Baby it's cold outside and no better time to get out there than now. Winter, a relatively quiet time in our lives isn't meant to be a time to throw it all away by getting merry with nog and baked goodies.... it IS a time to let your body relax and enjoy. Not losing all the hard work you have put in the last year should be as big of a priority as making sure you have all of the right gifts!
The weeks can easily slip by in the winter as you rush around trying to get all of the last minute things done for the people in your life, keeping your fitness on top of the list will not only ensure that you have the energy and right attitude to tackle that list but will also keep frustration at bay as you won't risk losing all of the fitness you have created in that body of yours.
Try to keep running, riding or swimming a minimum of 3 days a week. It only takes 3 days for your body to start to break down from inactivity and within a few weeks of no cardio you will lose your VO2 max that you worked so hard to gain during the season.
In your workouts, you should shoot for at least 45 minutes for each workout. You will need a few minutes in the beginning to get your body in agreement with your mind that now is a good time to move.
Try to get in 30 minutes of that 45 minutes at a high output, meaning, you should be working hard for at least 30 minutes in each of your workouts.
You can do this on your run by warming up for the first 5 - 10 minutes and then pushing hard by doing fartlecks (sprint type running). With fartlecks, or striders as I call them, you look for a landmark about 50 yards away and run as hard as you can, then recover for a few minutes. The recovery should be long enough that your heart rate is back in control. Then do it again, maybe 4 or 5 times. Your body will thank you and your heart will thank you! Make your runs during the off season more about getting out there and enjoying the outdoors, balancing it all with the flurry of the season. Being outside when everyone else is inside crammed into the mall is a great feeling. The nip on your nose and the burn in your lungs gives you a strong sense of life and perspective. I'm pretty confident that you will be very proud of yourself for getting out there and keeping that fitness alive.
Riding your bike outside may not be an option with the weather, but getting on a bike trainer (a stationary hold for your own bike) is a great way to keep those muscles moving without the headache of trying to make it happen in the rain or cold. Set up your trainer in your living room, plug in your favorite holiday movie and spin away! You can help your lungs stay strong by doing a similiar thing to the striders...spin for 15 minutes or so at an easy - moderate pace then kick it up for 1 minute as hard as you can. Recover for 2 or 3 minutes and do it again! Your body will love you for it! I use the commercials when I am watching TV to make me do the striders....I don't need to listen to them anyway and it's a fun way to justify watching the television.
"Swimming???" you say...yes swimming in the winter. Pools are heated you know. When I am swimming as it is pouring rain on my head a smile creeps across my face. It is a powerful feeling to know that you made a choice that others would call crazy, that you are choosing to believe in the power of moving your body....it feels so good. Master's programs run year round, winter is a good time to work on swimming as it gives you great fitness and it's easy to lose your stroke technique. Stay connected to your local pool, don't be scared away by the rain...it feels good on your head as you swim hard!
There is something freeing in the winter about working out... gone are the schedules, the must do mileage or laps. There is simplicty in heading out the door because you want to, not because you have to. Training is meant to help you reach a goal, to keep your mind focused on the target, the finish line. Our minds need time to rest, our hearts need to reconnect with why we do anything we do. Moving your body has a way of bringing it all into perspective. It's putting the shoes on, getting out of the door and doing it which means everything.
While we don't want to lose our fitness we have to give our hearts a time out from the "must do" list. There are probably many things on your list as the holidays are quickly approaching, take the time to breath and think of all of the things you want to do in 2010. When we are running around crossing things off of the list it's hard to see outside and beyond the list. When you are alone on the trail, the treadmill, or the trainer, your mind has the time to wander and roam. Let it....there is time for everything to get done and for the training plan to come. You have time, rest and enjoy the new life you have chosen to live as a Mermaid.
Happy LIfe, Happy Training, Happy Everything...
See you on the trails,
Coach Heidi
Team Mermaid
