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Training all year round

So I'm curious. Of the more seasoned triathletes among you, how many of you would say that you train 12 months a year? After your A-race(s) how long would you take off from training, if anything at all?

The reason I ask is that I'm starting to think about 2010 events and what my calendar might look like next year. I'm thoroughly enjoying my first season but I'm also a bit nervous that my focus might start to wander if I don't have breaks throughout the year. What do you all think?

Stu

Comments

  • Depends on your age. When i was 20-25 years old i did train hard from about December at all 3 disciplines but from end of September i eased back on Cycling and swimming, maybe 3 rides and 3 swims a week. I consentrated on my strongest sport running competing in cross country races etc.
    Now at 45 my last race (triathlon) was on 30th August and i haven't swam since and only biked twice but i am running hard and again aiming at the cross country season, i think the older you are the more a break is required but saying it and doing it are 2 different thing's.
    The best Kenyan runners take a month off each year and can't understand why runners in the west will go straight from the country to the track to the indoors onto the roads, never taking a break.
  • Well if it's any help I'm a spritely 27yrs, so stamina should still (just) be on my side.

    Which of the three disciplines do people think would be easiest to get back up to speed on if you were to take a break? I'm sure my legs would appreciate a break from running but perhaps re-building the stamina might take a while?

    Stu
  • I train all year round. Ill have a 2 weeks break at the end of the season (this week being the end of the first week) then its back into it slowly and gradually increasing until January when I hit it hard and I wont rest properly until the end of the 2010 season.

    I am 28 years old, been doing Tri for 3 years and aint too bad at it. Still with loads of room for improvement.
  • And i would class myself as average, and i wont take a break either.

    Instead i will try and focus on what i perceive to be my weak links, whilst continuing to train my strong events as normal.

    Hopefully that way into 2010 i will break all pb's.

    Besides what else is there to do,


    train hard/fight easy.
  • JulesJules Posts: 987
    I won't be taking a break. I only get to train about 5-6 hours a week anyway, so not much to take a break from!

    I'll just be slowing things down, doing mostly endurance work over the winter.
  • I wont take any more of a break than I do during the season, so a "quiet week" every five or so. On saying that I concentrate on my longer distance running during the winter and get out on the mountain bike as much as I can.

    I've fianlly realised i like training as much as I do racing but I need to enter races to get me to train
  • BritspinBritspin Posts: 1,655
    Couldn't bear to stop, but I do 'periodise' & change things up, shift focus etc.
  • diddsdidds Posts: 655
    I'm with Britspin... I think it really depends on what you class as "training"...

    after this weekend, I'll not be Tri training specifically aside form a long run maybe, but will be hitting the gym for a month or so, just going back to CV work.

    Then I'll start again in November.


    didds
  • ShaggyShaggy Posts: 140
    Get the mountain bike out and get dirty!
    Hit your local bridleways, excellent for balance and control, upper body as well as leg power, core, cv. No cars just big smiles. (apart from when carrying a mud-laden bike across a ploughed field - but you'll soon work out a couple of routes that are more or less rideable all year)

    If you've not got a mountain bike, well, now you've just decided you want one haven't you. A whole new area of bike porn and unsatisfied lust!
    Ade
  • diddsdidds Posts: 655
    that's on my list for the ei9nter too shaggy.

    just got to a real MTB first...

    didds
  • Be very careful about training all year, I've had a disastrous summer of racing which turns out to be due to overtraining basically as a result of not taking a break last year. I went to a sports physiologist who's also a top age-grouper and found that my lactate threshold had dropped 20bpm. His advice is that you need to slow down over the winter for two to three months, not stop, but still actually lose maybe 50% of your fitness,and recharge your batteries mentally and physically. He recommended mountain biking like the guys above to keep you ticking over and work on technical skills, but also rowing, surfing, whatever you enjoy. However, as long as you do long slow stuff like the other guys said you should be ok as well. I think it's all got to do with whatever training you can absorb, not what you think you should be doing. If you're feeling tired and don't want to go out,maybe sometimes you need to listen.
  • ZacniciZacnici Posts: 1,385
    what if you never really trained to start with...?
    Ah now Conehead that was me 4 years ago!

    Well - I did a run around the village (about 3K), one spin session a week and a bit of treadmill and a swim as I thought I need to keep myself active but not push things as 'not getting any younger'(I was 48 then) - and then I did my first triathlon - oh when the bug hits you can't shake it off!

    But I must say I do ease off over winter, too bloody cold and muscles don't like it but if I were to quantify it would say about 25% of effort down.
  • GGGG Posts: 82
    I think most of the guys here will train all year. Its comming into base mile time now though. Nice long slow runs and rides through the winter. Long intervalls on the track and much more hill training. All this should give you strong and fit base ready to sharpen into speed come race time next year. Dont know what to reccomend swimming wise as I dont really take that discipline as seriously.

    I still like cheeky 5k though, Boscome does a good winter series.... and of course it is almost cross country time if that kind of thing floats your boat.
    G
  • This is my easy month. Still training most days but not really pushing it.
    Looking forward to a winter of cross country - gotta love the mud!
  • I tend to take a rest at some point during the year but usually it is dictated either by work or injury. Currently it's a pulled muscle in my back. A week after my A race rather than the week beforre would have been nice though.

    This year I want to try and be more diligent about sticking to long slow stuff for a while unitl Christmas.
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