General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Off Season Training - Over doing it? Rss Feed  
Moderators: k9car363, alicefoeller Reply
2008-08-14 3:54 PM

User image

Member
20

Subject: Off Season Training - Over doing it?
Help! I am trying to put together an off season training schedule to help me build up strength and endurance for a Half Ironman next spring. I'm just feeling like I'm over doing it but I'm not sure where to cut back.

Monday - OFF
Tuesday AM - SWIM
Tuesday PM - lift
Wednesday AM - LONG RUN
Wednesday PM - yoga
Thursday AM - SWIM
Thursday PM - pilates
Friday AM - SPIN
Saturday AM - lift and SWIM
Sunday AM - RUN (possibly a brick)

I really enjoy swimming, which is why there is so much of it. I need to work on strength, especially core, which is why there is two lift sessions and pilates. Yoga keeps me sane. I just don't know if I'm running and biking enough. Please let me know what you would do.


2008-08-14 5:48 PM
in reply to: #1604475

User image

Coach
10487
50005000100100100100252525
Boston, MA
Subject: RE: Off Season Training - Over doing it?

It really depends what your goals and what your weaknesses are. I think the off-season is a great time to work on improving weaknesses (i.e. a weak running can run more, a weak cyclist can do more threshold work, etc) as you can devote an entire training cycle to it. (i.e 4-6 weeks). Since you enjoy swimming a lot I will assume that is your strength, hence believe it or not is the sport you might want to just do enough to maintain your fitness level while you can invest plenty of time on the other two sports.

Now the controversial stuff: triathlons are endurance sports and for that reason the main limiter for the majority or age groupers is fitness; strength in the way you gain at the gym by lifting weights is not relevant nor a thing to be address for your triathlon performance. OTOH if lifting is part of what you do, your routine or you just enjoy it then by all means you should continue to incorporate in your training. Just keep in mind that it won’t have an impact in your training physiologically speaking, maybe psychologically as you enjoy it. You can do a search about this and you’ll find many threads discussing this.  Good luck!

2008-08-14 7:38 PM
in reply to: #1604475

User image

Coach
9167
5000200020001002525
Stairway to Seven
Subject: RE: Off Season Training - Over doing it?
I'll agree here...what do you identify as your limiters from completing the HIM? When is it? DO you have a training plan that you have decided to follow xxx weeks out from the event, and if so, how many weeks between the end of the season and the beginning of the "plan"?

For example, say your HIM is April 1st, and you think that a BT training plan that runs 16 weeks would suit your abilities and schedule. That means you'd start that plan around the beginning of December.

If your "season" ends at the end of August, that leaves 3 months of "off season" training...

You can use your off season to rejuvinate, relax, focus on weaknesses, etc. As amine said, the thing you probably should not do is spend time on your best sport at the expense of working on the others.

A thought is to take 4 weks of staying active, but doing some different (non-tri) activities...group weight lifting, yoga, pilates, mountain biking, sky diving, scuba trip, etc...take time to do the things you don't have time to incorporate during tri season.

That would leave 8 weeks for your "off season". If swimming is your strongest, and runnign is your weakest, you might decide to do a 5 week cycle of run focused skills & drills, followed by a bike centric 5 week block, then begin your 16 week plan for the HIM.


Those are just some ideas without having any specific data about you.

BT has several "off season" bike focused, run focused & swim focused plans to help you get up to speed on your limiters.

Edited by AdventureBear 2008-08-14 7:39 PM
2008-08-15 1:08 AM
in reply to: #1604475

Extreme Veteran
428
10010010010025
Subject: RE: Off Season Training - Over doing it?

Off season = relax, avoid the sport, do something different

Pre season = do training that will get you ready for when the training season starts. Might be swimming, biking, and running. Can also be other sports / activities that will support you base aerobic capacity. 

New Thread
General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Off Season Training - Over doing it? Rss Feed