HOW TO MAINTAIN WINTER TRAINING MOTIVATION
How do you maintain motivation during the off-season? I’m worried my enthusiasm for training will wane. Lionel Cheatham
Boulder has 300 days a year of sunshine, baby! But it does hit -10°C to -20°C a fair bit, which is rather chilly to say the least. It’s hard to describe, though, because the humidity is so low here, being at altitude, that it doesn’t feel anywhere as cold or damp as a wet, grey, miserable winter’s day in the UK, regardless of the temperature. I’ll ride outside in -5°C with no ice and I’ll need to put some factor 30+ sunscreen on my nose!
But I always say ‘you don’t get bad weather you just wear the wrong clothes and use the wrong equipment’. Saying that, we do get at least 3-4 big dumps of snow, which could be as deep as 20-60cm in just a few days. That’s when I get my fat bike out and there’ll be plenty of queues for the treadmill at the gym! I also still swim outside in a 25-yard pool (I know, don’t ask, all pools are bloody 25 yards in the U.S) everyday, come rain, shine or snow – it’s pretty cool but the heating bill must be through the roof!
CHANGE YOUR EXPECTATIONS
But back to you! The key for winter training, I believe, is changing your expectations of both the weather and your fitness level. Yes, it’s going to be cold and yes, you won’t be race sharp. Deal with it! And let’s be honest, enthusiasm for tri training, in any season, to a certain degree, comes down to your perspective on your training environment and making the best of any given situation. Personally, I don’t believe any place is perfect for training. Some places are close but I’m yet to find the holy grail of triathlon training, and trust me, I’ve trained all over the world looking for it!
KEEP IT REAL
So my first suggestion is to find a group of athletes to train with, as knowing you have to meet a group or have committed to a session with others is enough to get you out of the door on a dark, damp winter’s day – and that can be the hardest part. It can be as easy as a good group run or Parkrun at the weekend. But also try to meet up and do a mid-week swim or head to the gym together to work on your core, strength and injury prevention. Maybe do double sessions of swim/gym or a turbo/run or swim/treadmill – mix it up, keep it real!
ZWIFT IT
Get some Zwift action, sign up to a few races or commit to a group ride with your mates – set it up on Whatsapp and then it’s easy to ride, even if they’re on the other side of the world. You can do the same with running as well now – it’s a great platform for winter training and helps keep the triathlon juices flowing!
ENJOY THE DOWN TIME
I think if you have a nice break after the last race of the season then build up slowly towards Christmas with a few extra days off around all the festivities, this will help maintain your motivation levels and give you a solid base from which to start your 2019 training. But remember to enjoy this down time, it’s called the off-season for a reason!
SETTLE INTO A ROUTINE
Then by mid-January you want to be getting in a nice routine. Start to get the consistency going in all three disciplines as well as some gym work. And trust me, you’ll be thanking yourself come race season if you’ve gone the extra mile, cracked the mud guards out and worked on your MTB skills, or gone out in the rain for a mid-week run session.
Just think, what’s your competition doing? Will they really be training now, come rain, shine or snow? Chances are, no (unless they read this, ha!). How else are you to achieve a new best time for your favourite course – Windsor Triathlon, for example (a classic!) – or qualify for Kona or even the ITU Worlds in your age-group?
GET OUT WHAT YOU PUT IN
It’s all about what you put into it. Will it be easy? No. But will it be worth it? Hell yes. Use that feeling of crossing a finish line to fuel your inner fire on the tough, dark damp days. As I always say, ‘winter miles equal summer smiles’!
Need some advice from The Don? Send an email to askthedon@220triathlon.com