Sick is as Sick Does

It's the bug, a gift from the little girls to us as parents.  They bring home more than homework and crayoned drawings to us from school.

This one is moving to the lungs today, but that just allows me to finally focus on lifting.  I know that lifting will help with some of the faster time trial rides (like triathlon!).  Lifting at the beginning of a season I've read will benefit because of the 'non-specific' muscle building.

This again contributes to 'Economy' of the 3 keys to endurance sports.  The stronger the muscle, the easier it is for it to produce effort at higher levels.  Considering we should always be operating at a 'high level', either due to hill climbing or increased speed.

3 Keys To Endurance Sports (thank you Joe Friel):
  1. Aerobic Capacity
  2. Lactate Threshold
  3. Economy of Movement


So since the lungs are getting worse, it's time to shift focus from Aerobic Capaicity/Lactate Threshold to Economy of Movement... at least for the very short term (hopefully no longer than this week).  

Did:
Leg press (+50lb sled): 160 x20 reps, 125 x20, 125 x20, 125 x17
Calf press (+50lb sled): 160 x20 reps, 125 x20, 125 x20, 125 x20
Hamstring Curl (prone): 50 x18, 35 x20, 35 x20

Still swimming daily, and focused on getting 'mileage' in.  .  I had planned originally on doing 8 laps x 4.  But as was pointed out to me halfway in: 36 laps = 1 mile.  Doh, oh well.  This will be broken into bite sized piece for me by doing 9 laps x 4 with the pull buoy at first.  Then 18 x 2, 36 x 1.  After getting all 36 in, then I'll start removing the buoy, for 2, then 4, then 8, then 16 of the total laps. Until it's no longer needed at all.

This plan does 2 things well:

  1. Allows me to build confidence, improve stroke, improve breathing, and hit the mileage that is my goal.

  2. Forces me to focus on stroke over kick. This benefits the my triathlon by keeping the legs fresh for bike/run.

Sick?  Eh, just a change of plans...

Weight training day 1.5

Joe Friel writes that the base period is the best time to work a weight routine into your training.  The is because your body can build the non-specific strength that you use while swimming, cycling, or running.  Core strength, shoulders, chest legs, back, arms.  Ok, sounds like the whole body to me.

While my leg strength is very good at the moment, shoulder, core, chest, and back could use improvement.  This will contribute to what Friel describes as 'economy'.  His concept is that there's only 3 things that make for a strong athlete.  Aerobic capacity, Lactate threshold, and Economy of movement.  Economy is my target for upper body improvement which will effect swim endurance substantially, at least that's the idea.

Swimming -weak (3)
Cycling -very strong (8)
Running -strong (6)

Taking Muscle Milk protein supplement from Costco.  It's tasty and cheap at $30 for the 3lb tub, but dosn't mix well in the recommended 8 oz of water.

So it's been almost a year since I picked up a dumbbell, and this being day 1.5.  I'm sore... ouch