Tri Training: Week 4 Results and Week 5 Plan

My fourth week of training went well.  It wasn’t that different or much more mileage  than the prior three weeks, but there was definitely one major difference.  We finally got swimming!  Yes, we finally got our rears to the local pool and signed up for a family plan for the year, and the best part?  It only cost $135 for an entire year!  That’s an amazing bargain, so even when training is over, we’ll still be able to go to the pool for a swim.

Not many things come naturally to me, like running, but swimming is definitely my thing.  From 6th to 9th grade, I was on swim team but I learned how to swim long before that.  I’ve known how to swim for as long as I can remember.  I remember my parents would take us to the pond near our house and just wade and swim all day in the summer.  When I took swim lessons, the beginner levels were easy and I progressed quickly for my age.  I don’t want to brag, but I was a pretty fast learner.

In 9th grade, I quit swim team because I no longer enjoyed the competition (it may or may not have been because I sucked at swimming fast) and I wanted to focus on school.  I liked swimming and being in the water but I didn’t like swimming to win.  After quitting swim team, I hardly ever swam laps until three years ago when we joined the YMCA.  Even though it had been awhile, I didn’t lose much of what I learned.  Now we’re back in the pool swimming again and enjoying every moment of it.

Anywayyy… I know this is what you came here for (willingly or unwillingly), so here are the results of my training from the week. The format is PLAN / ACTUAL:

• √  Mon: Bike 10 miles / Biked 11.5 miles
• √  Tue: Swim 300M; run 20 minutes / Swam 500M; ran 22 minutes, 2 miles
• √  Wed: OFF / Rest day
• √  Thu: Bike 8 miles / Biked 8.5 miles
• ×  Fri: Swim 10 X 50M, 15 seconds rest; walk briskly 30 minutes / no exercise
• √  Sat: Run 40 minutes / Swam 600M; walked 43 minutes, 2.48 miles
• √  Sun: Bike 10 miles / Biked 10.4 miles

I was definitely dreading the 40 minute run and didn’t get to it in week 4.  I did make up for it early in week 5 though, but there’ll be more on that next week.  Things are moving along quite nicely and I can definitely feel every part of me, physically and mentally, getting stronger.

I know my fifth week of training is almost over, but here’s a preview of my schedule.  So far, things are going really well and I’m feeling strong!  Gotta keep up the positivity.

• Mon:  Run 40 minutes [to make up for missing Saturday’s run]
• Tue:  Swim 600M total – 8 X 75M, rest 15 seconds
• Wed:  Run 20 minutes
• Thu:  Brick workout – Bike 30 minutes; run 10 minutes; walk 20 minutes briskly
• Fri:  Swim 600M total – 8 X 75M, rest 15 seconds
• Sat:  Run 40 minutes
• Sun:  Bike 12 miles

Did you play any sports at a young age?
Was there anything that came naturally?