5 Keys To Off-Season Training

With the 2009 season coming to an end in the northern part of the country, the only way to continue racing is to find a few crazy friends or travel south. All of the hard work put in for this past year should not be wasted by ignoring the pool or using your bike as a coat rack.

Instead, now is the time to recover, evaluate and plan. Now that the mandatory few weeks has been taken, its time to start preparing for a fast 2010.

1. Bike Fit

After logging a ton of miles on that saddle and ignoring family obligations, it may seem ridiculous to get your bike fit now. However, the vast majority of triathletes, from the most novice to the guy with the $15k race bike, are uncomfortable and unable to ride efficiently, let alone run afterwards. Working with an experienced fitter to create a conservative position for the off-season will give you the opportunity to built the strength to ride that aero bike in that aero position. Optimizing your position early will give you the opportunity to improve aerodynamics in the spring, well before race season gets underway.

1. Learn to Pedal Properly

Don’t laugh, in the bicycle industry, triathletes have a reputation for being bad cyclists. Getting off the road on onto a trainer can pay significant benefits for next season. Harvard University cycling coach, Ed Sassler, preaches the importance of firing off the correct leg muscles during specific parts of the pedal stroke. For example, using the large glute muscles on the downstroke instead of focusing on the quadriceps will help efficiency and reduce muscle fatigue.

Performing drills on a trainer will not only teach muscle memory it will build power and endurance.

Using this time to spin at a high cadence will allow you to build aerobic capacity. One-leg drills, spin-ups and muscle isolation are essential to creating a smooth, fluid pedal stroke.

1. Core Strength & Flexibility

There is no secret here at all. Core strength will give you the ability to explode off the beach to get a good set of feet in the swim. Ride longer in the aero position and maintain form running form deeper into the race. Improving flexibility creates one significant advantage that goes back to tip #1: Bike Fit. Increasing hip flexion and loosening the hamstrings will allow you to ride in a much steeper position. Being able to turn the body angle (degrees of the angle created by the bottom bracket, hip and shoulder) from a conservative 105 degrees to 102 or 101 creates less frontal area and drag. This in turn is free speed.

1. Don’t be Afraid to Gain Weight

Losing weight for the race season can significantly improve performance. Weight loss is a great feeling and result of hard work and a disciplined diet. Getting to “race weight” is great for the season but peak fitness is purely for that, peaking! During the

off-season, adding a little bit of weight allows the body to recover and gives a little extra fuel for when the base training period begins. Don’t be afraid to have a little ice cream or a burger, just keep in mind you will be training less and not burning calories at the same rate as during the season. More than anything, this little break from energy bars and counting calories will go miles for mental health

1. Base, Base & More Base

This will never end! No matter what! Dust off that heart rate monitor and begin the zone 1 and 2 workouts. Teach that body again to burn fat instead of glycogen. It will let you race longer and faster in 2010. And, that is what it is all about.