My motto for the year is "Here and Now." It means to live in the here and now. Previous years' mottos were "loose" and, when that didn't work out quite as I thought, I went to "looser."
Anyway, here are some things you can do "here and now," as in TODAY, to be well on your way to a healthier lifestyle and faster triathlon times.
1. Cut out soda. Here are the progression steps for someone drinking several cans of Coke per day:
1. First month: Switch to diet.
2. Second month: Cut intake by 1/2
3. Third month: Cut that 1/2 by 1/2
4. Third month: Completely switch to water, adding Lipton Iced Tea drink mixes as desired.
** This will help you lose about ten pounds pretty easily, and it will do wonders for your overall health.
2. Minimize alcohol. Follow the same steps as above to minimize your alcohol intake. This will help you lose some weight, too, without completely killing your social life.
3. Plan for consistent workouts. If you have to dial down the intensity to get in a workout, do so. Don't blow off a workout simply because you're tired. Take an hour for each day that is a standard workout time that is easy to get to (ie it's not at 4am).
4. Mix it up. When you hit a plateau or you are getting bored, mix up your workout a bit to shock your body and get out a rut. This includes using a cross-training period in lieu of a scheduled workout, like going cross-country skiing instead of a run. It's important to keep your mind and body fresh during a training program lasting several months.
5.Track your progress. Write down your workouts and track your progress. For instance, I do a standard 10k run at lunch (see the one hour concept in #3). I track my time all season, and it is incredibly motivating to see the times go down as the training progresses. That motivation helps build a burning desire for consistent training, too.
Here's to great training and fast racing in 2012!!
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