FALL & WINTER MOTIVATION
So in the good ol’ USA, 2018 triathlon season is almost a wrap... days are getting shorter... temps are dropping (in much of the country, it’s starting to rain/snow cats & dogs)... LETS GET REAL, motivation at times, not so much!
Check out a few ways to get your butt up stay engaged and motivated throughout the beginning of the off season months:
1) Bomb Proof the Body
The tri season is long, you asked a lot out of your body- it’s time to rebuild the machine.
A. Make sure you either start or continue the strength building process both in swim-bike-run
(Swim: paddles, buoys, bands, fins, snorkels/ Bike: hills and over-gear work/ Run: hills and drills)
B. Enjoy some Complimentary Sports/Activities: skiing, snowshoeing, rowing, tennis... the list goes on and on.
C. Strength Routine: Hit the weights to maximize your time
D. Nutrition: as hard as it is through the holidays for some, nutrition is key to keep the immune system healthy and to allow the body to rebuild. Drop the gels and sports nutrition, and focus on whole, real, simple food... easy to remember, ‘drop anything from a box, bottle, or bag.’
E. Sleep: increase sleep and reduce caffeine. Listen to your natural body clock as much as possible.
F: Massage/Chiro: just bc you aren’t training the body ‘as hard’ at the beginning of off season- you will start to ramp back up. You want that body ready to rumble!
2) Stop the Monotony
Keep your workouts short and sweet. No need at this point to be a slave to long hours. Throw out the idea of base work- think of first recovery (see above) and prepping the body & mind for the next phase of your yearly approach to training.
3) Drop the Statistics
You have most likely and smart I might add, been guided by pace calculation and metrics. Give them a little break and revisit listening to your body. Most coaches know to give your athletes a balance of some space to play but also schedule out some quick ‘fartleks’/ intervals to stimulate both the body and mind again.
4) Make it a Happy Hour
Don’t go at the fall alone. Invite some friends to head out on one of your short sweat sessions or join a local group for a couple workouts a week. Even better, plan to grab a quick bite afterward. Make a workout part of your social life.
5) Reality Check
Always remember- Race season will be fast approaching (esp here in the south)- as soon as the new year approaches. Races begin to sell out and kick start as early as March! (That is literally 10 weeks from New Years Eve!). I like to remind Athletes, “If you don’t do the work in the ‘dark’, you don’t get to gripe when you don’t ‘shine’ on race day.”
Just a suggestion, through the next couple of months, pick one of the motivator points above each week, and write it down. Each day, tackle the ‘theme’ - get off the couch and make it happen- no excuses! : )
Happy Training!
If you have further questions/ comments, please email: amari@playtri.com
See more tips from our Playtri Coaches on the Coach’s Blog.