Thursday, January 24, 2008

Getting in the groove

Tuesday
After returning from the bay area Monday night, it was right back to training on Tuesday. I hit the weights during lunch on Tuesday, and it felt good to be back in the gym after a long weekend of rest and relaxation. The workout was straightforward, a warm up on the elliptical machine and then some intense chest/back work. While my lifting program hasn’t changed (for now) since I started my formal tri training this week, I have been trying to incorporate as much functional strength training into my routine as possible. This means lots of pushups, dips, and different styles of pull-ups. Interesting article in Outside that turned me on to the Monkey Bar Gym philosophy, which has been huge. I can tell it is paying off, but functional strength exercises are much more humbling than free weights.
Wednesday
I was up early and in the pool before sunrise. The water was cold, the air was cold, and it took me a while to get warmed up, especially since I was trying to keep my hr down. Swimming comes so easily that I’m able to really enjoy my workouts, even evaluating my stroke and body position is fun. I was tough pressed to find my own lane this morning, I’m guessing the cold weather is driving everyone indoors. A quick costume change and it was off to work. I got in a quick workout after “Unity Day” during lunch, mainly just a warm-up with stretching and pull-ups for good measure. I’m looking forward to Thursday as I get to coach and workout with the Vanderbilt Ultimate team. I always work harder when I’m coaching.

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