Keeping it FUN!

Have you ever been at the startline of a race, and heard someone say, "I can't wait until this is OVER"?

Have you ever asked a friend to go riding, and heard "Sorry, I can't....my coach told me I HAVE to do X,Y,Z"

Have you ever set out to do a planned workout, and it just felt like one more thing on your to-do list?

Oh oh....sounds like we're not having FUN anymore!

So let's be realistic...if you have set out to train for a specific event, there is a certain level of commitment and consistency you need to acheive your goal. So if you bailed out of every long ride to go for a fast rip around the trails, you may not build the endurance you need to be ready for race day. Having said that, you can be really flexible in your training, and still reach your fitness goals.

Here are some examples from my own training lately.
- I was all ready to do a 3 hour bike/run/bike/run indoor brick. Believe it or not, I like training indoors and listening to great music. My friend called up to ride at Kal Park. It took me a moment to shift mental gears, but I changed plans, mtn biked for 2 hours, then did an hour walk/jog in the park.
- I was trying to schedule my pool swim amoungst a multitude of errands and work demands and my training began to feel like work also. I took a step back and realized I needed to de-stress in the great outdoors, so did a lake swim instead.

For most of us, triathlon training is our outlet for fun, fitness, and socializing. If you feel yourself dreading workouts, or getting bored, time to switch it up! You can get pretty darn fit in a whole lot of different ways. Try hiking up Silver Star, mountain biking, kyacking, lake swimming. It's not going to ruin your workout to stop along the way at the farmer's market, or cafe along the ride.

If you want to switch things up, but aren't sure how it can work with your training plan, ask your coach for some ideas.

Happy Training!