Off Season Success

There's a great article in this month's TRIATHLETE magazine that clarifies some specific off-season rules.  I'm going to incorporate these into my own client's training plans.  Here a list of what the coaches from the magazine Shaw recommend:

1.  Do not run a marathon in January.  Doing a long-distance event during your prime recovery time is a sure-fire way to wind up injured or burned out.

2.  Focus on short, intense workouts.  Do short runs and bikes that will boost your lactate threshold and power output.

3.  Gain Weight (on purpose).  By training at a heavier weight, you're teaching your body to recruit more motor neurons and muscle fibers, like of like recruiting more people to work on the assembly line.  When you lose that weight, you don't need as much oxygen and can get more miles to the gallon.

4.  Swim.  A lot.  The best time to crank up the swim is in the months when it's not great for cycling.

5.  Hit the gym - but not for the elliptical.  Weight lifting can help improve running and cycling economy.  You've spent the season breaking down your house, now you have to repair it.