Maggie's Corner: Off Season, Maggie Style!

by Maggie Fournier

Well, the "off-season" is finally here! I guess this term has several meanings depending on individual race schedules, time of the year, etc. Regardless of  when your racing season ended, it is time for some well deserved recovery!!! What I know for sure, the Holidays are finally here and I now have time to enjoy them as my swim-bike-run schedule is down to a bare minimum. Off-season also means a break not only for the body, but most importantly, for the mind. My brain can take a break: I don't need to memorize my speed workout ladder, the watts I need to hit, and I can even forget to pack my gym bag for the next day. My brain is turned off, triathlon-wise, and it feels good.

This year, my off-season started later than anticipated...After Ironman Mont Tremblant, I had to turn around and train for another race right away, which turned out to be much more difficult than anticipated. I wasn't sure I would be able to do it. After all I was already looking forward to hiking in the forest, margarita drinking, or late afternoon lattes at the local coffee shop instead of being passed out on my sofa from another one of those never-ending bike session. Compression socks and all.

Despite my need for rest, I always get jittery and antsy the first few weeks of downtime after my season is over. I don't need to wake up for swim practice anymore? Only 30min easy bike ride to the store and back...now what? The usual endorphin rush is no longer flowing in my veins on a daily basis! But it is important to let the body and mind rest, no matter how unnerving it can be at first. It is the time to do everything that was put on the back burner, such a visit with friends and family, read a book, (or two, or three!), cook and bake, and stay up later than 8:30 on a Saturday night. I know I've got this one down when I can stay up to watch the SNL opening monologue.The off season also gives me the chance to not be too stringent with myself. Another glass of wine? Sure! Last minute road trip without having to run my "long run" first? How fun is that! Sleeping in? Absolutely. The off-season is the time to recharge, let loose, recover and let the discipline slip a little.

But how much would you ask...? A period of rest is needed and you should take as long as your body needs. I usually take 4 full weeks of unstructured training, where I will hike, run with friends, mountain bike, or lounge around. After that period of time, I usually get myself back into somewhat of a loose structured training regimen. I usually call this the "Back to Basics" period. This is when I will spend time doing some running drills, working on my swim stroke and work on my cycling efficiency. The only thing that is well structured at this time of the year is my strength routine. I make sure to get to the gym 3-4 times weekly to work on my weaknesses. Triathlon training and racing involve a lot of repetitive motions, over and over again, which can lead to weakness in different area of the body. I also make sure to target specific area such as my core, which I often neglect during the season.

Beware! Off-season is often addicting, especially since it falls usually around the holidays when the eggnog flows and the apple pies are never too far.  Go ahead and indulge! Just make sure you have a specific date when you plan to get back into an exercise regimen. Ready or not. Of course, I always cringe when I hit the "set date", just as much as I was cringing about the fact that I didn't have enough workouts at the beginning of the off-season. But the season ahead always gets me going!

...In the meantime...could I get more vino please?

Cheers, Stay Healthy

Happy Holidays :)