You just finished your A-race and already have next year’s goals in mind. I recommend a week or two of easy recovery activities (i.e., sight-seeing, social runs, or coffee rides) to keep moving after a big race and then begin 2 weeks of doing nothing swim, bike, run related. This allows you to unwind mentally and physically and dedicate some time to analyzing your season.
Taking time totally off allows your muscles and tendons to repair and it is beneficial to lose some fitness at this point. This allows the body to transition to the first block of the next season. Traditionally, this will be base building but can also be high intensity for a reverse build, but that is worthy of a separate article. Either way, you are going to want your body healthy and prepared for the increasing stress. Visit a chiro or PT to address any imbalances or nagging issues. This phase does not require being a couch-potato. You enjoy exercising so you should continue that habit. Just do so in ways other than swimming, biking, and running. You can roller blade, hike, rock climb, kayak, or any number of activities. Just enjoy yourself, don’t follow a training plan, and don’t work hard.
Use this time to reflect on the past season. Make notes of your shortcomings in races. Identify some low-hanging fruit to incorporate into training such as bike handling, nutrition, or transitions. Some of these can be resolved with 1-on-1 lessons with a coach. Identify your fitness limiters of the season so you can prioritize them for next season’s training.
Begin developing next years goals. Goals can include increasing distance, qualifying for championships, or shaving time off races. Begin developing a plan or contact a coach to help you evaluate your goals and your commitments. This is a great value Playtri coaches provide in our Individual Coaching programs.
Rest, regroup, and develop a plan of attack for next season.
Coach Ryan Siebert is a Level 3 Playtri Coach and a USAT Level I Coach with Long Course Area of Focus.