First off, a big congratulations to all of you that made it out to the first training camp of the dryland season. You all killed it in here this past weekend, and I'm excited to finally have this thing rolling.
I've already seen a lot of you at Performance training, and that rules. I wholeheartedly believe that this program will help get you all in the best race shape of your lives, but only if you make a point to come in and train! I've given you the tools, and I'm here to support you, but I can't force any of you to train. If you aren't sure what you should be doing or are feeling burned out, please come talk to me about it. We can adjust things to keep you enthused about the program as we progress through the summer.
Since we're on the training subject, let's touch on how you all should be implementing the program. We worked through an "A" and a "B" workout, which you should be rotating into your training schedule. You should also be doing some base cardiovascular training (running, riding a bike, swimming, hiking, etc. - should be easy now that summer seems to be here), which you can work into your week's schedule. My recommended training program is as follows through July 3:
Mon: REST DAY (actively rest - take your mind off of training and enjoy a day off!)
Tues: A "Strength"
Wed: B "Core and Stability"
Thurs: active cardiovascular work (25-50 minutes at moderate to high intensity, as dictated on your Strength workout sheet)
Fri: A "Strength"
Sat: B "Core and Stability"
Sun: active cardivascular work (25-40 minutes of high intensity work - intervals are okay - as dictated on your Core and Stability workout sheet)
Stick to the workouts as written, but don't be afraid to up the intensity as you get stronger. When I say "intensity", I mean workload. Add weight or change the angle on your TRX exercises - do not add more reps or sets to your workout! If you finish a set of exercises in your workout on Tuesday and feel like you've got a lot left in the tank, write a note in your training log and add some intensity for the next workout. Don't try and "make up the difference" by overloading the next exercise sets - that's how training injuries happen. When increasing weight for specific exercises, do so conservatively. My basic rule of thumb is to never add more than 10 lbs per repetition per week of training. Make sure that you're training at an intensity that is challenging yet manageable - remember that no one wins races in the gym in June.
I've emailed all of you that were here for the camp 2 files that will help you with your nutrition. One is a meal plan template that will help you track what you're putting into your body. You don't need to worry about counting calories, etc., but I do want you all to be aware of what you're eating. If you're going to treat your body like a machine here in the gym, you need to treat your body like a machine in the kitchen. Put the right fuel into your body. The other file is a nutrition breakdown guideline that provides a good baseline of food choices that fit a healthy mealplan profile. Again, this is a guideline, and I don't expect any of you to follow it religiously. Just use the information to eat healthier and take care of your bodies as we press on throughout the training season.
Lastly, remember what we talked about regarding hydration - drink plenty of water to help your body function at a high level, especially as we get into the hotter months of summer. Here's a great article that includes a lot of the information I'd like you all to be thinking about: http://lavamagazine.com/training/liquid-love-are-you-getting-enough#axzz1OpEFoqEf ;
I understand that many of you will be at Hood over the next few weeks training - we'll be getting a second camp organized (right now looking at July 6, 7, and 8) to go through the next phase of training. If any of you aren't going to Hood and missed the first camp last week, please email me at chris@takeyourbike.org and we'll set something up to get you started.
As I mentioned above, the next camp will be scheduled soon, most likely for July 6, 7, and 8. If any of you would prefer other dates, please email me - I can work with your schedules. If any of you would like to organize a smaller session package for just yourself or a small group, please don't hesitate to ask. I want to make sure you have every opportunity to get with me, develop the knowledge you need for your training program, and stay focused moving forward.
I look forward to hearing from all of you - see you at the gym!
