Happy New Year - 2011 Game Plan

Happy New Year!!!! I have really been looking forward to 2010 being over, and getting a new, fresh year underway. 2010 say many highlights, but was sprinkled with a bunch of personal setbacks which had a way of brining my spirit down :( However, there were lessons learned, and I am reset and ready to take 2011 head on! I have decided to coach myself for the 2011 Triathlon Season. I will be taking bits and pieces of programs which worked for me in the past, and incorporating a few new training modalities to hopefully help me get faster on the run and my overall triathlon performance. I will be working with Lisa Graham, also known as "LISH" - Lisa Fish - as she can outswim almost everyone, including the guys. She will be helping me with all my swimming. I will be using a program designed for me in my preparation for the ITU World Championships by Patrick Kelly, Canadian National Triathlon Team Coach, as a template for my training style and volume, with a few tweaks here and there. I will be really focusing on track running for this season, with mile repeat sessions, and 200/400m speed work. I have also decided to incorporate TRX, Body Pump, and Air Conditioning classes to help me develope core and functional strength. TRX utilizes a special suspension training system, which uses only your own body weight and focuses on agility and core. Body Pump is a 60min conditioning class with weights. House of Air is a trampoline studio with a warehouse full of trampolines, and they offer a 60min conditioning bounce class which will help with my fast twitch muscle fibre recruitment and agility. These classes will also give me a chance to socialize as most of my other training will be solitary, and I am getting quite lonely :)

My race schedule for 2011 is pretty ambicious :) I am going to start with a few short running races to get my feet under me, and will proceed with 2 sprint triathlons. This will build into the Wildflower Olympic distance race, which will help bridge the gap into my 2 "A" races of the season - 2 Half Ironman races!! The late season will see a final sprint triathlon, and possibly an Ironman with BFF Lisa??

2011 Triathlon Race Schedule

Arts and Science 5km - Jan 30 Embarcadero 10km - Feb 26 Santa Barbara Sprint Triathlon - Mar 20 San Luis Obispo Sprint Triathlon - Mar 27 Wildflower Triathlon - May 1 Hawaii Ironman 70.3 - On The Big Island - June 4 Great White North Half Ironman Triathlon - July 3 Santa Cruz Sprint Triathlon - Aug 6 **Hawaii Ironman World Champs - Oct 8 - pending qualification**

I hope everyone has a positive, healthy, injury free, fun 2011! Train safe and keep posted for training/race/life updates.

Stephen