Hope you've had great New Year's celebrations and are ready to embark on great things in 2017. I'm hoping for great things for myself too, and for my athletes.
One of the things I would like to do is be a bit more interactive in the new year. Hopefully I can get out to do some group runs in NY and NJ and do them a lot more often. I'm also restarting this blog to keep everyone updated weekly on training throughout the year.
-----
Winter Training. Some people love it. Some hate it. But winter is a
reality and all of us have to train in it.
Training
Outside
As for training outside, forget about swimming. If you still consider
that an option, you can contact the local Polar Bear chapter near
you. As a matter of fact a lot of them will have Polar Bear Plunges
around the New Year, so check around!
Cycling is also very tough when the weather gets frigid, but it can
be done. You need special clothes that seal your body away from the
outside air to make it work. Covering the extremities is very, very
important, and they have items and methods to keep your digits warm.
Here is a short, concise article on what to wear at certain
temperatures.
http://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/beginners/winter-layering-done-right-how-dress-cycling-cold-weather
Some people do opt for the treadmill when the temperature plunges,
but running outside is by far the easiest to dress up in those cold
winter days since you are not going as fast as cycling. It's best to
have something that keeps the heat in but can dissipate the sweat.
Layering and covering up the extremities are also important here.
Here's another good article on running in the winter:
http://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/beginners/winter-layering-done-right-how-dress-cycling-cold-weather
Training
Indoors
If you decide to remain indoors, especially when those huge winter
storms hit, you do have options.
Swimming indoors is a given. You should have already signed up with a
gym with a pool. Thankfully there are a good number of pools in the
area that you can sign into, with the YMCA being the best bet.
Cycling involves an indoor trainer, or rollers. The two most
expensive options are the Computrainer or the Peloton. The machines
cost at least over $1000, but they do provide the best way to cycling
indoors. You can plot various courses on these machines and allow the
machine to increase or decrease the tension as you “climb” and
“descend” the simulated hills respectively. It definitely helps
break the monotony of riding in place for an hour or two.
If you want to go cheaper, CycleOps has fluid and magnetic trainers
available for several hundred dollars. But here you'll need to be a
bit creative and design interval-style workouts that will increase
your bike fitness during the winter months. One of the best resources
for interval workouts is online, of course. Another very good source
is this book full of great workouts designed to target both your
aerobic and anaerobic systems:
https://www.amazon.com/Workouts-Binder-Indoor-Cycling-Hobson/dp/1931382751
For indoor running, there's the treadmill. If you're fortunate enough
to sign up with a pool that has a gym, you have one available there.
Just set up the pace and off you go! You can also run intervals on
the machine as well.
Goings
On
On
Staten Island
Thursdays, January 12 and 26 at 6AM: Boardwalk Runs – We'll start
these off this year. We'll meet at the South Fin Grill on the
Boardwalk (you can use the Park and Ride lot to park your car). We
can do anywhere from 4-6 miles along the Boardwalk to the Midland
Beach Promenade and Miller Field. I'll aim to get these done every
Thursday in the possible future!
Other runs, like runs in the Greenbelt and around the Conference
House, will be scheduled from week to week whenever I discover I have
free time. If you want to lead a run, let me know and I'll post it
here!
In New
Jersey
The Directors, Ken Vercammen and the Rumson Hash House Harriers are
organizing yet another Hash run around the South Bruswick
neighborhood on January 7. Wear your rattiest clothes and come on
down!
Upcoming races (next 2 weeks)
January 7 - 15
Triathlons
and Multisport
January 8 - Lifetime Fitness Indoor Triathlon – various locations.
http://www.indoortri.com . 10
minute swim in the pool, 30 minute bike, 20 minute run. Only $30 to
enter. Very good min-winter training idea!
Pete
