Off season: The Importance of Rest and Recovery

The off-season is something that every professional triathlete looks forward too. It also marks the to time look back and evaluate the season. For a lot of us it is a chance to do something different, maybe go fishing, try a different kind of sport or just do nothing for a little while.

The off-season is just as important as the race season. Instead of directly making you faster, the off-season indirectly helps achieve your goals. Without an off-season most people would burn out or get injured. This time allows athletes to remember how much they enjoy training and racing.

Here are a few tips to maximize your off-season:

1) Make sure you disconnect from structured triathlon training. This will help you come back to the sport feeling refreshed and excited.

2) Take the right amount of off-time. This is usually between two-four weeks of being fully unplugged from the sport, followed by a progressive return to training. You should reach a point where you feel like you would do anything to get back out there and race.

3) Even though it’s down time, you don’t want to just sit on the couch and do nothing for too long. Make sure you are still active but are trying other sports and activities to change it up. If you feel like you really have to  keep training, limit your swim, bike and run to once a week with shorter quicker intervals or hit the trails on the bike and the run.