With the 2011 race season in the books and the winter months (if you live in the northern hemisphere) upon us, there has been a lot of talk about off-season training. Many recent magazines, be they tri focused or otherwise, have advocated making time for other activities - from weight training to yoga to cross-training. With race seasons now stretching from March through the end of November, taking a training break is an excellent idea to recharge your body, recover from the season, and go into the next year fresh and ready to race. But with all the options out there, what should you be doing?
There are probably as many answers as there are people reading this blog. Ultra-running legend and 7-time Western States winner Scott Jurek recently wrote a magazine piece where he exhorts the benefits of a true break - in his case 4-6 weeks at the end of his season where he doesn't run at all - not a single step. That article was published in the November issue of Competitor Magazine - in this month's issue, the same Mr. Jurek is talking about how the New Year is the time to start building a base. It seems the off-season can be very short indeed!
But let's be realistic, very few of us are Scott Jurek, and if you're reading this blog, you're likely a triathlete first, maybe a trail runner second. And unless you have grown up in the sport, you probably prefer one discipline over the others. The off-season offers a perfect chance to work on your weaknesses. If it's running, try signing up for an early season half or full marathon to keep you honest and help build the base you can use all season long. The winter, with it's shorter days and colder temperatures is also a great time to stay inside perfecting your swim technique. The off-season is also a perfect time to integrate strength training - an aspect of training that often falls out when we are already juggling swimming, biking, running, and things like jobs, families, deployments, etc. I have been trying this program to build strength without unwanted mass - it's a simple plan and is relatively short, and Dan John is a font of knowledge (http://danjohn.net/2011/06/even-easier-strength-perform-better-notes/). Alternatively, the off-season is a perfect time to get into that yoga class that you see at the gym, try pilates, or take a core strengthening class. As a final suggestion, this is a great time to review how last year went with the addition of the perspective of time - be honest with the way your races went, and more importantly, your preparation. As you review the last year, start to think about your goals for 2012 and commit them to paper - while I don't believe in New Year's Resolutions, I am a firm believer in goals - share yours in the comment section!
However you decide to spend this off-season, make sure to enjoy it and, as Scott Jurek says, take a true break. The 2012 season will be here before we know it and with it, plenty of chances to race (stay tuned for some exciting race announcements) and time to train. If you are looking for an early season tune-up race, check out the Emerald Coast Tri Club's Bluewater Bay Duathlon (3K run, 15K bike, 5K run) February 25, 2012. The EC Tri Club, part of the large Eglin AFB community, has partnered with Team RWB for 2012! http://www.ectriclub.org/
As a parting thought, regardless of when you get back to it or where you train, train smart - always carry some form of ID and an emergency contact number. If you train outside of the States, even if it's on a base, make sure your emergency info is also in the local language.
Happy trails.
I don't think you can go wrong with a Road ID. They make the interactive version now and that is what I use since i move so much. It is simple and just has my name and "Contact nearest US Military Base" on it. Then the interactive portion has a ID and PW to enter online or to use with a 1-800 #. I took 3 weeks of just doing whatever, nothing structured just going out and doing whatever I felt like, and some days that was doing NOTHING :)
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