I need a plan

I've been kind of intentionally slacking since the marathon. First, I wanted to give my body a break. Also, the cold weather seems to encourage me to curl up on the couch, covered in blankets and cats - not exactly a healthy lifestyle. The less you do, the less want to do, and so you do even less. I am trapped in a downward spiral of slothfulness. A den of sloth.

It's the end of the year (Christmas is on Sunday already!), and I think a good time to reflect and plan for next year. In 2005, I ran, biked and swam farther (and faster) than I ever have before. I ate better. I'm still wearing the skinny pants. I learned a lot about nutrition, athletes and the human body. I read a lot of blogs. I'm a beginner. It was a good start. For me.

For the rest of triathlete society (I guess there is such a thing), it was pretty weak. I've been keeping better track of my running than anything else. Here is a chart of my mileage by week:



Umm, not exactly consistent. And far from the recommended mileage for a marathoner. My average weekly mileage was only around 10. That's the bare minimum base to start training. Yes, there was swimming and biking, but that was pretty minimal too.

I'm still going to have a laid-back approach to training in 2006. I have a pretty demanding job and I like sleep. I just need to kick it up a notch (or seven).

So, I'm working on a master plan. I've got multiple books and training plans, so I am trying to create a blend that will work for me. Gotta love the spreadsheet. A few things I thinkI will try:
- focusing on time (minutes/hours) instead of miles
- added intervals to my training instead of pounding out the laps or miles
- adding strength and core training
- spinning class (I don't like to bike ride in the city or in the cold)
- group rides (I found these great group bike rides here)
- a bike race (I think I will sign up for this)

Stay tuned for the plan.