Creating an off season plan
4496
Member
1644 days
kylie posted 1 year ago.
Where are you at right now fitnesswise? What are your target race lengths next year? What are your limiters (weakest tri events)?
Is your main focus on getting better at tris, or being a master's swimmer? I saw that you said what you were going to concentrate on, and I wasn't sure if that was for workouts or improving at or competing at or what. I see that you rank your swimming as a 9, and running and biking much lower, so from a tri perspective your focus should be on those 2 in the offseason, bringing them up to the level of your swimming.
34
Member
608 days
m2tall2 posted 1 year ago.
I am doing sprints only, and next season only plan on doing sprints. I am doing 2 x 30-40 minute runs per week now with 2 short 10-15 minute runs and 2 x 30 minute bikes with one to two longer 60 to 90 minute bikes each week. I cut back heavily on the swimming for the summer to focus more on my weak links - the cycling and running.
Before this past March, I had NEVER run in my entire life (not even for softball or gym class; I have knee problems), and it had been a few years since I rode a bike which I had only done recreationally before that. But I was in grood shape from swimming, rowing, and general strength training. I want to not loose too much of the gains I made this summer so that I can jump back in next spring and focus on my weak links again.
While normally I train for events like the 100 breast and 200 IM in the pool, I am planning on switching it up and thinking more about wanting to get better at longer events and doing the 800 m free and 1650 y free and perhaps the 1 hour swim postal event in January. So even for the swim season, I am changing my thinking to be more "tri-like".
Basically, I plan on COMPETING at swimming in the winter and COMPETING at Tris in the summer. So, in order to be competitive at the swimming, I need to cut back but not eliminate the running and biking for that part of the year. In the spring and summer, I fully plan on dedicating the time to my weaker events - running and cycling.
4496
Member
1644 days
kylie posted 1 year ago.
That does make it a lot tougher... because really the winter would be to work on your limiters, and instead you are limiting your training for tris to mostly the on-season.
I'm not saying that is "bad" -- the things you choose should be those that make you happy and keep you active. It's just one of those time management choices. Unfortunately I think it will limit the improvement and gains you'll see at tris year to year. 2 hours a week isn't really enough time to (depending on the individual of course) really keep your biking and running gains.
Now I train for all longer stuff, so I'm not sure if this is all the same for a sprint focus. But personally I find the long bike a very very key workout. If there is any way you can keep one of those in your schedule that would be good. Run frequency is important, but so is maintaining the distance you've built up to... so I'm not sure what to say on that one.
The "Triathlete's Guide to..." series (mental training, running, biking, etc) have gotten some good reviews. Maybe check out their off-season training book?
So, I have seen many plans out there for gearing up to race day spanning anywhere from 8 to 20 weeks out. My question is in regard to the rest of the year otherwise known as the "off-season", or perhaps base building.
My tentative yearly plan is from mid-April through August to concentrate on tris, from September through December SCM Master's Swimming, and from January through April SCY Master's Swimming. I'm tempted to switch one of the swimming seasons to solely an all around base building season but I'm not sure which one (this fall will be particularly chaotic so I am thinking this fall as base).
So the question is how do you structure your yearly plan to maintain or build base during the off season? I am seeking to maintain. My first week back tri-plan will have me doing 3x 30 minute runs and 3x30 minute bikes in April with the Bikes quickly ramping up time and the long run slowly getting longer through the tri-season.
I am thinking I may be able to fit in a total of 2 hours non-swimming training into the off-season (in addition to a weight program). I'm not sure the best way to fit in these runs and bikes. For example 2x15 minute run + 1 30 minute run OR 2 x 30 minute runs or 3 x 20 minute runs. And for the bike, 3 x 20 minute bikes OR 2 x 10 minute and 1 x 40 minute, OR 2 x 30 minute, etc., etc.
So, How do you structure your yearly plan to either maintain or build base? and
Is there a particular off season combination (how to break up these small chunks of time) in order to maintain the best fitness?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks!