I know this post comes earlier than usual for most. I only had the time and money to run three times this year and ran my last race last weekend so technically I’m in the offseason. I am focused and preparing for next year right now. In all workouts, but especially triathlon workouts, you need to prepare for next season by doing things now. I know that if I don’t work hard now, I won’t reach my goals for next year at all. It has started, I promise it will be difficult, I MUST be faster next year!
This week marked the beginning of the process of making my offseason. My basic plan is to train in each discipline, in addition to strength training and losing weight. The off-season provides time that you don’t have between races during the season. I’ll use this post to briefly discuss what I’m doing in each discipline during the offseason:
-Swimming: I must be faster in swimming improving in my form. I have been working hard on my form for about 3 weeks in each workout. I’ve been getting faster and faster in the pool. I was able to do my best times of the season in swimming in the race last weekend. I am doing more exercises, along with the float board training. I also include some 50- and 100-yard swimming sprints. The key to swimming faster in a race is swimming faster in practice. I’m mainly concentrating on a streamlined body position and proper arm placement during the stroke. I have a tendency for my arm to go across my chest, which does not provide adequate strength when swimming. I’m making sure to leave a slight bow on the arm and make the punch more effective. The swim sprints are meant to help me combine all the cardio-assisted exercises in the pool. I will also work to breathe better and breathe less per pool length.
-: Force, Force, Force, Endurance. The formula for me to be faster next year on the bike has to do with three parts of strength and one part of endurance. I must give my legs more strength. This comes through time on the bike in decent weather doing ascents. It also involves doing bicycle workouts on the indoor trainer with maximum resistance on. Lastly, it involves doing some leg workouts off the bike, like squats and leg presses. Hopefully, I can strengthen my legs for next year. I also need to improve my stamina on the bike. I have to get to the end of the bike with enough juice to do well in the race. I felt like this year I really struggled with how much energy I had to exert on the bike to allow for a good run. Next year I need to have more stamina, which comes from the long times on the bike, either outside or on the coach. I must commit time.
-Running: I have to keep improving my pace and lose weight. This aspect of running is affected by weight more than any other. I need to lose those 5-10 pounds. I will also work on my form to ensure that I am getting the maximum amount of thrust from my legs during the race. I also want to keep watching my pace drop for longer periods of time. I plan to run outside as long as I can handle the cold. I will complete fartlek intervals and shorter tempo runs for the first part of the week and then try longer runs at a certain race pace. I also want to try doing a couple of races this fall of the 5km and a half marathon variety. These races should keep pushing me in the race. Last year I was sidelined with a bad cough and cold around Thanksgiving and couldn’t run for over a month. I can’t have that this year and I need to stay healthy.
-Strength Training: I will do some basic strength training that will provide some cross-training aspects to my triathlon career. I will be doing the 30 day AB challenge every month to continue boosting my core and hopefully getting my six pack. I want to do push-ups to provide shoulder and lat strength for swimming. I’ll do some curls to give the biceps strength. I want to do some pull-ups for swimming. I’ll do some wall squats and weight squats to strengthen my legs. I will do some plyometric workouts from the P90X workouts to keep my legs strong. In general, I want to improve my strength in all areas to avoid injury.
-Weight loss: I have written about this recently, but in short I weigh around 180 pounds. I need to run around 170. I need to lose 10 pounds by eating better and avoiding so much sugar. One of the things that happens to me is that in the winter it seems that I don’t work as much, so I gain weight. I hope this doesn’t happen this year by joining a gym and continuing to swim, bike and run regularly. I must weigh less for next season!
The offseason will be an exciting time of continued growth in my ability to compete. I have to push myself even if there is no race on the calendar. I MUST punish my body to do what I want next year. I have a few months before running again and these months should count. Next year, I will compete in my first ironman triathlon and I will be in better shape than this year.
