The First Week’s Training Plan.

Well, yesterday BB and I went on a little 3.3 mile shakeout run. My knee felt ok, and feels ok today. We were slow on purpose, averaging about 11 minutes per mile. Her calf and my knee and foot are all still in the healing process. My knee I expect to take several more months. If it isn’t better by summer, I’ll get an MRI or something I guess. Not that I plan to do much while I’m mobile. Engagement with the medical community is a last, desperate resort.

My workouts for this week are: a 4 mile “easy” run Saturday, which I actually intend to make 5-6 miles to get back into things. A strength workout Sunday. Monday an interval training workout called a “fartlek”: 5 min warm up, 30 minutes of 30 second sprint/2:30 jog, and a 5 min cool down. Tuesday personal training at the gym. Wednesday an easy 4 miler. Thursday a 40 min hilly run: hard up the hills, jog down. Friday rest.

So I’m doing actual speedwork and hill training, under a coach. I’m a fat, prediabetic, 42 year old pahtzer. But I’m going to do the best I can. And as someone whose goals fundamentally include only finishing, and staying healthy, I think I can do it. I’ve done the math on the half-Ironman. As long as I can ride at 13 mph, and run at 5 mph, I shouldn’t have any trouble finishing in the time limit. Those are both significantly slower than my Olympic speeds.

As time goes by I’ll be adding swimming and riding into the mix, running a touch less frequently – though I want to maintain distance – and planning “brick” workouts that involve 2 or 3 training types in a day (i.e., bike then run). It’s going to be hard and I’m going to have to work at it. It’s a big time commitment. It means basically being the only thing I do for 9 months is work, and work out. But I can do it.

I think I can do it.