My training plan for this week:

WEEK 8
Base building- rest week
4
Monday
day off

Tuesday
Swim - 3x300 yards, zone 1-2, 1 minute rest, 100 yd warm-up and cool-down.
Bike - 30 min, zone 1-2, 90 RPM
Stretch 15 min.

Wednesday
Run - 35 minutes, zone 1-2, cadence.
Strength training —chest, arms, shoulders:
shoulder press 2x15, triceps extensions 2x15, machine chest press 2x15
Core - bottom to top woodchops 2x15, weighted machine crunches 2x20, 3x1 min plank
Stretch 15 min.

Thursday
day off

Friday
Bike - 40 min, zone 1-2, 90 RPM
Core - ball crunch 2x15,  ball jackknife 2x15, cross body mountain climber 2x15.
Stretch 15 min.

Saturday
Run - 30 minutes, zone 1-2.
Strength training—back, leg (outer, inner, glutes):
seated machine rows 2x15, machine seated hip abductors 2x15, machine hip adductors 2x15.
Core - reverse crunch 2x15, imprint crunches 2x30, trunk extension 2x15.
Stretch 15 min.

Sunday
Swim - 3x300 yards, zone 1-2, 1 minute rest, 100 yd warm-up and cool-down. 
Bike - winter cycling class: 90 minutes

My training plan for this week:

WEEK 7
Base building
1
Monday
Run: 35 minutes, zone 1-2.
Strength training: quads, hams, glutes and calves:
lying hip extension (glutes) 2x15, dumbbell rear lunge (glutes, quads) 2x15, dumbbell straight leg deadlifts (hams) 2x15, dumbbell standing calf raise (calf) 2x15,  alternating step downs (quads).
Core: V-ups 2x15,  Russian twists  2x15.
Stretch 15 min.

Tuesday
Swim - 3x300 yards, zone 1-2, 1 minute rest, 100 yd warm-up and cool-down.
Bike - 40 min, zone 1-2, 90 RPM
Stretch 15 min.

Wednesday
day off

Thursday
Run - 35 minutes, zone 1-2, cadence.
Swim - 4x250 yards, zone 1-2, 1 minute rest, 100 yd warm-up and cool-down.
Strength training —chest, arms, shoulders:
decline push-ups (pecs, core)  2x10, dumbbell decline flys (pecs) 2x15, dumbbell arnold press (delts) 2x15, dumbbell upright row (delts) 2x15, dumbbell front lateral raise (supraspinatus) 2x15, dumbbell rear delt row (delts) 2x15.
Core - bottom to top woodchops 2x15, weighted machine crunches 2x20
Stretch 15 min.

Friday
Bike - 35 min, zone 1-2, rolling hills
Core - exercise ball pull-in 2x15 , vertical leg crunch 2x15.
Stretch 15 min.

Saturday
Run - 35 minutes, zone 1-2.
Strength training—back, leg (outer, inner, glutes):
inner thigh lifts 2x15, sumo squats 2x15, side kicks 2x15,  hot potatoes 2x15,  scissors 2x15, front leg lifts 2x15.
Core - reverse crunch 2x15, imprint crunches 2x30, seated broomstick twists 2x50

Sunday
Swim - 4x250 yards, zone 1-2, 1 minute rest, 100 yd warm-up and cool-down. 

Bike - winter cycling class: 90 minutes

My training plan for this week -

WEEK 6
Base building

Monday
Run - 40 minutes, zone1-2.
Strength training - quads, hams, glutes and calves:
frog squats 2x15, dumbbell squats 2x15, walking overhead lunges 2x15, leg extensions 2x15, lying leg curls 2x15, seated leg press 2x15.
Core - bicycle crunch 2x6, legs-up Russian twists 2x6.
Stretch 15 min.

Tuesday
Swim - 4x250 yards, keeping within aerobic threshold, 2 minute rest, 100 yd warm-up and cool-down.
Bike -  40 min, 90+ RPM, zone1-2.
Core - reverse crunch 2x15, crossover crunch 2x15.
Stretch 15 min.

Wednesday
Run - 35 minutes, cadence, zone1-2.
Swim - 4x250 yards, zone1-2, 1 minute rest, 100 yd warm-up and cool-down.
Strength training - chest, arms, shoulders.
push-ups 2x15, dumbbell bench press 2x15, dumbbell flys 2x15, triceps cable pushdowns 2x15, machine hammer extensions 2x15.
Core - imprint crunches 2x30, bottom to top woodchops 2x15.

Thursday - day off

Friday
Bike - 40 min, 90+ rpm, zone1-2.
Core - side crunches 2x15,  side plank 3x 30 sec.
Stretch 15 min.

Saturday
Run - 35 minutes, zone1-2.
Strength training - hips, inner thigh.
bridging 2x15, floor hip extensions 2x15, seated machine hip abductions 2x15, kneeling side kicks 2x15, machine adductions 2x15, cable hip adductions 2x15.
Core - the hundred 2x, seated broomstick twists 2x50.

Sunday
Swim - 4x200 yards, keeping within aerobic threshold, 1 minute rest, 100 yd warm-up and cool-down.
Bike - winter cycling for triathletes class: 90 minutes
Strength training: back
lat pulldown 2x15, assisted pull-ups 2x15, cable one arm bent-over row 2x15.
Core -  top to bottom woodchops 2x15, crunches 2x30, Russian twists 2x15.

The pool was cold this morning, which made me go so much faster. I started doing 250-yard sprints today. Well, they're not really sprints because I'm supposed to stay within my aerobic threshold, also known as the fat-burning threshold, or zones 1-2. You know that I'm working on building my base, right? Well, more on that later, but basically I am supposed to be working at no more than 60-80% of my maximum heart rate. If I go over, I have to slow down.

I woke up at 5:15 to Matt's alarm, which, though blaring, is still better than the one in my phone, which seems to set itself to endless snooze reminders and will just not shut up. Because cold, pitch-dark New York winter mornings are so conducive to procrastination, I did not get to the bike until 6:30, which made me way late for the pool. The swim, when I started, went, um, swimmingly! Nice smooth strokes, steady breathing and great posture. I love gliding through the water like that—relaxed and zoned out, with nothing to do but think and count strokes. It's like a mini-vacation in my happy place.

Ahhhh. Six hundred yards and I felt great. I was taking my two-minute rest, which I happily did not seem to need at all. Everything was peaceful in the deep side of the pool—it's always quiet that early in the morning; just a few serious swimmers and a lifeguard.

I like resting my arms on the cool tiles of the wall, just over the water's edge, so I sprawled out and closed my eyes. The light tickling sensation I felt on my hands soon after was a little strange at first. It was almost as if one of my kids was gently touching my fingers. Lazily, I turned my head to see who it was. He was looking right at me, only it wasn't one of my little guys; it was a huge black waterbug.

I went under. Just sank. My heart pounding and jumping out of my chest, I gulped water in silent, slow-motion terror. When I came back up, I was screaming—loud, hysterical, horror movie-caliber screaming. Have you ever been to an indoor pool? The acoustics are wonderful. The half-asleep lifeguard fell out of his chair, jumped up and fell into the pool. The other swimmers jerked their heads up, like bird dogs looking for prey—surprised and alert.

I pulled up and was out of the pool in an instant. Secretly, I've been practicing this move for some time. It is no easy trick to pull up and climb out in one smooth motion and look good doing it. Until today, it hadn't been going well, as I am not exactly agile to begin with. But luckily, no one is ever there to watch—just the lonely guy, the lifeguard and a couple of elderly Chinese ladies. This time, however, it was different. I flew. Not exactly like a fish, and not like a bird either. A rocket, maybe. Anyway, you get the picture—I was magnificent! Sadly, I now have two water-related phobias—dead bodies and waterbugs.

My training plan for this week -


WEEK 5
Base building


Monday
Run—35 minutes, zone 1-2.
Strength training—quads, hams, glutes and calves:
dumbbell side lunge 2x15, dumbbell lateral step-up 2x15, cable back kicks 2x15, leg extensions 2x15, lying leg curls 2x15, seated leg press 2x15.
Core - Core - side crunches 2x15,  side plank 3x 30 sec.
Stretch 15 min.

Tuesday
Swim - 4x250 yards, zone 1-2, 2 minute rest, 100 yd warm-up and cool-down.
Bike - 35 min, zone 1-2, 90 RPM
Stretch 15 min.

Wednesday
Run - 35 minutes, zone 1-2, cadence.
Strength training —chest, arms, shoulders:
assisted chest dips 2x15, cable standing flys 2x15, dumbbell upright row 2x15,  dumbbell lateral raise 2x15, cable pushdown 2x15, dumbbell tri kickbacks 2x15.
Core - bottom to top woodchops 2x15, weighted machine crunches 2x20
Stretch 15 min.

Thursday
day off

Friday
Bike - 35 min, zone 1-2, rolling hills
Swim - 4x250 yards, zone 1-2, 2 minute rest, 100 yd warm-up and cool-down.
Core - 2x60 side crunches , 3x1 min plank
Stretch 15 min.

Saturday
Run - 30 minutes, accels
Strength training—back, leg (outer, inner, glutes):
step-ups 2x15, weighted seated leg raise 2x15, machine seated hip abductors 2x15, cable hip abductors 2x15, cable hip adductors 2x15, machine hip adductors 2x15.
Core - 45 degree leg raises/leg lifts 2x20, seated broomstick twists 2x50

Sunday
Swim - 4x200 yards, keeping within aerobic threshold, 1 minute rest between
Bike - 35 min, zone 1-2, 90 RPM, intervals