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(or “What to do when the Tri season is done”)

It’s that time of year again, when triathletes, pumped full of endorphins from months of training and racing, are left to devise a plan for the next few months. Without a race calendar in front of us, we tend to go crazy…so here are some thoughts on how to approach the next few months:

Transition Transition Transition

I can’t stress this enough. You need time off, mentally and physically.  It doesn’t matter if you did an Ironman or a handful of sprint races – you trained and raced for a goal, so enjoy the results.  Specific time off at the end of a year will help you gather the desire to hit the gym/roads/pool again with a newfound desire.  Avoid the months of I-am-kindad-sorta-working-out-but-not-really-on-any-kind-of-schedule-hey-look-there-is-a-10-miler-next-week-I’ll-sign-up syndrome. This won’t help you improve.  Take a minimum of two weeks off, no more than six.

Review Your Season

Take a long look at what you have accomplished this year. This is very easy for those of you who have been keeping a log – it’s kinda cool to see those numbers (I’ve managed more than 5,000 miles on the bike this year…yikes!).

Review Your Limiters

What part of your racing puzzle was missing? Was it hill climbing?  Swimming with the pack?  Running in general? Did you struggle with your weight? Your resolve?  Identify the areas that held you back from peak performance, and then rank them.  Use these to identify the work you will do for the next few months – i.e. if hills were a problem, you need to work on run form and overall strength.

Choose An Event

Pick an event to keep you motivated, but one that isn’t an A level event (make or break) your season. If you are a triathlete, then remember where your season lies.  Having a great off-season race result is nice; if you don’t get that result, it’s only part of your build to a great 2005.  Save the self-pressure for when you’ll need it!

Don’t Train All The Time

PLEASE take at least one day off a week. Make sure you get out with your friends!  Now is the time to “bag” workouts and roll over when it’s raining in the morning.  Do this now; so when March/April are here and you need to be outside, you will be able to get up!

Include Cross Training

If you pick running as your focus (most people do, even though cycling is the longest leg…hmmm), be sure to keep the swimming and cycling up.  At worst they are good recovery workouts, at best, they can help you build sport-specific strength (some seated hill reps on the bike build leg strength without the pounding of running).

Whatever it is that you do decide to do, make sure you have fun.  All this exercise should be fun, not a second (or third!) job.

Happy training!

Patrick