Off-Season Workouts

Hi All,
I just finished my first season doing tri's. Did 3 and can't wait for next year.

When I started training for the races this spring I bumped up my running and added swimming.

Question I have is do you modify the intensity/freq. of your workouts during the winter? I have always worked-out 6x per week but with the tri training actually started doing double workouts a couple of days per week.

I know that my long bike rides will end and I will be inside on the spinning bike and treadmill more. My main goal this winter is to improve my swimming.

Thanks ,Sharon

My body definitely needs a break after a long summer of training. I've backed way off for about a month -- barely doing anything. Then I pick a winter goal (this year, a February half marathon) and work toward that. I am hoping to build up my running and swimming base (I am swimming 2x week with masters) so when the nice spring weather comes, I have a good base and can spend more time on the bike. So, my plan is to run 3x a week, swim 2x a week, yoga 1x a week (on my rest day), and spin/trainer 1x a week. Within this, I try to build in little breaks every 4-5 weeks or so.

The getting up at 5 am is what I need a break from the most, but unfortunately, my schedule doesn't allow it. *Sigh.*

Ditto with the rest theme. I did 3 5K races, 5 duathlons and a 160k ride this year. Plus CrossFit. I was tired. I've done almost nothing since the century ride. A couple of bike rides and a few very easy runs. No monitors. I'm about ready to get tested again and start back into training again..building base.

Last year I didn't rest..didn't want to lose my fitness. Melted down rather nicely in February. Sometimes I have to fall down hard before I learn.

I'm hoping to attend a training camp in Solvang at the end of April..that will get me through the winter....

I think it is important to give your body a rest if you've worked it hard.(says the voice of experience:D)

In winter I change sports completely and go to cross country skiing and snow shoeing. I'll try to run (on the treadmill) and bike (on the trainer) once a week, and swim occasionally. But mostly I'm devoted to skiing.

Winter is all about base building after I take a few weeks easy after a marathon. Basically the gap between Thanksgiving and Christmas I just do whatever I want, 30-45 minutes a day, avoiding the trainer as much as possible, then I get back on the bus at the end of December for base building.

I really enjoy the time off, and I get to enjoy the holidays with friends and family. I can't entirely stop because I would go crazy and someone might die, but I do slow down to a nice recovery.

I think recovery and base building will be two big winter themes :)

I am so glad this post is in here....I have been totally unmotivated since the Mamma Jamma ride on the 10th. I did have a cortizone shot and cycst removed from my right foot last week and thats still bothering me some also.

I did 3 tris, one tri relay and 2 charity bike rides (one 68 and the other 70) since May. I have been go go go....and now I think I need a little time to recover...I am still riding some on the weekend but not nearly like I was. I road into town saturday to meet my husband and it was a great ride....(about 20 miles).

Anyway....thanks for some confirmation...
Tina

Thought about this topic some more.

Looked at my 12-week half-marathon training program and bumped it out to 17 weeks... just so I can fit in a few rest/recovery weeks in there.

Winter is so challenging. It's hard to motivate to run in the cold, hard to motivate to get up and swim in the dark, and more lonely, as all my tri training mates are off on their own winter agendas.

I think a few weeks of sleeping in, some warm winter apparel (I just ordered the Zoot Hot Zone jersey and l-o-v-e it), and a February race that involves a stay at a resort with a hot tub is what I need to make it till April!

My coach, who also just happens to be the National Triathlon Team Coach for Colombia, I am a lucky duck...has me on base and rest training. We don't have a weather issue, but he has moved me down from 600-900 minutes a week of training to 400-600 minutes a week. CORE, CORE, CORE...arg...but getting easier and always fun and challenging. Has me swimming the same as always 10,000m a week, but 90k less a week on the bike. So, the schedule looks like this

Monday, Track, 45 mins of running and running excersizes

Tuesday swim 3000 (10x 200 with paddles, 10 second rest, medium pace)
Spin 20 minutes, CORE and weights 40 minutes

Wednesday REST (this is because I have early meetings on wednesday and don't leave the office until 7pm)

Thursday
swim 2000, technique
Core and weights 60 mins

Friday,
Swim 2500 (100s)
Velodrome (20k, high intervals)
10 mins run

Saturday
90k ride

Sunday
repetitions
basically core is replacing running for right now, but apparently will soon replace some of the rides. So bike and run are being alternated with core and weights.

Swimming never changes.