Triathlon is an absolutely amazing sport to be involved in! And it can also feel like it is all
consuming especially if you are training for a longer distance race and/or training for
high performance. If you are looking for ways to stay motivated this off season, here are
my top tips.
Take a week off and then start back with unstructured training for a week or two. Rest
and recovery during the season is when our bodies adapt to the training that we have
done. The same is true for the beginning of the off-season, except from a mental and
social perspective. Reset and then start slowly getting back into moving your body and
doing things you love.
Target triathlon adjacent races. The off-season is an excellent time to enjoy some
different ways of being athletic. Many of my triathletes participate in bike rallies and run
races, cyclocross, or strength training. Participating in sports that are adjacent to our
favorite sport gives us an opportunity to develop new skills, have fun, and build fitness for
the coming season.
Off-season is skill season! The off-season provides a time to work on improving
specific aspects of our athletic performance. Small changes—like working on swim
stroke, run cadence, core strength, nutrition, mental strength, mobility, or bike
handling—made in the off-season can drastically improve our racing and our enjoyment
during the next season. At Playtri, we offer one-on-one sessions to help you turn your
weaknesses into strengths!
Go to camp! Camps are one of THE best ways to improve your skills and have fun in a
short amount of time. Our internal research at Playtri over the past 20+ years has
shown that athletes see anywhere from a 15-20% increase in fitness for a weekend
camp and a 35-40% increase in fitness for a week-long camp! That is huge! Not only do
you see a huge increase in your fitness, but you also reap the benefits of focused training
with other like-minded athletes, fewer distractions, and hands-on training with excellent
coaches. These camps are catered to YOUR fitness and YOUR goals. Whether you are
training for health or sprint triathlons or full Ironmans, these camps are adapted to suit
your goals. And if you really want to have fun getting healthy and fit, you can join us for
our Hawaii camp in January!
I hope you found this article helpful! Email me at jim.rowe@playtri.com if you have any
questions. Happy training and racing this year!
Jim Rowe is a Playtri Level 5 Coach and Coach Education Lead, a USAT LI Certified
Coach, an NASM Certified Personal Trainer, and an Ironman and 70.3 World
Championship Qualifier who works with adult athletes who are chasing PRs, moving up
to long course racing, or want to qualify for a world championship. Learn more about
Jim at www.playtri.com/jim-rowe.