What’s the best way to keep off-season structure? Should I focus on targets for next year, or set short-term goals by entering winter events? I’m worried more races will side-track me from my summer tri goals.
It’s common knowledge that the triathletes who perform well in their ‘A’ races build up sensibly, have a clear focus and know when to go back to the drawing board and start a fresh campaign once again.
Others just like to train and compete a lot, and worry less about reaching an absolute peak at one particular point in the season – it’s definitely different courses for different horses!
Judging from your closing comments, it’d appear that you don’t personally need to do much mid-winter racing to build fitness for your summer goals. I’d apply yourself in this way:
Have a period of reduced training after your final race of the summer tri season. I’d recommend dropping your hours of training by as much as 30%, and using this extra free time to wind down and focus more on other things away from triathlon.
If you still need some motivation during this period, how about entering some fast-filling summer events nice and early?
From October to early January (in the UK) the lack of daylight can actually affect your peak fitness. It’s normal to feel 80-90% fit in the winter months, but you can expect the rest to come in spring.
Many triathletes who keep up a high load in winter actually fall into the trap of peaking too early and then falling apart as the season progresses, so train smart and use the winter to maximise consistency and maintain a sensible base level of fitness instead.
Use a diary to help you to chart what works, where you’re falling short and how you approach events long term. With year-on-year refinements you can build the ultimate plan and smash those summer goals full gas!
For me personally, I’d definitely add some short-term goals in there over the winter. It gives you more structure to your day-to-day training and is a great way to motivate yourself during those dark, cold and wet winter months! A bit of competition is good for everyone, and I always advise others to put themselves on the start line at all times of the year to get that adrenaline pumping.
For many, the tri season proper doesn’t start again until early spring; but luckily there are a number of great events up and down the country you can sign up for in the ‘off-season’:
Cyclocross is probably the most underrated winter training tool for triathletes. I appreciate it requires buying/hiring an extra bike for the winter, but the bike handling skills and improved pedal stroke you can gain from it is a massive plus.
Cross-country running is a key element for many top triathletes. It not only strengthens key muscles groups but helps towards building up those base miles ready for the tri season.
Duathlon is the closest thing to an actual triathlon you can do in the winter months. The run/bike/ run format means duathlon events are run throughout the whole winter in the UK (including some off-road versions), and it’s a great way to familiarise yourself with transitions and running off the bike.
Swim schools/workshops are great for improving your stroke, and getting someone to tweak your technique with one-to-one coaching in the off-season could pay dividends for the summer tri season. There are a number of coaching days and video analysis sessions you can sign up to up and down the country, and it’s another great way to focus your training towards improving one of the triathlon disciplines.
There are loads of great races in the off-season, including cyclocross, duathlon and trail running