10 Ways to Fitness Success in 2011

It's not the one thing you do well, it's the combination of the little things that is going to ensure you are successful in 2011 to reach your fitness goals.

1)  Set a Goal.  I would recommend setting an overall goal for the year, preferably quantitative(measurable), and then quarterly, bi-weekly, and daily goals for how we can achieve that overall goal.  Don't get carried away in setting too many goals as it will becoming overly stressful and daunting.

2)  Make it Fun.  If you don't like to run, then don't run.  Find something you enjoy doing, whether it be an aerobic class, swimming, walking, biking, joining a yoga class.  The possibilities are endless.  Be creative!

3)  Cut out one bad thing from your diet.  Whether it be the morning 20 oz Coke you buy, or the Caramel Latte with Whip Cream.  Cutting out a Coke a day for 5 days will eliminate 1200 calories a week. Do that for 3 weeks and that equates to 1 pound of weight loss.  Do that for a year, and that is 17 lbs. 

4) Get your family/friends involved. The more people that know about your fitness goals, the more likely you will stick to your goal. Family and friends can be your support system and you can lean on them in times of frustration and weakness. They can also help hold you accountable.

5)  Be consistently good.  It's more beneficial to go to the gym 3 days a week for 5 weeks, then go 5 times for 1 week.  Be realistic about how many times you can workout and stick to it.  Include this in your weekly goals from #1.  It's more important

6)  Moderation is key.  Don't forbid yourself that occasional piece of pizza or cake you want.  Allow yourself some leniency, just keep it in check.

7)  Accountability.  The number one thing we need is accountability.  Whether it be a friend that you meet for workouts, or hiring a trainer or coach - if we someone is counting on us to show up, we're not going to let them down.  If we're paying for the service, we definitely will show up!

8) Eat 5 meals a day.  It's that simple - eating 5 smaller meals a day will regulate your insulin levels and, more importantly, boost your metabolism to burn more calories.  Your energy levels will level out and you won't be starving by 11:00, eat a huge lunch, and ready for an afternoon comatose nap by 1:00.

9)  Have a plan.  Having a fitness plan will take the guesswork and thinking out of a workout.  If it is on paper, you know what you need to do and how to do it.  It will also motivate you to actually workout, and not sit around the gym doing bicep curls while looking at yourself in the mirror for 30 minutes :)

10)  Get educated.  Not knowing what I am doing is pretty stressful and makes me feel uneasy.  I overcome this fear by diving in and learning as much as I can.  You can do the same by utilizing the Internets vast array of resources, or getting in contact with friends who works out or a professional.

Base 1 Training

Monday was the official start of my Base I training.  I've set up my schedule a little bit different with 3 base periods, each with a specific emphasis on a discipline.   With that being said, Base I will consist of 4 runs, 3 bike sessions, 3 swims, and 2 weight training sessions.  Base II will have 3 runs, 3 bike sessions, 4 swims, and 2 weight training sessions.  The last Base period will emphasize the bike with 4 sessions.  The reason I did this is to gain some much needed endurance by adding frequency and volume for that particular sport.  I like this setup because with 3 sessions in the other 2 sports I can expect to see significant gains in the 2 disciplines while adding a higher frequency and volume to the sport of emphasis for that period.  I started with the run because I've had a decently high running volume in the past few weeks so it just made sense to continue building on that frequency and volume.  I don't have a concern on the bike and swim because they are pretty easy on the body, the recovery will be quicker,  and they are less likely to cause injury.  Each training block will be 4 weeks long, with 3 'on' weeks, and 1 recovery week.  The recovery week will have the same schedule, just the volume will be reduced 30-40%.

Here's an overview

Base I - 4 runs, 3 swims, 3 bikes, and 2 weight training sessions
Base II - 3 runs, 4 swims, 3 bikes and 2 weight training sessions
Base III - 3 runs, 3 swims, 4 bikes, and 2 weight training sessions.

2011 Race Schedule

I'm less than one week out from Base I training, so I've put together my race schedule for the year.

2/12 - Red Flannel - 5 mile run -  C

4/9 - Loop the Lake - 5 mile run -  C

4/30 - Wildflower Long Course - 70.3 - B

5/15 - Jordan Creek Du - C

6/4 - Dam to Dam - 20K  - C

6/5 - Copper Creek Sprint  - C - very tentative on this one as I may skip it for a long training day

6/26 - IM CDA - 140.3 - A+

7/10 - Lifetime Fitness Oly - B

8/8 - Big Creek Tri - Des Moines - B

9/4 - Hy-Vee tri - Des Moines - A

10/16 - Des Moines Half or Full Marathon - I'll make a decision on this in August based on how I'm feeling physically

10 Things on this Triathlete's Christmas List

We're upon the holiday season, which means it's time to start making our triathlete Christmas list.  I'm pretty confident I won't get anything off this list, but a guy can dream, right?


1. PowerTap Power Meter - Of all the potential accessories you can get for a bike, this is going to give you the best benefit, hands down. With the many variables of outdoor riding a PowerMeter will tell you your wattage and give you a true representation of your effort.

2. Zipp 808 Wheelset - This has to be 2nd on my list because of the added benefit of speed they add, specifically on the courses I will ride this year, Wildflower Long Course and IM CDA.

3. Swim partner - while I enjoy swimming, anything after 2000 yards of laps I tend to lose interest pretty quick. Having someone to swim with would make those laps go by much faster.

4. Forerunner 310TX - This is the ultimate triathletes watch - tracks all the good stuff, and can even connect with your power meter via ANT+.

5. Arms warmers - I will probably need these for my early spring rides and possibly early races. I'm a huge wuss when it comes to cold weather

6. Pre-made meals. A friend of mine, Vince Matteo, is an awesome triathlete and great cook. All his meals are extremely healthy and taste great.

7. A winter home in Southern California. Mountains to your east, ocean to your west, and warm weather. Seriously, can't beat that setup. I don't think the girl's grandparents would ever let us leave though :)

8. New bike trainer, preferably this one. I've got a bike trainer now, but it sounds like a train going through my basement, which forces me to turn up the TV louder, thus angering others in the house. I think that's reason enough, don't you?

9. Garmin Edge 800 - I'll have some long rides this summer and I'm directionally challenged and have known to get lost. The Edge 800 will allow this not to happen.

10. Camps - I'd love to attend a training camp in March/April but I don't think my wife would be to happy leaving her behind with the girls while I'm in warm weather training to my heart's content.