It’s officially the “off season”. The time, usually the Winter, when you get to sleep in on the weekends, have fun with your workouts, focus on weaknesses, and indulge a little. As fun and amazing as that sounds, it’s been a little challenging for me to not have a set routine or schedule. Where’s my Team in Training calendar or my training log?! I have my first Ironman in a distant 10+ months, but I keep second-guessing myself in this supposed “off” time. Should I be swimming more (my biggest weakness)? Should I be weight training? Speed workouts at the track to get faster? Resting completely until January/February? Building up some base mileage on the bike? What should I be doing, fellow triathletes?!
Post-Chicago Marathon I have been focusing on what’s enjoyable — short bike rides with friends, longer runs for enjoyment, absolutely zero swimming (oops), spin classes, and weight training. I don’t want to burn out too early by doing too much this winter and risk injury, but I also want to take advantage of this time that I have. Maybe it’s time to get back in that pool or Aquatic Park so I’m not completely terrified for Escape from Alcatraz and eventually Ironman Lake Tahoe.
I was listening to a podcast episode from Endurance Planet and they recommended adding weight and strength training in the off season to build some much-needed muscle. They said that it’s common for endurance athletes to actually be fairly weak (I can relate to that – I can’t do a pull-up!) and it’s important to address those weaknesses, especially when you have more time.
Ok triathlon world. What do YOU do in the off season?
Thanks. Swim. Bike. Run. Eat Plants.
Where's The Tofu? 