Taking Time Off
There was an interesting discussion on the CNY Triathlon website concerning taking time off from training (See the discussion). So I thought I would see what the experts have to say. A quick Google search on “triathlon time off” yielded some pretty good results.
For instance, Dr. Jeffrey Sankoff states here that
Including recovery periods and tapering as part of a normal training schedule is standard practice by coaches of athletes at all levels. Doing so is necessary to allow the body to benefit from extended periods of high-volume training and to avoid overtraining and injury, and detraining need not be considered an unwanted side effect of these phases of training. Nonetheless, according to Mark Allen, insufficient recovery and a bungled taper are still among the five most common training mistakes made by triathletes, (IT Tri Guide 2004).
Perusing what I consider to be the runner’s bible, Daniels’ Running Formula
- Plan to take time off or you will end up taking unplanned time off
- “Continuous exhaustive training can place too much wear and tear on runners’ bodies and can also have an adverse psychological effect”
- Cross training can help make you a better runner
- Time off should be looked at as a “career prolonger”, triathlon is a lifelong sport, right?
As noted in the most articles and books, time off does not mean doing nothing. For starters, one should not eat as much, since they will not be expending as much energy. Second, find something else to do. Remember those kids you have? Take ‘em hiking or fishing. You gotta have something you like to do besides triathlon, right? Moderation is a good thing, especially in moderation.
I think most people fear that they somehow will lose all of the benefits they have gained in the past season, but I think some perspective is needed. You have, in the past season, done thousands and thousands of repetitions in each of the three sports. Your body is not going to forget overnight how to swim or pedal or put one foot in front of another. In fact, your body will probably thank you ten times over for giving it a break. Muscle memory is very resilient. It takes months, if not years to forget how to do something.
One of the things I do to keep mentally involved during my down times is to review what worked and didn’t work for me in the past season. For instance, last year, as the season went on, I did not put enough base miles in on the bike or the run, instead focusing too much on speedwork. When it came to some end of the year races, I felt like my body was breaking down from the high end stress and thus, I didn’t perform as well. Looking forward, I am going to be adding more base training in to my workouts. I also find that the time off is really helping fire back up my drive. I miss running. I miss biking. I miss swimming. I want to do all of these things faster next year. A month ago, I was thinking I can’t wait until the main season is done.
Now is probably the ideal time for people to take time off, at least in most areas of the US. The weather is turning a bit colder, there probably are few triathlon events scheduled, so you really aren’t missing much. So go ahead, and take 2-4 weeks off and don’t feel guilty about it. You have worked hard all year and you deserve it.
