simple changes (other than not eating and drinking like rock star) during my pre-season phase, aka “base training” period, that have done wonders:

1. Low calorie electrolytes. Instead of drinking very sugary isotonic drinks (like the kind they throw on winning coaches at the Superbowl), I’ve been dropping Nuun electrolyte tablets in my water bottle during training. 360 mg of sodium with only 5 calories. Seems to be working beautifully.
2. Keeping a food journal. I got this idea from an article by Lee Gottheimer, who lost 70 lbs with simple healthful changes in his lifestyle. Somehow I feel more accountable for what I put into my body when I write it down. I shudder to think what my journal would’ve looked like through the holidays. (Wed, Dec 27th: “Bacon Cheeseburger + 2 Beers + Chocolate Cake… for brunch!)
3. Fruits, vegetables, and tofu. I’ve been going to town on the greens and legumes. The tofu has also been giving me a good source of light protein. Plus I feel like I can actually workout within an hour of eating.
4. Afternoon snack. I munch on a Clif bar at about 3pm every day. It keeps my energy levels consistent through the rest of the day and prevents me from bonking if I go for a run after work. Equally as important, it also keeps my hunger in check, which prevents me from eating too much at dinner.

End result: I’ve already lost 2 lbs in the last 10 days! Looks like I’ve plenty of time left to get back to race weight well before the racing season begins. Perhaps I’ll celebrate with a beer! Uhhh… or not.

Got any good tips for dropping off-season weight? Please do share.