Tis the Season of Stress, Darkness and Maintenance

December may be the toughest month to be a triathlete in the Upper Midwest. The first local outdoor triathlon is almost 5 months away, there's less than 9 hours of daylight, and we've had some single digit temps (for highs). Throw in the additional social, work and family obligations combined with the dietary minefield of tins of cookies, eggnog, and parties and pretty soon you start to feel like your 2010 goals are slipping away.

There's one word to get you through the next 2 weeks - maintenance. It doesn't take a lot of exercise to maintain a given fitness level (or at least minimize loss). You might not have time for that 1-3 hour spin on your bike. A 30 minute ride with some intense intervals will help you stay in shape, burn off some of those cookies and provide a positive stress relief. You can apply the same principles to running or swimming. Shorter intense workouts will allow you to fulfill your seasonal obligations without major fitness setbacks.

Your family and coworkers will appreciate the additional energy and happiness you get from taking some time for yourself. Now get out there, get your workout in, you've got parties to attend or shopping to do or . . .