There have been 100’s of articles written this spring/ summer on
“How to maintain motivation when races are canceled.”
FYI- My article is absolutely not one of those.
Reality, you will not be able to ‘regroup’ without acknowledging that, without the traditional triathlon season, we miss out on the momentum of training, learning our bodies, seeing transformations… the energizing process feels lost this year.
You cannot get around or pretend otherwise.
Now that you have admitted your loss and frustration…
WHAT DO YOU DO NOW?!?
You get back up on the horse.
Here is an approach that I have implemented with some of my athletes to maintain a balance between continuing the hard work & play.
IDENTIFY YOUR WEEKLY PURPOSE
Like it or not, human beings thrive on direction and progression.
So with that truth in mind, 5x/week I have specific workouts built on primarily one of the three disciplines (swim, bike, or run), with the intention of creating a ‘complete/ balanced triathlete’. In short, we have the time right now to focus on both endurance and hard efforts.
ENGAGE IN PLAY TIME
At least 1x/week, I encourage my athletes to take a mental break from the organized training and structure. Leave the gadgets at home: find a different sport or activity, join a small group ride or run, find new trails, rent a stand up paddle board, hit the weight room, try out stretching or yoga home videos….
It doesn’t matter what you choose.
This day should feel like recess- just move and have fun doing it!
TAKE A PAUSE
1x/week, I highly encourage athletes to take a day off completely.
When I say off, I mean completely shut it down.
EVERYTHING triathlon related, turn it off.
Training, articles, social media, videos…. PAUSE IT FOR THE DAY!
Whether you like it or not, you will have ‘weak’ moments where the ‘why am I training’ or ‘what am I doing this for, will seep in. Take the 24 hours to pause and allow both your mind and body to recover and gear back up for the coming week’s purpose and play!
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
Example: Athlete A, 12week Bike Focus
Monday
20min Swim Bands + 45min Bike Strength Hill Repeats
Tuesday
Bike HIM/IM efforts + 2x1mile Brick Run
Wednesday
20min Swim Bands + Bike & Run Drills/Skills + Prehab
Thursday
Bike Tempo/ Speed (bi-weekly Zwift race) + 30min Brick Run
Friday
20min Swim Bands + Bike HIM/IM efforts
Saturday
“Fly Birdie Fly!” RECESS TIME
Sunday
OFF
It’s not the most glamorous statement, but as my grandmother would say,
“Get up, Drop the Whining, & Make Something Happen.”
Use this time, be smart in your schedules, have fun,
and learn the importance of balance!
If you have any questions, always feel free to email: Amari@playtri.com