The Strong Triathlete: Maximize Your Off-Season

Whether you love it or hate it, you have to go through it.  I’m talking about the off-season.  When it comes to triathlon, depending on where you live, this can be anywhere from 3-6 months.  During this time, we often feel a little bit in limbo.  

I live in the Northeast, so my off season falls on the longer side – but not this year, as I’m preparing for IM 70.3 Florida in a few short weeks!  My offseason comes with mixed feelings.  I know my mind and body need a break from the constant structure, from the emotional ups and downs of prepping for and going through a race, and my friends and family deserve a little more presence from me.  

Triathlon undoubtedly can become an all-consuming sport in many ways.  But honestly, that’s part of what I enjoy about it.  I love becoming mildly obsessed with the details and the planning.  The nerves leading up to the race and the thrill of the finish line excite me.  I value the lessons I get to learn along the way and showing myself how strong I can be.  

Not much compares to the power of belief you can create in yourself through this sport. 

HOW CAN YOU OPTIMIZE THIS OFF-SEASON?

We all need – and deserve – a time to rest and reset.  It’s an opportunity for even more growth, planning, and ensuring that your body and mind roll into the next season fully prepared to level up.  The brief pause in structure can sometimes lead to feelings of depression, lack of motivation, lackluster purpose and drive, and perhaps a sense of being lost.  

But having a plan and treating this part of your training cycle with purpose can help you get through the highs and lows that can accompany your break from racing.

Below are some areas that you can focus on over the next few months before the 2025 season kicks into gear.  I suggest you consider them all and set a goal for yourself for each. What would you like to accomplish as it pertains to recovery, strength, skills, mobility, nutrition, mindset, and your social life?  How important are these goals to you?  What’s your “why”?  

Take some time as you work through these, and most importantly, ENJOY the upcoming months.  Give yourself grace, nourish your body and soul, because at the end of this mesocycle, it’s time to buckle down and get back in the race saddle for your 2025 season!

Prioritize Rest and Recovery

When your race season is in full swing, one thing that often goes slightly (or completely) out the window is a solid sleep cycle.  As age group athletes working full-time jobs, managing kid’s schedules, volunteer work, family obligations, and whatever else you’ve loaded onto your unbalanced plate; adding in 8-12 hours per week of training can mean waking up in the wee hours of the morning or fitting in a late-night session.  Both of which can compromise rest and recovery.  

As you navigate your off-season and set those goals for yourself, make sure you schedule in time for added rest and consider various means of recovery. Whether this looks like scheduling a much-need massage, hitting up the cold plunge and sauna, visiting a physical therapist for some rehab or prehab, acupuncture, hot yoga, you name it.  Schedule these sessions like you would your swim, bike, run, and strength training.   

Create healthy sleep habits that can carry over to your race season.  Work towards consistent sleep and wake times, and create a nighttime routine that promotes restfulness and deep sleep.  I love a hot shower an hour or two before bed, along with a cup of tea, and 20-30 minutes of reading a book.  Check out my podcast episode at Empowered Women Wellness Project where we talk all things recovery. Your body and mind will thank you. 

Focus on Strength Training

If you’ve followed along on any part of my journey, you likely know that strength training is a priority for me when it comes to anyone’s training program.  Triathletes absolutely need it; women 1,000% should be incorporating it into their programs; any person who wants to move better, feel better, have more energy, create a more efficient body – should be including strength training into their program.

When specifically discussing the off-season, this is the time for you to address and work on correcting any muscular imbalances that you may have created or exasperated throughout the year.  Meet with a physical therapist or qualified trainer to assess your current movement patterns and address any areas that may need extra attention.  Additionally, we naturally lose muscle as our training volume of swim/bike/run increases.

Having a plan in place for your off-season strength training program can help you enhance your triathlon performance in the upcoming season, reduce your injury risk, and build power. 

Triathlon truly is a full body sport, and developing the muscles in your shoulders, back, and core for the swim, and your core and lower body muscles for the bike and run are equally important.  Incorporating movements in different planes of motion should also be considered, as we spend much of our time in season moving in the sagittal plane. When mapping out your plan, don’t forget exercises that focus on stability and mobility to improve your movement efficiency.   

Check out my posts on strength training for some options to include during the off-season. 

Refine Technical Skills

This time of year is a great opportunity to refine your skillset. When we are in peak training mode, swim technique, bike handling and running efficiency focus can take a backseat to the volume we are working towards for an A race.  Incorporate drills for your swim and run form, and take time to work on bike handling skills. 

Consider meeting with a swim coach to assess form and find out what drill might best benefit your deficiencies. Swimming is super technical and small tweaks can make a big difference in decreasing drag, using less effort to maintain or increase your speed, as well as avoiding potential injury at your shoulder joint from improper mechanics.     

While running, if you experience joint pain in your lower body or low back, having a professional assess your run form may expose areas of your gait and movement patterns that could use some work.  Many run drills (think A-skips, B-skips, high knees, butt kicks, carioca, leg swings) carry over across athletes.  But having someone specifically assess your form and make recommendations is ideal.

 Maybe this coming year is when you upgrade to aero bars or you get comfortable biking with one hand off the bars so you can skillfully grab your water bottle without fear of falling over. Check out this article for some great tips on mastering balance and coordination on the bike.    

Improve Flexibility and Mobility

This is the time to be proactive instead of reactive. I am totally at fault with this one.  When race season is in full swing, my flexibility and mobility sometimes become an afterthought.  If I’m feeling strong and my body is moving well, I have a tendency to slack off. And then I feel a little niggle and I instantly realize how careless I have been.  Can you relate?  

Take time during the next few months to integrate yoga, dynamic stretching, foam rolling, and mobility training so that you enter the 2025 season moving your best.  A body that moves better undoubtedly performs better. 

I am committed to consistent mobility.  Recently I have been sharing a 20-minute daily CARs routine (controlled articular rotations) with clients that’s easy to follow and incorporate into your program.  Check it out here.   

Dial in Nutrition Habits

When was the last time you had an honest check-in with your eating habits?  Just as we periodize our training to line up with our race calendar, our nutrition should follow suit.  This is a great time to try out different types of food, focus on nutrient-dense meals, and eat to support the goals you are looking to accomplish.

Are you working to increase or maintain muscle? Hopefully that’s a yes for everyone!  Then keep your protein intake high. If weight loss is a goal, you want to prioritize it during the off season.  When you are training for a race, you do not want to think about restricting calories or carbs. 

Interested in having more support around your nutrition habits?  Let’s chat!  I’m always happy to hop on a call to answer questions and see if we might be a good fit to work together.

Work on Mental Skills and Goal Setting

Mental skills in endurance sports is something that can be practiced and improved upon.  No matter your goals, resilience is key as you navigate the highs and lows of the sport. It’s crucial for your mental strength, helping you push through tough training sessions, setbacks, and race-day challenges. Resilience builds the grit needed to adapt, recover, and stay focused on your long-term goals, no matter the obstacles.

To build resilience, focus on setting incremental goals, practice self-compassion, and use setbacks as learning opportunities. Incorporating mental training techniques, like visualization, mindfulness, and positive self-talk, helps cultivate a strong, adaptive mindset, allowing you to bounce back from challenges and maintain motivation through tough times.

Practice visualization encompassing different scenarios.  I encourage you to set specific goals for the coming season and visualize success, as well as dealing with any mindset challenges.  I promise, you will have great wins along the way, as well as moments when things don’t go your way.  It’s the beauty of the sport.

Plan for the Next Season

This is my favorite part!  I just mapped out my plans for 2025.  I still have one more race to complete this year, but I get so excited looking at the calendar and landing on my A, B, and C races.  Take some time to think about the distances you want to complete, locations you’d like to race, financial plans, and your training and race goals.  

If you enjoy training in zones, schedule your time trials, CSS (Critical Swim Speed) test, and FTP (Functional Threshold Power) tests.  If you are looking to take your training to the next level and you are yet to hire a coach, start doing your research!  Ideally you will start working with a coach 12-16 weeks before your first race.  Interview people and find someone who is a good fit for YOU.  We all have different goals, personalities, approaches, and expectations.  It’s your season, take control.   

Make the Most of Your Off-Season

My goal for you is to be intentional during your off-season to build physical and mental strength. Optimize this time so that you set the stage for a successful, injury-free season and greater long-term gains.

A final thought for when you have a little more time on your hands is to make time for your family and friends who support you throughout the year.  It’s not always easy loving a triathlete!  I mean, don’t get me wrong, we are easy to love.  But our lifestyle and (often) type A personalities mean we are super committed to our sport and the time we put into it.  

During these off months, say YES to time with the people you love.  Have a glass of wine if you enjoy it.  Stay out late if you want to soak up extra moments.  Because in a few short months, you’ll be ready to dive back into the chaos that we crave when the race season approaches. 

Regardless of your goals, always remember it’s your journey, it’s your pace, and all my support.

-xo