The Husband and I went through a Panda Puffs cereal phase this past Fall.  We tore through two boxes of the kids’ cereal a week.  I ate it with milk, I ate it with yogurt, I ate it plain, I ate as part of homemade trail mixes.

I swear, I thought I was going to turn into a giant Panda Puff.

And then… one day… the thought of eating one more peanut butter flavored puff made me want to hurl.  We went off the Puffs cold turkey.  Until the Husband recently bought a box.

Does it have the same appeal?  Honestly, no.  I’m still not over my self-induced puff aversion.

I feel this way about White Russians.  I got sick off of the cream and vodka combination once and have never let a drop pass my lips since.  I shudder just to think of it!

I also do this with music – I listen to the same song over and over again until the Husband begs me to put something else – anything else! – on.  Currently, I’m replaying the new Katy Perry song over and over.  Good workout jam.

Hey – at least I know what I like.  Until I don’t like it anymore, of course.

New to this series?  Please check out The Naked Face Project website and my introduction to TNFP to get a complete understanding of the intention behind the Project.  Other bloggers and readers are joining the project, too.  Check out our Gallery of Naked Faces.

The first few weeks of The Naked Face Project were rather serious.  First, I discussed my ‘beauty legacy,’ or how my upbringing – and my mother’s upbringing – as well as my hometown, influenced what beauty habits I engaged in. 

Then, I discussed how I believe in a pattern of continuing and overlapping Self-Esteem Evolutions.

This week, I wanted to discuss two smaller topics – my mind is all over the place with The Naked Face Project!  There are so many threads in my thought process right now, but very few have neatly come together to form any significant conclusions.  I’m definitely still in a space of ‘feeling out’ what it really means to me to go without things like makeup and shaving (and, again, as you can read in the other posts, it’s not that I think these things are inherently bad, the purpose of the Project is to discover my intention behind my beauty actions).

Thread #1:  The Juicy Details

I know that when Molly Barker and I first announced The Naked Face Project, many people thought – and feared – that our weekly posts would be superficial “Eww! Look how hairy my pits are!” photo montages.  Hopefully, we have proven that the Project is about more than that!  But at the same time, I know lots of you are curious to know the juicy details. Hah!

First of all, my leg hair grows a lot slower than I thought it did.  Second of all, my armpit hair grows a lot faster than I thought it did. I haven’t been making any wardrobe modifications because of The Naked Face Project, so my hairy pits have been in full display at the gym or during prenatal yoga.  And you know what? I’ve realized that I simply do not care what other people think of me.  After all, it’s just hair.

Lots of people really questioned Molly’s and my decision to give up deodorant.  The deciding factor in the decision for us was whether deodorant was a beauty product or a hygiene product.  We thought it was a beauty product, so we eliminated it from our regimens.  Molly has since decided that she smells more than she thought she did, so she’s brought it back.  However, daily sniff tests have revealed that I really don’t smell, although I do get sweatier thanks to the extra hair.  I’m still deodorant-free, and I have to say that it’s quite nice to discover that I don’t have to use the product year-around (I am 100% sure that summer will be a different story).

Other people have asked for an update on the Husband’s reaction to the Project.  While I know he prefers smooth legs, I don’t think the extra hair has really been that big of a deal – it’s not preventing other activities, if you know what I mean.  I asked him this morning if he’s noticed that I’m wearing less makeup, and he says he hadn’t really registered a big difference.  I found this to be extremely interesting because I perceive a huge and noticeable difference between my makeup and naked faces.

Makeup v. Naked

The Husband’s reaction to my naked face has brought up all sorts of interesting thoughts.  Do I think that wearing makeup imparts some extra quality onto me, like confidence?  Have I just been tricked into thinking that makeup me is the ‘better’ version of myself?  Can other women tell a difference more easily than other men?  What does that say about who I wear makeup for – is it for myself, other women, or men?  Does the Husband not notice a difference because he loves me?  Would he have noticed a difference nine years ago when we were still just casually dating? 

Also – and this is another incomplete thought, but I just wanted to throw it out there to the universe to see what I get back – I have noticed that I am trying to ‘shine’ in other ways now that I am naked faced.  For example, when I go out with friends, I am making an even greater effort than normal to be a good listener and ask a lot of questions.  I’m not sure if I am subconsciously looking for another way to validate myself to others or if I feel that there is less between me and others – literally and metaphorically – so I am even more willing to be open and caring.  It might be a little of both!  Like I said, this is an early observation of the Project, but I’m interested to see where it takes me.

Thread #2:  What’s in a Label?

I am currently reading The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty Are Used Against Women by Naomi Wolf.  I just started the book and hope to have a complete review of it in the next few weeks, but so far, it is rather interesting. The Beauty Myth’s basic theory that is that as women have gained “increased social power and prominence, expected adherence to standards of physical beauty has grown stronger,” mainly as a way to undermine women psychologically and politically (source).

Basically, if we’re spending all this time obsessed with our appearance and feeling not good enough because we don’t look a certain way or can’t afford certain clothing, we’re distracted from larger, more important issues.  Who’s doing the distracting?  According to Wolf, it’s a patriarchal society that cannot function if equality is truly valued, as well as powerful industries (cosmetics, plastic surgery, fashion) that stand to make billions of dollars off the beauty myth.  Obviously, The Beauty Myth is a very polarizing and opinionated book, and while I’m not sure I agree with everything in it, it’s definitely given me a lot to think about – it’s always intriguing to think about my actions in a larger societal sense.

The Beauty Myth is clearly a feminist manifesto.  The Naked Face Project’s mission statement clearly states that we are not trying to make a larger feminist statement through the Project or observations about other people’s behaviors; this is really just an opportunity for us to explore our intentions behind our own actions.  I am, quite honestly, not educated enough in the feminist movement and philosophy to make larger statements about being naked faced relates to feminists, anyway.  But by participating in the Project and through reading books like The Beauty Myth, I have begun to question my own personal feminist beliefs.

Because I like to write about women’s issues on the blog, people usually assume that I am a feminist.  But when people ask me if I call myself a feminist, I hesitate (or my answer varies greatly depending on the day).  I am slightly ashamed to say that I am a little afraid to wear the feminist label.  The Beauty Myth says that this is because society has brainwashed me into thinking that being a feminist is a bad – or unattractive thing – by setting up ‘butch’ or ‘man-hater’ connotations.  I think, for me, this explanation is at least partially true.  And when I think about it, that’s really sad.

Another reason why I hesitate to call myself a feminist is because the few times I have had what other people perceive as an ‘anti-feminist’ thought or emotion, I get called out for not being a ‘good enough’ feminist.  I understand that some feminists sometimes feel the need to educate and talk to other women about how they may be subconsciously undermining larger feminist goals.  I totally respect that, and I very often end up learning a lot from such discussions.  But more often than not, being called out for not being a ‘good enough’ feminist makes me feel guilty, terrible, and on the defensive.  I don’t feel like we’re all part of one team.  As a result, I hesitate to call myself a feminist because then I can’t be shunned for not being a perfect one.

I see this happen a lot in the world of vegetarian bloggers.  A vegetarian blogger will eat soup with fish sauce or carry a leather purse, and others will jump on them, telling them that they aren’t a ‘real vegetarian.’ I think this is sad because I support anyone making an effort to eat less animal products, and I don’t believe the way to get others to ‘join our side’ is by making them feel guilty or stupid.

Interestingly enough, I am a vegetarian who has a personal ‘gray area,’ and I’m quite comfortable to call myself a vegetarian and do certain things that I know other vegetarians frown on. I have my own definition of vegetarianism, I make it work in my life, and I truthfully don’t care if that makes me a bad vegetarian.  But I hesitate to proudly wear the label of Feminist.  And that, to me, is extremely sad because feminism is simply a movement aimed at “defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights for women” – and I totally agree with those goals! (Source)

So although The Naked Face Project is not about larger feminist issues, participating it the Project and thinking more about women’s issues is helping me to become more comfortable with my own views – labeled or not.  I do hope that by the end of the Project, I will be confident and comfortable enough with myself to say, “Yes, I am a feminist!” loud and proud.

Quite the verbal vomit post today!  I’m sorry if my thoughts were scattered, but I wanted to write openly about the things that had been rolling around in my head all week (and, truth be told, it is very often difficult to be honest).  I am excited and curious to hear your thoughts and feedback about your own experiences with the issues that I touched on – especially with the feminist label and labels in general.

For more The Naked Face Project, be sure to check out Molly Barker’s musings.

I’m about to enter a three-week period of craziness.  Starting Monday, I’m flying to five Operation Beautiful speaking events in five different states within sixteen days.  These are (probably) my last events before the baby arrives; I’m planning to take a travel hiatus until October.  Plus, next week, Girls on the Run begins, and DadHTP is moving to Charlotte (yay!).  This week is definitely the calm before the storm – I’m trying to soak it up. 

Delicious breakfast:

Bisquick Gluten-free pancakes with canned pumpkin mixed in

Plan Greek yogurt drizzled with honey

Blueberries

I just add 1/4 cup pumpkin to the pancake batter – no need to adjust the other measurements.  The result?  Big and fluffy pumpkin pancakes.

Time to be extra productive.  You know how college professors always recommend that students ‘read ahead’ to the next chapter so they’re on top of everything?  Yeah.  I never did that in college (Did anyone? If so, I admire you greatly!).  But I’m going to try to metaphorically ‘read ahead’ with some of my workload and get a few projects done now.  It’s worth a shot, at the very least.

Have an excellent day! Stay tuned for The Naked Face Project update.

Swimming is fun and all, but I can’t feel the sweat!  Tangent:  I totally just Googled “Do you sweat while swimming?” and discovered this awesome article, which confirmed that, yes, you sweat while swimming, you’re just not aware of it.  Your sweat rate is lower than it would be land-based exercises, though.  Good to know – I should start drinking water in the middle of swim workouts…

Anyway, I’ve been back on the elliptical because the mere act of sweating feel so nice.  I usually end up totally bored on cardio equipment, but I brought my Kindle and the 30 minutes just flew by (here’s 7 Ways To Make Gym Cardio More Bearable). And that I lifted for a bit – I just did some bicep, tricep, and chest moves. Pretty basic stuff.

Anyone else feel me on the sweat love? 

Dinner:

Brown rice, celery, carrots, beets, cast-iron tofu, and balsamic dressing.  Good stuff.

And ice cream with caramel sauce for dessert.

On that delicious note, I’m off to curl up on the couch and relax.

Have a wonderful evening, friends!

Happy 23 Weeks, BabyHTP!  Here’s what the baby is up to this week:  “Your baby is practicing her "breathing" on the amniotic fluid—sucking it in and out of her lungs.  Fat production is in overdrive at this point… Your baby will basically double in weight over the next four weeks! Her body is looking more proportional now and her facial features are fully formed.  Your baby is about 11½ inches long and weighs 1 pound, or about the length and weight of a Harry Potter book.” (Source)

It’s strange because I can tell the baby likes to keep his/her head on my left side and the feet on my right.  I hardly ever feel kicks or bumps on the left.  When I wake up in the morning, the left side of my stomach is always really hard – I think it’s the baby’s back or butt. 

Today, we had an appointment with a midwife.  The OB/GYN practice that I go to has ‘regular’ doctors and six midwives. If your pregnancy is low-risk, one of the midwives will deliver your baby. This appeals to the Husband and I because we are focused on having a low-intervention birth (if possible), and the midwife mentality gels with our philosophy.  This practice really seems to be the best of both worlds – we have access to midwife care with back-up OB/GYN support.  I’m really glad that I went with my gut and transferred practices during the first trimester.  Definitely worth the hassle.

So – this week, let’s talk about STRESS. 

I feel like I have to preface the next few paragraphs with the statement that I’m obviously very, very happy to be pregnant.  And I’m extremely grateful to be carrying a healthy baby. 

But you know what?  Pregnancy is super scary.  And emotionally and physically hard.  This past week, I had my first few “OMG, what are we doing? What have we gotten ourselves into?” freak outs.  I cried for no good reason (unless raging hormones are a good reason).  I longed to drink a glass of wine. I read other bloggers’ race recaps, and I longed to go on a hard run. I longed to have my body be mine.  I did an updated budget and longed to have more money to spend on frivolous things.  And my emotions would swing wildly back in the other direction, and I’d be left wondering, “Am I going to be a crap mom?”  I didn’t feel like I should tell anyone in my real life – even the Husband or my mom – what I was feeling because I was 100% sure they would judge me.  Just for having such thoughts, I felt selfish and mean… and I also felt really guilty.

Mommy Guilt is an interesting thing.  It doesn’t start when you have a baby in your arms.  It starts way before that.  When I realized what I was feeling was Mommy Guilt, I really wanted to talk about it on the blog.  Especially since we were trying to get pregnant, I think I expect myself to be totally and completely fine with giving up my old life.  While I am excited about the change most of the time, it would be crazy if I didn’t occasionally have doubts or worries… It doesn’t  make me a bad mommy.  It makes me human.

So, here’s a few things that I’ve been doing to even out my Mommy Guilt emotions:

• Stop Overloading:  I’m a self-confessed workaholic, but I’ve realized that I need to start saying no to more things.  When I say no to small projects, I have more time and feel less stressed out… and then I suffer from less Mommy Guilt as a result.  It’s easy to keep everything in perspective when I’m not going a million miles a minute.

• Eating Right:  I eat pretty well 90% of the time, but there’s definitely been more than a few recent dinners that I just ate French fries or a bowl of cereal.  I’ve noticed that I feel so much better – physically and emotionally – when I eat real, balanced meals.

• Talk About It:  I started to talk to a few people in my life about my Mommy Guilt thoughts and I was a little surprised – but not really that surprised – that the way I was feeling is super common.  One of my best friends is also pregnant right now, and it was so nice hear her say that she sometimes has “OMG, What the heck am I doing?” moments, too.  No one has judged me. 

• Make Fun Plans:  I’ve been making more pre-baby plans to do fun things (as simple as hanging out with friends or organizing a babymoon for the Husband and I).  I’ve also been making some post-baby plans.  I don’t really know what life is going to be like, but I do know what I would like it to be like.  For example, my best friend and I have talked about a group beach trip the spring or summer after the kids are born.  And I’ve pinpointed some races that I’d like to train for post-baby. 

All in all, I’m feeling much better than I was at the beginning of the week.  I feel calmer, more focused, and relaxed.  I’m sure the Mommy Guilt never stops, but I imagine that acknowledging it and dealing with it proactively are the first steps to keeping it from taking over your entire existence!

Here are my Babble posts from this week:

• Babymoons:  Yay or  Nay?
• Thrifting: Baby Items to Save and Splurge On
• Cover Your Nips: Disposable v. Washable Nursing Pads
• Marriage Counseling… For a Happy Marriage?
• The Immediate Impact of Organic
• Adorable Fruit and Vegetable Onesies

Here’s Week 23, neatly summarized:

• Total Weight Gain: Official weigh-in at the doctor’s office says 16 pounds.

• Workouts:  Four workouts, although they were kind of meh overall.  Prenatal yoga, 3-mile walk, 2.5-mile walk, and 20 minutes on the elliptical.

• Baby Items Purchased: We put an offer in on a house!  Does that count?

• Public Acknowledgements:  A patient at the clinic asked me if I was pregnant.  Public acknowledgements on my pregnancy by strangers are still few and far between, and it was nice!

• Energy Levels: SKY HIGH!  I have been sleeping so well.  It’s amazing.

What’s your Mommy Guilt remedy?

Alright – you’re going to have to trust me on this one.  Have you ever made savory oatmeal?  I know it sounds a bit strange, but savory (or spicy!) oatmeal is so delicious, and it’s a really nice break from the traditionally sweetened version. 

Trust me.

On the stovetop:

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup soy mik

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup packed shredded raw spinach

Salt and pepper

I scooped the mixture into a bowl and topped it off with a scrambled egg and roasted pumpkin seeds. 

Perfect!

Three Random Questions

What are you wearing?

What are you doing today?

What did you dream about last night?

My answers:  I’m still wearing pajamas (oh, the joys of working from home) – a red shirt and maternity sweatpants.  I need to get some writing and research done, and then we’re going to the OB/GYN for a baby appointment.  I dreamt that my college (University of Pittsburgh) was surrounded by a moat, and I was doing a triathlon in the moat, but after the swim leg, I had to run from station to station and answer all these trivia questions and brainteasers.  Weird.

Most of my smoothies are sickly sweet (because of the fruit) but this one has BEETS in it.  Not too sweet, not too vegetabley.  Just right.

In the blender:

1 cup soy milk (vanilla)

3/4 cup frozen raspberries

2 large steamed beets, chilled

2 scoops protein powder 

‘Twas a good one!

Love Shouldn’t Hurt

So, of course, everyone gets swept up in the ‘romantic love’ part of Valentine’s Day.  But to me, the holiday has always been about more – love for my family, love for my pets, love for my friends, and – most importantly – love for myself.   I wanted to take an opportunity to remind everyone reading this that they deserve to be respected and loved by everyone in their lives – especially romantic partners.  Here’s a guest post from my friend, Angela, about some very serious issues for women (and men, too) – domestic violence, abuse, and stalking. 

Angela says:

Today is Valentine’s Day—a day to celebrate love and relationships. Yet, on this day, I find myself disturbed by messages that equate romance with stalking—a pattern of behavior that is serious, dangerous, and a crime everywhere in the United States.

Recently, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found that 6.6 million people are stalked in a 12-month period and that 1 in 6 women and 1 in 19 men are stalked at some point in their lifetime. For both female and male stalking victims, the stalker was most often someone they knew or with whom they had a relationship. Stalking can be dangerous and even lethal. In one key study, 76 percent of female victims of intimate partner homicide had been stalked before they were killed. The connections between stalking and violence are clear when looking at these statistics.

The connection became clear to me in January 2007 when my lifelong friend was murdered by her stalker. Jodi Sanderholm was valedictorian of her high school class, a member of the National Honor Society, member of her dance team and apparently a stalking victim. She never dated her stalker yet court records indicate that his obsession with her reached back a decade.

Many people fail to see the seriousness of the crime of stalking. Although jokes about murder or robbery are rare in our society, jokes about stalking are common. People joke about stalking celebrities they like or friends whom they often see or follow on Facebook. And films, advertising, and popular culture often trivialize the crime. Recently, Papyrus Recycled Paper Greetings produced a Valentine’s Day card that was sold in stores including Target and Wegmans. The card’s message— “Stalker is a harsh word. I prefer Valentine” — conflates stalking with love and minimizes the severe impact of the crime. And the sale of this type of product is not an isolated incident. One merely needs to conduct an online search for “stalking T-shirts” or “stalking cards” to find countless examples of such messages.

The minimization of stalking poses one the greatest challenges to effective community responses to this crime. Those charged with responding to victims and holding offenders accountable often minimize the seriousness of stalkers’ behavior and the risk posed by stalking, particularly when stalkers pursue their victims through technology. And victims often tell themselves they are overreacting, which then prevents them from reporting the crime. Being surrounded by cues that minimize stalking may keep victims from seeking help.

Valentine’s Day takes place during National Teen Dating Violence and Awareness Prevention Month and just two weeks after the end of National Stalking Awareness Month. Each of these months provides a prime opportunity to learn more about the realities of abusive and stalking behaviors, to deconstruct social messages about romance and love, and to promote appropriate and healthy relationships.  Jodi’s Voice is dedicated to increasing awareness surrounding the crime of stalking and assisting stalking victims. Currently, we are working to secure funding for a documentary highlighting Jodi’s story. You can read more about personal experiences with stalking at www.jodisvoice.org.   For more information on stalking visit the Stalking Resource Center at www.ncvc.org/src. For more information on National Teen Dating Violence and Awareness Prevention Month visit www.teendvmonth.org.

You see, Maggie is used to spending approximately 10 hours a day in my lap. It’s been like this every single day since I started to work from home at my old job nearly four and a half years ago. In case you’re counting, that’s about 16,425 hours in my lap.

Of course, when the baby comes, Maggie’s life is going to change.  I still plan to hold her in my lap every day (when the Husband is holding the baby, we’re all sitting on the couch, or the baby is sleeping or playing) but her lap time is, obviously, going to drastically decrease.  Our biggest concern with the dogs is that we don’t want to totally flip their lives upside-down one day – we imagine that would be emotionally distressing and make them resent the baby – so we’re trying to make lots of little changes slowly over time.  Our goal is to make the five of us one big, happy family.

So, we bought a creepy baby doll for $1 at a consignment sale, and I’ve been sitting with the doll in my lap about half of the time that I’m the computer.  I look like a nut, but it’s really helping Maggie figure things out (which is a miracle – Maggie isn’t the brightest crayon in the box). When my lap is occupied, she doesn’t really try to get up; she just sits in the doggie bed next to me.  And when my lap is free, she knows it’s cuddle time. 

Next up on our list of doggie behavioral tweaks (the first tweak was getting James used to sleeping in his cozy cave, which he now loves!):  playing YouTube videos of crying babies to get them used to the sound.

In other news…

Happy Valentine’s Day!  Can you spot the two mystery hearts?

Per our holiday tradition, I received breakfast in bed (next year is the Husband’s turn).  He made me a wonderful egg and cheese sammie.

Can any other furmommas weigh in on how they prepared their beloved pups for the baby? 

Brown rice, tahini sauce, broccoli slaw, and leftover baked tofu.  With a little hydration station of orange juice and coconut water.

Munched on a bag of baby carrots on the way back to work.

A few hours later, I dug into my purse for a Larabar (anyone else keep emergency snacks in their bag?!).  This flavor is excellent.

And by the time we got home at 7:45, all I could muster the energy for was Greek yogurt, caramel sauce, blueberries, and raw oats.

Side note: doesn’t Maggie have the cutest, most wrinkly neck ever?

Plus loads of these delicious bites of air.

I should probably go eat another vegetable or something.

Thought of the Day:

Happy early Valentine’s Day!

Emergency munchie stashes – and discuss!

I’ve really enjoyed writing this post series.  It has kind of made me feel like I’m currently gearing up for a triathlon.  Hah.  This post – on training – concludes the series.

First things first: If I can do a triathlon, you can do a triathlon. I may have a dozen or so triathlons under my belt, but the first time I stepped up to a tri starting line, my knees were shaking because I was so scared.  And then I ended up getting disqualified from the swim because I had a panic attack.  I’ve flipped out in the water, I’ve crashed my bike, I’ve tripped during the run.  If I can do a triathlon – and LOVE IT – then so can you, if you want to!

Second, I can only speak to training the way that I have trained, so I’m hoping that readers will weigh in with their training advice and feedback.  I’ve only done a sprint and Olympic triathlon – never anything longer like a Half Ironman – so bear this in mind when reading my training tips.  Training for an Ironman obviously looks very different than training for a sprint.

Third, I came into triathlons with a strong cardiovascular base, having completed my first marathon a few months before.  I was also already comfortable on a bike. I don’t think it’s necessary to be a great runner, cyclist, or swimmer before training for a tri, but you’ll want to allow yourself a few more months to get into shape if you’re truly starting from nothing (i.e. do something like the Couch to 5K plan before tackling an introductory triathlon training plan).  I must say that I think that triathlon training is a GREAT way for a beginner to get started because you’re really challenging your body by engaging in three different sports.  I felt stronger when training for a sprint triathlon than I did training for a marathon.

Fourth, if you’ve been reading for a while, you know that I tend to create my own training plans.  My plans are based on a strong understanding of my body and what I need to do to get race-ready for the speeds that I race at.  What works for me may not work for you.  That’s why I’ve summed this post up with links to training plans from other sites.

Step #1:  Determine Your Weak Sport and Your Pocket Sport.  Before you jump into training, think about what sport – the swim, bike, or run – is your weak sport.  It may be your weak sport because 1) you’ve never done it before or 2) you can do it, but you’re really nervous about it.  For example, my weak sport was swimming.  When I did my first sprint tri, I had to learn how to swim for fitness.  Then, I had to learn how to get over my fear of open water (more on swimming here).  You also want to consider your ‘pocket sport’ – meaning the sport you’ve got in your back pocket.  Running was my pocket sport.  I’m not a particularly fast runner, but I know I can trudge through a 10K if I have to even if I haven’t been running regularly for a while (pregnancy not included, obviously). 

Step #2: Use Your Weak and Pocket Sports to Determine Your Training Breakdown.  Triathlon training plans break down into five general styles:

• Heavy on the Run:  You run more often than you swim or bike.  Usually, you run three times a week and do the other sports twice a week.
• Heavy on the Swim:  You swim more often (three days) than you run or bike (two days).
• Heavy on the Bike:  You bike more often (three days) than you run or swim (two days).
• Two Timer: You run two times a week, swim two times a week, and bike two times a week. 
• Threesome: Similar to the two timer, but you engage in each sport three times a week.

Generally, I favor triathlon training arrangements that allow me to focus on my weak sport.  Another thing to consider is that if you’re prone to injury in a particular sport (like running), you may want to do it less than the other two sports, even if you consider it to be your ‘weak sport’ in need of improvement.  For example, I rarely run more than three times a week, and I try to never run back-to-back days, because my body does not like it.  The average length of a sprint or Olympic training plan is anywhere from 2.5 – 5 months and requires 3 – 13 hours of commitment each week.

Step #3: Do the Brick.  You may be thinking, “Running twice a week?  Swimming twice a week?  Biking twice a week? That’s six days of exercise!”  However, it’s not really six days of exercise a week because you need to do bricks, which is when you do two sports on one day.  I wrote about brick workouts in the Running post, but here’s a summary:

A brick workout refers to tackling two sports during the same workout, with minimal interruption in between.  When triathletes talk about doing a brick, they usually refer to a bike/run, but a brick can also refer to a swim/bike or a swim/run.  Personally, I find bricks that simulate race conditions as much as possible are the most effective, both mentally and physically, so sandwiching sports in the order you’ll perform them is best… It is certainly not necessary to do bricks for every workout (of course, I can only speak to training for a sprint and Olympic triathlon, so I hope readers will weigh in on bricks for half and full Ironmans).  However, I try to do at least one bike/run brick a week, especially in the month before the event.  Ideally, for sprints, my bricks will consist of biking 5 – 10 miles and running 1 – 2 miles, and for Olympics, I’ll bike 8 – 15 miles and run 3 – 5 miles.  Some triathletes (who are probably faster than I am!) choose to do longer and more intense bricks.  This website has some examples of brick workouts.  But – and this is very important – everyone should always slowly integrate bricks into your workouts.  Maybe your first brick will be a 5 mile bike and a 1 mile run.  Just like all workouts, it’s important to eaaaase in so you don’t injure yourself.

Step #4: Rest Days, Step Back Weeks, and Taper Time.  Newbies assume that a training plan gradually builds mileage, week by week, up until the race.  Not so!  Any plan worth it’s salt will incorporate rest days, step back weeks, and taper time.  Especially when you’re training for a triathlon, your body needs true rest days (if you feel antsy or need to just move around, go for a short and slow walk or do gentle stretching).  Step back weeks, which are characterized by overall reduced mileage and effort, are usually every third, fourth, or fifth week in a plan.  This gives you a mental and physical break.  And lastly, the taper period occurs right before a race.  You’ll take a few extra days off to allow your body to recover as completely as possible before the race.  If you’re following a plan and need to rearrange it to suit your schedule, be sure to keep an eye out for rest days, step back weeks, and the end-of-training taper to make sure you aren’t messing up the timing of important days.

Step #5: It’s All Practice.  Use your longer workouts to serve as ‘practice’ for the big day.  When doing bricks, make sure you transition as you would on race day.  Wear the same clothes and shoes that you plan to race in.  Additionally, use your hard workouts to figure out your nutrition plan. I advise that you do your weekend long workouts at the same time of day as your race so you can test out breakfasts and bathrooming.  You’ll also likely need to eat in the middle of the race.  I usually take in 100 – 300 calories immediately before a sprint or throughout an Olympic triathlon (in the form of Gatorade or sports gels).

Step #6: Listen To Your Body.  My biggest piece of advice is to always listen to your body. It’s very easy to get wrapped up in what you think you ‘should’ be doing because a training plan tells you to do.  But remember, training plans are general guides designed to get the maximum number of people across the finish line – not YOU across the finish line.  If you need an extra rest day (or two), take it.  In the middle of training, if you discover you need to focus more on cycling, be willing to modify your plan.  Listen to your body – it knows what it is doing!

Here are some triathlon training plans to check out:

• A variety of Sprint Tri plans
• Sprint Triathlon Beginner’s Plan
• 8 Week Sprint Tri Plan for Beginners 
• 8 Week Intermediate Sprint Tri Plan
• 16 Week Sprint Tri Training Plan
• A variety of Olympic Tri plans
• Olympic Triathlon Beginner’s Plan
• 12 Week Olympic Tri Plan
• Another 12 Week Olympic Tri Plan

Happy training!  I can’t wait to get back into my favorite sport once BabyHTP comes out. 

What are your triathlon training tips?  What is your weak sport and your pocket sport?  Anyone know any really effective Half Ironman or Ironman training plans?