Triathletes: Beat the Winter Chill!

 Jim Yost, M.S., USAT Level 1 Certified Triathlon Coach, with Bethany Athletic Club, joins us today to give us tips on staying on track with training during the winter months.

One of the best things about training for triathlons is the ability to do a lot of your training in the great outdoors.  The only problem is, we live in the great Northwest, and when winter comes the bike goes into the garage and those scenic runs don’t seem quite as appealing in the driving rain and dark, frosty mornings.  Add to that recipe the fact that there are really no local triathlons until spring and training often drops off the  radar until Spring.

On the one hand, many of us like the natural break as we “recover” from our summer of activity.  Unfortunately this sets us up for a cycle of conditioning and subsequent deconditioning that can make it hard to achieve your best fitness levels over the long haul.  How many of us have reached a really high level of fitness for that key event and then given it all back with a few months of virtually no consistent training?  Add to that the propensity to gain weight over the holidays and those cycle shorts might not be looking so good come March! 

So how can we retain that fitness that we have worked so hard for and still avoid the burnout of training year round?  The key is to mix it up and use the indoors to your advantage as a source of variety as opposed to a prison sentence.  Here are some ideas:

Strength Training:
* This is an ideal time to spend more time shoring up the core and building strength when the training volume for other disciplines is lower.
* Focus on movements, not muscles, that mimic those required for sport to help improve performance and reduce injuries.
* Hire a personal trainer or join a group training class if you do not already have a functional training plan of your own.

Swim:
* Consider trying a Masters Swim group that you may not have been able to commit to during the busy summer months.
* Use your workouts to emphasize drills for your weaknesses that will pay off next season when it is time to ramp up the distance.
* Think about occasionally throwing in more frequent swims to maintain aerobic fitness as the volume of biking and running might be reduced and swimming has the lowest impact.

Bike:
* Try an indoor spin class. It’s easier to workout in a group and this is a good time to improve cadence, do interval training, and work on your pedal stroke mechanics.
* Get your own stationary bike trainer to use at your home for workouts.  This is the next best thing to being on the road and you can control the climate and the entertainment!
* Join a local cycle club (and get fenders and rain gear).  These groups tend to have rides all year and it is safer (and more fun) to ride in a group when the weather is inclement.

Run:
* Use your club’s indoor track – there’s no rain!  Also, it’s a great time to work on running form and pace-work in a controlled setting.
* Try treadmill workouts .  Great for hill training and for tempo and speed work where you can really finely control your pace with no variations.
* Pick a winter fun run or event to train for that you have never done.  There are lots of local runs throughout the winter that can help keep you motivated.

Keep in mind you don’t have to try everything.  Pick one new thing a week to try out, and next thing you know it will be next year and your body will thank you!

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