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Health & Fitness

Training In The Off Season Is Important!

For many cyclists and triathletes the off-season is the most difficult time of year.  It's November.  It's cold and getting darker earlier.  It is easy to lose focus in your training and as a result fitness level drops. The off-season is perhaps the most critical training time for an endurance athlete.  It is a perfect time to make improvements in your technique, strategy and fitness. 

Most athletes come to me for coaching in February and March.  Seems logical...right?  Most races start in May and If aiming to do a 140.6 in July/August that gives 6 months.  If you Google Ironman Training Plans your results will likely be met with a 24 week program.  Since training and racing is not a full time job for most and is supposed to be fun and challenging, the typical triathlete will load his race schedule up from May to September.  For the athlete who competes in a wide variety of local and regional events between these months, the height of the season is a very difficult time to make significant gains in fitness.  Most athletes spend a large part of the summer months in a race and recover cycle.  There is not that much 'actual' training going on during this period. 

Training philosophy is simple.  It is primarily based on the overload principle.  Improvements in power output on the bike and pace on the run have a lot to do with adjusting rest periods between hard training efforts or events.  So, overload and then recovery and rest. 

What does all this mean?  If you are looking to make measurable improvement in your racing performance for next season, you can't wait until next season to start the process. Now is the time when the biggest gains are made, not the two months that precede your race season.  Successful athletes are athletes all year long.  Use the fall to shift the focus of your training and address areas of weakness.  This is the best time to get a coach to work on technique and build strength. 

During the season you don't have time to play with your training.  Eye on the prize at that point.  Use the fall to work on the skills and technique to make you more efficient.  Make all these changes now so you can enter your race training in the spring with new skill, strength and focus to develop the energy systems to achieve your goals.   

Stay Focused!

Jason Twedt
USAT Triathlon Coach
Pacific Swim Bike Run
jason@pacificsbr.com

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