With no racing in my immediate future, I can turn my attention toward rebuilding my fitness properly. This year more than ever I’ve seen the importance of taking things slow to be able to go fast later on, so a return to basics is in order.
The problem with race-based training is that when you go into the offseason, suddenly it’s like you’ve got nothing to aim for. Couple the offseason with the start of the Christmas holiday season, and it’s a recipe for letting yourself go.
I took on a challenge from my friends at Nike to use the Nike+ Run Club app to help keep me on track.
The Nike+ Run Club app is available on Google Play as well as the App Store FOR FREE so there’s no excuse not to use it, and it comes with a training plan called My Coach that you can customize to your level of fitness.
You can also register for NRC sessions directly from the app, so no need to fire up the laptop or browser. Removing that extra step and making everything accessible from the app makes signing up such a breeze.
For the next four weeks, I’m on the Get Started plan for beginners. Based on running with the Nike Run Club at Bonifacio Global City last week, I have lost a lot of run and cardio fitness. (Can you imagine, my heart rate was spiking up to 160+ beats per minute when I ran at 6 minutes per kilometer pace!) So I’m treating myself as an absolute beginner and will see how I progress.
My plan is to use the NRC app’s built-in training schedule for most days of the week and then pop into an NRC session at BGC every Thursday. I usually work out alone, but to change things up I know it will be fun to run with other people!
with my running buddies; our shoefie game is strong
I’m only scheduled to run three times a week, so the rest of the days I’m free to mix things up with a Nike+ Training Club session, or I can swim or get on the bike.
Swimming I’ve been focusing on aerobic capacity as well as an emphasis on form. It’s not about speed these days, but more of improving overall health and fitness. As an asthmatic I find that swimming really helps make my lungs stronger, and it’s a great full-body workout as well.
on deck with Dolfin goggles and a Simple Hydration bottle
I’ve also lost a lot of bike strength and endurance and don’t feel fit enough to hit the roads in Nuvali just yet. (I don’t think an hour’s drive just to bike for an hour is worth the effort!) Bike trainer sessions while marathoning shows on iFlix are easy and convenient to get some saddle time back in my legs. I have two seasons of Elementary to watch, so I’m looking forward to trainer sessions rather than dreading them!
naturally, I pipe the audio directly into my ears with a pair of yurbuds
I think I’m set for the next three months to regain and maintain my fitness. What about you — what’s your fitness plan for the holiday season?
Omg! We’re using the same app! What’s your ID?:)
Hi Mitsue! Look for “Noelle De Guzman” π or kikayrunner