Strength Training

I am not a certified coach nor do I purport to be an expert on training, but I do know that strength training is a key to success for any multi sport training program. I have been competing in triathlon and multi-sport for about 6 years and this is the first year that I have incorporated strength training into my regular training program. Thanks to my coaches at Endorphin Fitness (http://www.endorphinfitness.com/), I now have some guidance on strength training and it is really making a difference. After just 2 weeks of adding strength sessions twice per week, I am noticing a huge difference in how I feel while swimming, biking and running. I also have more energy in general and feel fitter overall. The beauty of it is that I have not even added any weight to my strength training yet and there are some very simple exercises that you can do without weights in about 45 minutes to improve your overall strength (crunches, reverse crunches, superman extensions, squats, lunges, and push ups). I used to be the guy that skipped the strength training. Now, I am the guy that embraces it as a critical part of my training!!!

Winter Weather Running

It is a question that plagues many runners and multi sport enthusiasts alike. When the winter weather moves in, do you train indoors or outside. First and foremost, I believe that you always get a workout in, but when I have choice of running outside in the snow or hitting the treadmill, I take running in the snow any day of the week. I had the opportunity to complete 2 GREAT runs recently while the snow was falling prior to significant accumulations on the ground and these were 2 of the most peaceful runs I have ever been on. Nothing beats the stillness of the early morning when it is snowing. If the roads are safe enough and there is not any ice on the ground, running in the snow can be a phenomenal experience. Even when it is coming down hard, I will wear my ski goggles to keep the snow out of my eyes.

Now if the roads are too slippery, I will run on the treadmill if necessary, but even then, I prefer hopping on my bike on the trainer for a nice long ride. In fact, I prefer working out on the trainer versus the treadmill 2:1. There are some great videos like the entire Spinervals series with Coach Troy Jacobson (http://www.spinervals.com/) and my new favorites, The Downward Spiral and Fight Club from the Sufferfest (http://www.thesufferfest.com/). I do not find the trainer to be boring at all and I will do some workouts back to back to get more time on the trainer. My favorite is "The Double" from the Sufferfest where you do Fight Club and The Downward Spiral back to back. This is 2 hours of pure suffering on the bike but it is a heck of a lot of fun!