Its definitely a good time to be in training. The weather today and over the next couple days is offering me the first taste of spring and will help to remind me why I started doing this whole exercise thing in the first place so many years ago. I was able to get out today after work for a quick 5 mile run while the temperature was still 62 degrees after doing 2300 hard meters in the pool at 5am. Tomorrow, I have 25 miles on the bike after work, and its going to be close to 70 degrees (but windy). I can’t wait.

I noticed over the past couple workouts that all the off-season training seems to be coming together slowly… Back in November, prior to the start of base training, I took a hard look at what I needed to do in the off-season to be better this year based on my results from last year. I decided to pick a specific competency I would work on in each of the three sports in order to get better … in swimming, it was to become better balanced in the water, in cycling, it was to increase my cadence and find a way to be comfortable in the saddle and with running, it was to shorten my stride and develop “quick-feet”.

So 3 months later and a ton of effort on these competencies, I feel the benefits of working on just these three things. Because all three of these things focus on the core muscles and building balance, I can subconsciously use the power of my core muscles now to swim, cycle and run and it just feels like i’m gliding. When I was swimming this morning, it was almost effortless (well, for most of the workout). On my run, it was so easy that I wasn’t even tired but yet I averaged an 8 minute mile almost the entire way (and it was full of hills). When I was cycling yesterday, it didn’t take much of anything to get through the entire workout and I wasn’t even tired afterward even after 15 miles (just monotonous since I was on the trainer in the basement).

Well I guess I can go on and on patting myself on the back and giving examples on how great it worked out, but at week 3 of training, the confidence level is way up knowing i’m seeing the benefits of my labor over the winter.

Next week it only gets harder with the mileage but I get to mix up my workouts more with the time change coming this weekend. I rented a bike locker at work so that means I can start adding cycling miles by riding to work and back a few days a week (depending on the weather). I have to figure out the logistics around that, but somehow i’ll make it work. I’m also going to try to get my shorter runs done at lunchtime at work as well .. supposedly they have a locker room and everything in the basement that I can use. Can you imagine riding to work in the morning, running at lunch and then riding home? Crazy!

So with it being Wednesday, we’re entering the hardest part of the training week… hopefully i’ll still be in great spirits over the weekend after I get through it.