Training Tip Tuesday #4- Top 10 Tips to Supercharge Your Offseason: (Off)Season 2

Last year I posted a two part series titled the, "Top 10 Tips to Supercharge Your Offseason." If you missed it you can check out Part 1 here, and Part 2 here. I believe the series was met with wild success so of course I had to return for a second run.

10. Party like a rockstar

The Shop Boyz sure knew what they were talking about. The season is over! It’s like it’s the weekend. Except this is a long weekend in which you DON’T have to spend the majority of your time in spandex. Get to the club and break out the funky dance moves! Maybe the club isn’t your thing but you can at least open a bottle of champagne and give yourself a toast to commemorate another year in the books.  If the season ended poorly for you (as it did for me), then don’t be too hard on yourself. There are still many things to enjoy in life and a wonderful chance to celebrate those things with the holiday season coming up. Which leads me to my next point…

9. Throw yourself into an activity completed unrelated to triathlon

If you’re like 99.9% of the triathletes out there then you probably have a lot of energy and don’t like just sitting around.  Sometimes what is most important during the offseason is taking a mental break not just a physical one. Don’t get me wrong, a physical break is definitely necessary but if you start going stir crazy after a couple days around the house then find another hobbie you can throw yourself into. It’s a great time to pursue other areas of interest you might have that get neglected during the regular season. Bake a cake, read a book, plant a garden (If you live in south Texas where you can grow more in the winter than the summer), volunteer at a homeless shelter, have a baby (wait what?!), play a round of golf or search for pennies in the sofa cushion. You’re bound to have at least one other interest outside of triathlon so go enjoy it! Speaking of cake…

8. "Let Them Eat Cake!"

So goes the exclamation uttered by Marie Antoinette during the French Revolution when informed that her people had no bread. Hopefully your situation isn't quite as dire that you have to resort to such drastic measures. Nonetheless, now that it’s offseason you don’t have to worry about feeling guilty for sampling after you bake a delicious cake in your free time!  Last year I suggested rewarding yourself with a cookie but this year I think it’s appropriate to take it up a notch. Anyone lacking confidence with their baking skills are welcome to send me a sample and I’ll be happy to provide positive, encouraging feedback.

7. Drive a Uhaul across the country

Not your idea of a good time? Combine #1 and #7 and you get PARTY UHAUL!! Ok, so maybe this isn’t actually a great way to spend your offseason but it’s how I’m choosing to spend my free time this year! If driving a 26 foot truck full of furniture from Indiana to San Antonio isn’t your thing then maybe there is some other necessary tasks you need to get done that you haven’t had time for.

The only alternative to a Uhaul was this so… I opted for the Uhaul

Number #9 offseason tip was more about fun/hobbie type activities but #7 is for the not-as-exciting-but-probably-more-important stuff I’m sure you have looming over your head. Maybe you have mounds of useless paper you need to file and/or shred (actually that could be fun), a cabinet to put together or a garage to clean (don’t we all).

6. Plan for next year

After you’ve partied, ate cake, driven around the country and checked off every little task from your to-do list you might find your thoughts wandering back to triathlon every now and then. This is a great time to reflect on the last year. Every year I like to write down at least three things I think I did very well and three things I need to work on for next year. Even if you had a bad year I’m sure you can still find a few areas that were good steps forward. Maybe you improved your transitions, fixed your bike fit, ate healthier or didn’t bonk quite as bad as the year before.

If you had a good year then think about the areas you can still improve in and where you’d like to do better next year. What’s that saying about the definition of insanity again? "Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the same result." If you’re consistently having problems in the same area you need to be able to assess the situation and make changes where appropriate. This is where having a coach or someone you trust offer his or her opinion can be very helpful. An unbiased, unemotional point of view will help you fully  analyze the situation and plan adjustments for next year.

Stay tuned next week for the final 5 tips!