Some Changes Comin'

After going back and forth for the first half of January I've finally decided to make some changes in how I train. Since this is kind of an experimental season I can do pretty much whatever the hell I want. That could mean my new plan with either be a good idea or a bust but either way I'm going to stick it out.

Let me set the stage first. At the end of last tri season when I was riding my MTB a lot more and then throughout CX season I realized I don't have a lot of explosive power on the bike. Being able to make sudden bursts with a lot of power is fairly important in those races, particularly in cyclocross since they say how you get off the line at the start is about 25% of the race. Guess where my position was coming off the line? Ready? Yep, close to last. I'd go hard but there wasn't enough power there to make a difference. That's gonna change.

I've decided to start a dedicated weight program that incorporates plyometrics, building up my core strength, and gaining some explosive power. It doesn't need to last long, but it needs to be there when I need it. I'm not getting overly carried away as I'm going to do it twice each week through March. And of course I'll still be swimming, cycling and running on every other day. I have no idea what the end result will be but I'm looking forward to seeing what happens just the same.

Along the same lines I'm making some changes to my diet. Better foods, less sugars and crap. I'm also going to start with aiming for 2,000 calories/day and adjust from there. I have a feeling that's going to leave me feeling hungry and weak but I'd rather start under than over. I'm certain this plan will by no means be executed with perfection but I'm still going to give it a real shot. Hopefully I'll have some good results to show for it once the season gets underway.