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In some sense, I suppose that I properly started my triathlon training tonight. I mean, I've been running and swimming regularly -- about three times per week for each -- for nearly eleven months now. In that time, I have occasionally done both workouts on the same day; however, tonight was the first time that I swam and ran, back-to-back.[*]
Now that I am able to reliably run 10K -- the running distance in the Olympic triathlon -- I have two steps remaining before signing up for an event. One is getting some cycle training in; thus far, I have only focused on the swimming and running. The other is linking the three activities. After all, I can regularly run 10K now... but that's not the same as running 10K after swimming 1500 meters and cycling 40 km!
So tonight was the first step towards linking things up. I went to the pool and swam for an hour, covering 2500 meters (or 100 lengths). Then I came directly home and went out to run for an hour, covering about 10K. I could definitely feel a difference in running immediately after a swim -- tonight's run was the slowest 10K that I have managed to date! My speed was down about 8% from my best-ever hour-long run.
Even so, it feels good to have done the two back-to-back. I should probably start making a regular habit of this -- possibly on Sunday evenings, when the pool closes early.
[*] Okay, technically the two workouts were not actually "back-to-back". After getting out of the pool, I had a quick rinse-off shower, changed into street clothing, drove home, hung my swimming gear, had a drink, changed into my running gear, and stretched out before starting tonight's run. Adding that all up, there was actually a 40 minute gap between getting out of the pool and starting the run. Even so, nothing happened in that gap except for finishing up one workout and preparing for another -- it's not like I went off to check my e-mail or have dinner in-between the two.
Now that I am able to reliably run 10K -- the running distance in the Olympic triathlon -- I have two steps remaining before signing up for an event. One is getting some cycle training in; thus far, I have only focused on the swimming and running. The other is linking the three activities. After all, I can regularly run 10K now... but that's not the same as running 10K after swimming 1500 meters and cycling 40 km!
So tonight was the first step towards linking things up. I went to the pool and swam for an hour, covering 2500 meters (or 100 lengths). Then I came directly home and went out to run for an hour, covering about 10K. I could definitely feel a difference in running immediately after a swim -- tonight's run was the slowest 10K that I have managed to date! My speed was down about 8% from my best-ever hour-long run.
Even so, it feels good to have done the two back-to-back. I should probably start making a regular habit of this -- possibly on Sunday evenings, when the pool closes early.
[*] Okay, technically the two workouts were not actually "back-to-back". After getting out of the pool, I had a quick rinse-off shower, changed into street clothing, drove home, hung my swimming gear, had a drink, changed into my running gear, and stretched out before starting tonight's run. Adding that all up, there was actually a 40 minute gap between getting out of the pool and starting the run. Even so, nothing happened in that gap except for finishing up one workout and preparing for another -- it's not like I went off to check my e-mail or have dinner in-between the two.
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That said, I chose this connection because my training for the swimming and running is already "up to snuff" for an Olympic distance triathlon. The swimming segment is 1500 meters (60 lengths), whereas my standard workout is actually significantly longer than this -- 2500 meters (100 lengths). The running segment is 10km, which is roughly what I cover in a 60 minute run (averaging over seven 60 minute runs completed this month, I find my mean distance covered to be 10.4 km). So last night's swim/run was more than the requisite swimming distance and about the right running distance.
In contrast, I have not yet been working on my cycling. I need to do this -- possibly starting a training programme in the Autumn when upcoming travels have been completed. With a two week trip to Moscow in August, a visit from Mom in early September, a week and a half in Japan in late September, and a week and a half in the States in October, it might make sense to wait until I can do my cycle training in more regular conditions. I started running with no such stability, being in Oxford, Tokai (Japan), Chicago, and New York (plus one run near a roadside hotel in Pennsylvania) during my nine weeks of Couch-to-5K last year. However, road running is pretty to do anywhere! Cycling requires either bringing a cycle with me or having access to a gym. Hence, I may wait until late October, as I have no travel plans between the P**T*** trip to the States and the Christmas trip to the States.
Anyway, once I can confidently cycle the 40 km required for an Olympic distance triathlon, I will then start linking that into these multi-activity workouts. I will probably stop doing swim/run links at that point and do either swim/cycle or cycle/run for awhile. Then, of course, I will need to put them all together and do swim/cycle/run. But that's not likely to happen until early next year!
Meanwhile, I can definitely agree that these workouts are making me fitter and stronger. Last night, I swam for 60 minutes and then -- a mere 40 minutes later -- ran for 60 minutes. A year ago, this would have been far out of my reach! Weight loss is coming along nicely, too -- I'm down about a stone since last I saw you... with only half a stone to go until I leave "weight-loss mode" and switch into "weight-maintenance mode". Very much looking forward to it!