As you spend your coffee breaks reading through triathlon, running or cycling news websites you will have noticed that the season is over. Lombardia was last weekend marking the end of the cycling season. NCNCA season effectively ends at the Giro in SF, even though there was a crit championship at the end of September which drew some heavy hitters. Kona was a week and a half ago (Maui XTERRA is this weekend). And on the running side we can probably consider the end of the running season to be NYC Marathon.
Running allows the most flexibility in a season because you need less hours to train and you can hit up a boring treadmill. While I have found some success riding indoors, some just say "no way, no how".
So what does one do in November and December in Northern CA? (I have no clue what to do in MN, but we are spoiled here so I will focus on what the locals do) The main debate is, do you follow the Jan Ullrich plan and get fat? Rest the legs from your key sports and find other activities? Cross-TRAIN? (Train vs. work out)? Or just continue the season and have it roll into the next rip-roaring come the spring classics?
The first and last are probably bad ideas, assuming you care about next year. If you raced in September at 168, you should probably not show up at Early-Birds at 184, or a lean-164. So it comes down to a more simple debate. Should you train during the "off-season" or should you just work out? I tell people I never use the word "workout" as a verb. I will go to a workout (ie swim practice) but I don't work out. I train, meaning every training session has the goal of making me faster in swimming, cycling, running, or triathlon. There is nothing wrong with working out. It is very healthful, probably makes you better looking, raises confidence, but working out may or may not lead to going faster.
Let's take a look at a few of the physical activities I have done and will do this "off-season".
Running
I will run, of course. Some will be fun runs, some will be races, and others will be in-between. The goal may be to go fast, or to recover, or just to get the blood flowing but each run will be to help me run faster. Whether it was the Nike Women's 1/2 Marathon last week, or a 30 min run before work. It is valuable.
Cycling
There are no races in the off-season, but there are rides. Each ride, again, has a goal. Mellow/fun rides on the weekend get the miles in and allow me to enjoy the great place I live and the pleasure of my friends' company. A ten minute spin after a run reminds my legs how to ride. Consistency will be key this winter to allow for a good 2012 season.
Swimming
Any laps I swim will be valuable. I have as solid base to live off of, but keeping the feel for the water for the tris I do next year is the goal.
Cross-TRAIN
My current key sessions for the fall/winter have been hills/jumps. Find a hard hill (~20 seconds), sprint to the top and then do squat jumps. Start with 5x5 and then grow each week. These are hard, they hurt, but they are valuable. Get the strength now so I can train the legs into running and cycling shape. Plus they have already helped. The hills this weekend were more comfortable than I expected.
YOGA
This may be the closest thing to working out I will do. But it lowers my confidence (I am terrible). Probably does not make me look better (see a 2009 Seventeen Magazine study on the sexiness of "athletes"). As long as I don't pull anything it probably makes me more healthful. But I am not sure it makes me faster. That being said, there is value in yoga. 1) Valuable time with important people. 2) If the work has been done on the above sessions there will be marginal gains. And marginal gains are valuable.
Skiing/Snowboard
1) Valuable time with important people. 2) Fun. No other value there.
Anything else I should do?
If I do anything else, it will be for fun.
And fun is healthful, mentally healthful. That is the key of the off-season. Be mentally fresh come January, but be fit. You do not need form, but be fit.
