Always Tinkering — How I Reprogram My Training Every 6-8 Weeks and Why It Works

I’m always tinkering. Always trying to improve. Always looking for a better path. A way to optimize. 

I rarely ever follow the phrase “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” because to me not broken doesn’t mean best. It means it’s working. But could it be better? It’s hard to know what the best approach is but I do know that my way of always adjusting has served me well throughout my life and has kept me interested and learning. Yes I do create setbacks for myself from time to time but I almost always discover some new insight about either what to do or what not to do.

The most tangible example comes in the form of exercise for me. Something that i am constantly re-examining and reprogramming. I guess if looked at through the if it ain’t broke dont fix it lens the thing that I don’t mess with is whether or not I’m going to exercise. Exercise is and always will be a daily practice for me. But the thing I’m constantly re-assessing and adjusting is what type of exercise to do and how much. That’s something that’s an almost automatic assessment every 6 - 8 weeks. Partly because that’s around the time that I start getting bored with a routine. Partly that’s when I start getting burned out. Partly that’s when I start to plateau. All kind of different ways of saying the same thing. Also, 6 - 8 weeks is what I learned as a kid was the timeframe for when a program gets stale, so that’s always in the back of my mind.

The seasons also play a role. Right now summer is here which markets a need for change as different activities become available. It means a new schedule and new goals. Before summer started as I was winding down my last program I decided I wanted to get back into running and cycling more. Especially cycling, which is something I did nearly daily during the 3 years I lived in Los Angeles but have only done a handful of times in the 2+ years I’ve lived in Colorado.

Part of my struggle to get on the bike has been not knowing where to ride, and living 30 - 40 minutes from the mountains where I would ideally be riding (I love a challenging climb). In LA I was able to walk out my door and jump on my bike and be on the PCH in under 10 minutes on my way to some of the most fun riding I’ve ever experienced. So having to drive to ride has created just enough friction to stop me from going. But one of the things I’ve been practicing is acceptance. Acceptance to take advantage of whats around me, while understanding that acceptance is not contentment, and acceptance can be temporary. It does not equate to a final way of life, and I’m trying to carry that mindset into riding.

I don’t want to drive to ride (not right now at least), but there is a beautiful bike path 2 miles from my house that runs parallel to a semi-major highway, that connects to Boulder. In the past I wouldn’t have wanted to ride on the path because it’s just not as exciting as the riding I’m used to. Being in the mountains surrounded by beautiful landscapes. Attacking ascents and tricky descents. But it’s the option I have available to me, and so I’m accepting that if I want to be able to ride to my ride, then this is my path. Perhaps it will lead to bigger and better rides in the future, but I just have to get going.

My goal then is to be able to ride to Boulder and back by the end of the summer. About 40 miles round trip, maybe a couple thousand feet of elevation gain. Not a very lofty goal considering the types of ride I used to routinely find myself in (50 miles was an average ride with many creeping past 100). But a lofty goal considering how inactive I’ve been on the bike since leaving California in 2022.

There’s a lot to consider to build up to that which is why I’m starting to think about how I want to program my training over the next few months. My current split (2 days running, 1 day HIIT, 2 days strength, 2 days kettlebells) won’t do much to helping me achieve my goal so I need to make some changes. I need to build a different type of leg strength and endurance. I need to work more on my cardiovascular endurance. I need to change my nutrition. I also just need saddle time to get my butt used to sitting on a bike for that long and to build strength and endurance in my neck (holding my head up) and upper back and shoulders (holding my upper body up). Some things that might not be obvious but are very important.

This summer I’ve also committed to competing in observed trials, a type of dirt bike riding that requires precision, focus, balance, and endurance, so I need to make sure that whatever program I come up with compliments that sport as well. Which given that both goals/commitments are on 2 wheels, there should be enough cross over to help both.

Last week I started a new lower body strength day focused on single leg work. Without even thinking about all of the riding I want to do it just felt like the right progression from all of the heavy lifting I did during the previous months. Single leg work will help with strength, balance and focus, and it will also allow me to back off the load enough to save some juice for days I ride. For my upper body split I’m thinking about putting a focus on body weight movements (pull up and push up variations) as well as core work. Again a key component of riding is upper body stability and endurance to stay in a good position over the handlebars.

An upper and lower body strength day once each per week seems to make sense. I want to make sure I maintain strength, and I also want to use these days to “recover” my nervous system since they will be lower intensity. I want to keep up with my kettlebell work, but I think one day per week will be enough to keep what I’ve learned. That leaves 4 days. Two run? Two bike? One run, two bike, one HIIT? It’ll be some combination of that, and it will probably rotate depending on the week, but thats what I’m leaning towards.

The beginning of a new routine, new programming, is always exciting, but nerve racking to me. I have new goals to accomplish but I dont want to lose the fitness I’ve gained. It’s not broken, so I’m not fixing, but I am tinkering and thats what I love about a good fitness practice. The ability to adapt and adjust the practice to align with new goals I set for myself. Summer is going to be fun and I’m looking forward to what this plan ultimately becomes.