The Latest Experiment

Now that the LA marathon is done, it’s time to test the waters in mountain bike racing. But this year, I’m trying something different with my training… I’m adding a more structured strength training program to my routine. I’ve always had some strength (core, some hip strength) in my plan, but not a specific structured program during my main season. Not to mention women over 35 should definitely include some regular strength program to help maintain lean muscle mass.

I should also throw in that my coach has given me a bit of a challenge. A couple weeks ago, I did a field test (the CTS 2x8min) on the trainer. My average power of the two efforts was 210 watts. He wants to see if I can get to 250w in about 6 months. That is a HUGE goal that’s going to take a lot of work to get even close.

Now enter MotionX… This is a new “movement” studio that opened up here in Colorado Springs. They provide a wide variety of movement and strength programs, but what I like about them is that they understand the needs of the athlete. It’s not just about lifting weight and doing exercises to get strong, but to make sure the movement is done properly. The big picture tells us that to be a better triathlete, cyclist, swimmer, runner, insert name of your sport here, your body needs to know how to move. So I’ve started to work with Gina of MotionX on a custom strength program, and will also incorporate their yoga classes for recovery. Gina will look at what I need, what my weaknesses are, and work with me so I can become a better athlete. I will blog my experience and progress here.

My first two sessions were actually this week. We start with Dynamic Warm-ups (work on movement patterns!) and then progress to the strength part. The first few weeks will be a learning curve for me and my body! Let’s just say I am a bit sore! I’m getting to know the TRX a bit, and I also had a lesson in the deadlift.

To add even more data to the program, I got a DXA scan this afternoon. The scan gives me a reasonably accurate measure of my lean body and fat mass in addition to my bone density (family history of bone density issues so this is a good thing.) I’ve had a few of these before in the last couple years, so I can see the trend. My bone density isn’t the best in my low back,  but my overall density is good. My body fat percentage is 19.9%. A couple years ago it was 20.9%, and that 2% drop I attribute to metabolic efficiency training.

So keep watching as I work to get even stronger!