So what I have discovered is that I am not very good at writing blog posts when things are not going according to plan. I think I am now back on track so I will now let you all know what got me off track--since it happens to all of us (especially as we get older) and this could be a good reminder.
So the really short lesson: Don't neglect your strength training--even at the height of your triathlon season.
The long story: Last year I did a really good job at doing my strength training (having a great coach at Adapt Training really helps--thanks Scott Brown!) for most of the year. I really hit it hard over the winter and into the early season. Then as planned, I backed it off into maintenance mode during July-Sept while I was at the peak of Ironman training--though it started to suffer Aug/Sept. Many of you know that I had asthma issues at IM Lake Tahoe and I added an additional unplanned Ironman to my season--IM Cozumel on December 1st. That added 9 extra weeks of Ironman training to an already long year. I did back the volume down and focused more on quality since I had done a lot of volume for Tahoe. But what I did not do in that 9 weeks is keep up my strength routine.
Like many slightly older athletes, I have accumulated my own set of chronic issues over the years: weak right hip from dislocating it many years ago, bunions, bum shoulder, cranky elbows. All of these items are much happier if I maintain the strength -- I have spent the last couple of years building up my strength--mainly in the hip area (that is my biggest limiter). My strength program often looks more like physiotherapy rehab than a true strength program -- only when I have been diligent do I get to move on to the fun stuff.
Well, you can guess where this is going. After I took a few weeks off after Cozumel, I started slowly back into training--only to discover that my hip, lower back and right hamstring were really not happy with me. So instead of my great plan of doing a 10 week run focus to work on my running speed, I have gotten to do lots of slow running and a lot of PT-like strength work. There were also several chiropractic adjustments and some very painful massages to round things out.
This past week is the first time I finally think things have come back together--my joints are now back in alignment and the super tight hamstring has finally let go. I did my first normal feeling runs this week and I can finally get back down into my aerobars on my bike.
Now I get to reset my training plan since I have not done the work I should have in the first 7 weeks of the year. Will I be making sure that my core and strength training get a higher priority all year this year--definitely! Hopefully you can all learn from this and not make the same mistake I did.
