MASTER THE TRAILS IN JUST 8 WEEKS!

IN JUST 8 WEEKS! Get ready to have some serious fun this off-season and a headstart on your 2019 race fitness, by sharpening your skills and boosting strength off road…

Get ready for some seriously dirty fun with Dermott Hayes’ 2-month off-road training plan

If you’ve come to the end of your triathlon season, the wetsuit will be now firmly tucked away until next spring and you might be considering hibernating for a while… but think again! Okay, so the wetsuit can stay where it is, but this time of year is perfect for trying new sports or variations on your normal swim, bike and run. Now is the time to branch out a little, train without as much structure or being bogged down by data, and maybe catch up with friends who have different sporting pursuits to you. When we train and race we tend to stick to the same roads and paths that we trust, but this can easily breed a sense of security that can also make you stale. So it’s time to hit the trails, get off road and experience the great outdoors.

Swapping your TT bike for a mountain bike (MTB) and your racing flats for a pair of trail shoes can be truly liberating. The benefits of spending time on the trails is not purely for a change of scenery but can also be great for improving dexterity and balance, plus it can highlight areas of your fitness that might otherwise go untapped. Time on your MTB will sharpen your bike handling, improve climbing strength, increase awareness for gear shifting and greatly raise your concentration levels – there’s a new level of respect to be had after you come back from a 2hr ride and have fallen off more times than you care to remember! You can stick to safe, flat MTB trails or adventure into the woods and climb/descend to your heart’s content. The ability to try out new routes every time you go out is much more possible on your MTB as every corner could bring something different.

Going off road is a beautiful way to spend your running miles, but in order to do it justice it helps if you’re not too particular about your pace and simply relax into the climbs and rolling routes. These kind of runs can be perfect for building aerobic fitness as long as you can control your efforts, but they can also be used as a great way to do hill reps if you can find the right kind of slopes. Just be aware and watch where your feet are going so you don’t roll an ankle or slip.

And if you enjoy it as much as we think you will, sign up to an off-roader at the end of the eight weeks to really test your newfound skills. Now go get dirty!