Celebrate Your Season
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Take time over the holidays to celebrate last season, as well as your accomplishments! Being able to celebrate with friends and family makes the end-of-season break more fun.
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Your Next TriathlonThink Ahead
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Give your body and mind a break so you don't burn out and start to hate the training and competition you love.
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Your Next TriathlonRecovery Is so Important
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Photo/David Steward, Flickr
A hard year of racing and training takes a toll. A lull in activity can allow your body to heal and get recharged for the coming year. Even top-level athletes allow their bodies a chance to recover.
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Your Next TriathlonYou Won't Lose Fitness
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Photo/Mike Burns, Flickr
It turns out that a few days of less training or even no training will not impact your overall fitness. You may begin to lose fitness after 10 to 14 days off of training. While you might not feel as sharp on your first workout or two back after a break, you'll still be fit.
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Your Next TriathlonGet Psyched for Next Season
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Photo/Steve Lumley, Flickr
Offseason training might not be as exciting as preparing for a race, but it's a time when you could make significant gains. Use any guilt you have from a fun holiday season as the motivator to jumpstart training for the coming season.
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Your Next TriathlonIt's OK to Gain Weight
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While being at race-weight may feel good on race day, it isn't healthy for you to stay there year-round--unless it just happens to be your natural weight. Gaining a little weight in the offseason is no big deal, and with just a little work it will be easy to lose before the next season.
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Your Next TriathlonYou Won't Put on (That Much) Weight
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Photo/Chris McFarland, Flickr
Even if you gain a pound or two while relaxing your training regimen and enjoying holiday festivities, it won't significantly impact your performance.
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Your Next TriathlonDon't Be Fooled
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Photo/Douglas Ellis
Tips and tricks to avoid enjoying the food and drink at holiday events aren't fun and are hard to maintain. Filling yourself before you go to a party doesn't actually prevent you from snagging a cookie--or three--and you could end up eating more than you planned.
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Your Next TriathlonRelax. Have Fun. Repeat Frequently.
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Photo/Michel Curi, Flickr
Part of what makes the holidays so fun is the chance to connect with friends and family. Much of that socialization is around food and drink. Being overly cautious about what you consume will keep you apart from the group and can create undue stress.
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Your Next TriathlonOne Rule: Moderate
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Taking off from training between Thanksgiving and New Years--and also eating with abandon--will have an impact and could set you back and erase some of the gains you made last season. However, moderate consumption and maintaining some off-season routines in between will make it easier to regain racing form come the new year.
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