Ah, the offseason. It's the couple months of the year when you can indulge in holiday goodies and kick your feet up without a care in the world. But while it's certainly a great idea to take some time off from serious triathlon training to reset both mentally and physically, a little upkeep can prevent you from letting yourself go.
Staying somewhat consistent during the offseason with both your diet and training will make easing into next season that much easier. This sounds obvious, but between the shorter days, bad weather and holiday parties, consistency can go out the window faster than you realize.
Don't find yourself playing catchup at the beginning of the next triathlon season—here are our top seven tips on how to stay in control this offseason.
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Tips for Staying Consistent During the Offseason
Written by
Michael Nystrom
Strength Train
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Weight training during the offseason is a great way to strengthen your body before your next serious triathlon training block. But don't just head to the gym and follow a plug-and-play regimen—triathlon-specific moves will help alleviate muscular imbalances from all the swimming, cycling and running, as well as help prevent injuries during your upcoming season.
Read more about triathlon-specific strength training moves from legendary triathlete Dave Scott, here.
Read more about triathlon-specific strength training moves from legendary triathlete Dave Scott, here.
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Your Next TriathlonDon't Overindulge
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We're not saying don't indulge this offseason, we're just saying don't overindulge. Completely saying no to your favorite holiday sweets and drinks is a recipe for binge eating during a weak moment.
Go ahead, have a cookie or a slice of pie—just enjoy your favorites in moderation.
Go ahead, have a cookie or a slice of pie—just enjoy your favorites in moderation.
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Your Next TriathlonShare the Love of the Sport
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Triathlon's sense of community is the hallmark of our sport. We can't think of a better way to stay motivated this offseason than by sharing our lifestyle with a friend or family member who has expressed interested. Not only will it reawaken your love of triathlon, but you'll stay active during less intense swim, bike and run workouts as you show your new training buddy the ropes.
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Your Next TriathlonRecover Right
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You don't need to log a ton of base miles in the offseason—keeping your swim, bike and run workouts short and at low intensity will allow your body to stay engaged yet still recover from the previous season's efforts. Schedule a few key workouts during the week, and keep the pace conversational, light and fun.
Keep your workouts regular and steady to maintain your fitness, but there's no reason to push yourself to the limit. Afterwards, focus on fostering a healthy stretching and foam rolling routine that should carry over into next season.
Keep your workouts regular and steady to maintain your fitness, but there's no reason to push yourself to the limit. Afterwards, focus on fostering a healthy stretching and foam rolling routine that should carry over into next season.
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Your Next TriathlonFocus on Developing New Skills
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The offseason is the perfect time to focus on new triathlon skills that you didn't have time for during the season. This might include drills to improve your bike handling, working on your freestyle technique or learning how to navigate a faster transition.
Perfecting your technique and learning new skills is a valuable way to improve your time without adding additional training hours. Work smarter, not harder.
Perfecting your technique and learning new skills is a valuable way to improve your time without adding additional training hours. Work smarter, not harder.
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Your Next TriathlonTry Cross Training
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If you can't seem to find the energy (or time) to enjoy your other active hobbies during the triathlon season, the offseason is the perfect time to rekindle those interests. Buy a yoga membership for a couple months, go for a hike, join a dance studio or go stand-up paddle boarding—anything that keeps you moving and active will make the beginning of next season that much easier.
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Your Next TriathlonSet New Goals
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Using the offseason to step back reevaluate your previous season's successes and failures is the perfect way to realign your focus and set new goals for the upcoming triathlon season. Did you have trouble running off the bike? Did you not have your nutrition plan dialed in? Did you discover you love racing hilly courses?
Developing goals you're excited about will help keep you motivated as you enjoy your time "off" and lead into the next season.
Developing goals you're excited about will help keep you motivated as you enjoy your time "off" and lead into the next season.