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Tri-Umphs (Triathlons & Duathlons)
Transition Time: Occupying Ourselves in the Off Season
By Margie Shapiro
November/December 2009
For the Washington Running Report
As the triathlon season winds down, we find ourselves in a different kind of transition. Fitness-addicts though we may be, we must force ourselves to step out of our tri training routine and allow our bodies some rest and variation.
But what does it mean to cross train, when our sport in itself is a combination of cross training activities? Here are some tips for keeping sane and healthy during the off-season:
Take a rest!
During the beginning of the off-season, triathletes should take a training break. This means a few days to a few weeks of very limited activity (cut out the swimming, biking, or running-gasp!) Even the fittest and most motivated athletes benefit from this down time, both for mental and physical reasons. True down time sends a message to the body to relax, refuel, and prepare to rebuild.
Some athletes, however, find this period even more stressful, having come to rely on the mood-altering power of endorphins, the company of training friends, or even the structure provided by workouts within the week. As a result, many resist taking a break-and many pay for it down the road by battling nagging or debilitating injuries or losing motivation when it really counts.
So, take at least a few days off (yes, do nothing)! Allow yourself to miss the sport. Start to feel "hungry" to train again. Spend some extra time with family and friends. This is a time to rekindle your social life and live like a "normal" person!
Cross train without swimming, biking, or running.
After said "off" time, build up your activity gradually and carefully. It is a good idea to spend a period of several weeks transitioning from true rest to true training by integrating non-triathlon activities into your routine. Consider hiking, rollerblading, skiing (occasionally?), or a class at the gym. Try Pilates, yoga, a boot camp, or a CrossFit program for something different. There are all sorts of options that will enhance our cardiovascular and muscular ability, many of which we simply can't make time to include in our busy training schedules during the rest of the year--so now's the time!
During the period directly after a break and furthest from your key race, you can lay a fitness foundation without the same level of specificity required later in the year. So, once you do get back to your three favorite sports, change up your routine within them.
In the water, consider spending some extra time on the strokes you don't use in the race. Try a spin class at the gym. Once you get back on your bike, try some routes you haven't seen before, ignore your speedometer or power meter, or head to the trails for some mountain biking. Explore some of the abundant regional and national parks at our disposal with some trail riding or running, or check out a nearby neighborhood you've never seen on foot.
Even if it's just for a few weeks, breaking up the monotony of the swim-bike-run training will help balance out some of the inconsistencies of strength and flexibility within your muscles, as well as bringing some balance to your mind.
Make strength training and stretching a top priority.
If you spent much of 2009 making excuses for not stretching, avoiding strength training and resistance exercises, or ignoring the importance of core work in favor of another few miles out on the roads, there's no time like the present to replace "I know I should" with "I always do."
With more time available because of low-volume training and no upcoming races, you can add new activities into our routine. Notice and appreciate their effect, and develop the same attachment to them as you have to the bread and butter SBR. Once the "extra stuff" becomes habit, it is much more likely to stick even as the training volume comes up in all three sports.
First, stop thinking about triathlon . . . then reflect on it.
During your training break, avoid anything that reminds you of triathlon, that includes reading tri magazines or visiting your favorite tri-related Web sites. Once you have ignored it thoroughly for a short while, spend some of your newfound free time reflecting on the past year. Then dream about the one upcoming. If you haven't done so already, think back on each race. Reminisce for a while. Recall the sights, the sounds, the emotions involved with your races and training to savor them one more time. Write down memories that motivate you or solutions to mistakes you would like to avoid next year.
If you are a data geek, look back at your files and notes and analyze your training. Now that you are a step removed from the seemingly all-consuming environment of the year's goals and your ardent push to achieve them, you can think more clearly about what you might add or delete from the equation to enhance next year's experiences.
Write out a list of goals (be sure to include plenty that cannot be measured by any form of technology), and think about how you might approach them.
Register for next year's races.
Many 2010 races have already approached full capacity (some have even closed) so think through what you would like on your calendar. Research the races you would like to enter, make note of their registration dates, and be ready to hop online on the appropriate day. The sport seems to be growing faster than race directors can chase it--races are filling in record time, even with increased limits of entrants.
When making your "ideal" race calendar, bear in mind what you did this year and how it worked. If you raced two weekends in a row with less success than you expected, perhaps you want to avoid such a setup next year. If you felt you went into your key race with less recent race experience than you needed, make sure to factor in a prep race next year. If qualifying for a particular event (such as the National or World Championships, Clearwater, or Kona), make sure you know the technical steps necessary to achieve such a goal.
Surely 2009 was a year of learning, adventure, and excitement in our triathlon world. Now that it is wrapping up, give your body and mind the break they need, while turning this year's experiences into wisdom to take you successfully to 2010 and beyond.
Margie Shapiro is co-owner of Potomac River Running Stores (with locations in Ashburn, Burke, Reston, Arlington, Cleveland Park, Falls Church, and Rockville). She is a professional triathlete who coaches runners and triathletes through =PR= Training Programs and has been a U.S. National Elite Team member (2007-08) and Elite World Championships Team Member (2007).