After being sick for almost two months, I couldn't wait to get back to conditioning. I started first thing in January and each week I've been progressing. There are many facets to my conditioning that I have developed through listening to my body over the years. Both my body and mind like to change the routine up every 8 weeks. During the 8 weeks I have two build ups with a recovery week on the 4th week. Each week I increase my rate of perceived exertion by 5 percent peaking me at around 80%. I also monitor my heart rate while training from time to time to assist me with efficiency, and this has saved me several times when my endorphins kicked in to much and I wanted to go all out to early in a race. I don't like to look at the numbers to much but they have proven to simply work.
My training is always lead with functional training reinforcing proper movement mechanics in all three planes of motion relative to to the demands of the Ironman. Many athletes think of conditioning as a one dimension excercise routine which will inevatbale lead them to many injures and Plautus. Functional Conditioninig that is specific for the demands of the three sports makes to much sense to neglect.
I like working through five rounds of conditioning annually. Round one is what I'm finishing up currently and its focus is on mobility and stability. This round lays the ground work for which I can build off. I'm a firm believer that if this round is not solid enough I will break down in the latter rounds. Round two begins in March and its focus is on strength. Third round is the all important power round which will lead to into my competitive season and usually begins around May. Fourth round is recovery after the season. In the fourth round I like to cross train with something totally different. The Fifth round is geared towards rejuvenation. Each round I begins with intermediate to advance training exercises and on the back half I move into triathlon specific exercises to both mentally and physically peak in that round.
My Nutrition plays a critical role in each round and I always make sure to complement the round with the right amount of energy and the right macro nutrient percents from my carbs,protein,fat. Routinely I check my PH levels making sure they are around 6.8-7.0. This will ensure that my body is not getting stressed to much. It's a nice way to double check my stress levels along with checking my resting heart rate, and body weight. Livestrong.com has provided a excellent tool to journal your food intake on a daily bases and keep accountable to your nutrition.
I do know one thing for certain and that is that you could have all the numbers and plans set up, but without the love for the sport, the journey will not be one to remember. One of my accomplishments will be envisioning not the finish line, but the training alone on the roads believing in myself and the passion to move.
LiveStrong,
Bryan Morgan
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