5 Way to Maximize the Off-Season

For most endurance athletes, the off-season approximately spans from the end of October through the Holidays. It's the time we get to let the foot off the gas and recover from a long season of pushing our bodies. However, that doesn’t mean we necessarily take a break from physical activity, and we also don’t continue to keep the same intensity and volume as we did during our season. So, how should we spend our time training in the off season? What is the right balance, and how do we strike it? To help answer these questions, I’ve listed 5 Ways to Maximize Our Off-Season

While there’s a lot we can accomplish during this more relaxed time of the year, it’s important to focus on a few key objectives.  And they may be slightly different for each individual, but generally speaking here’s what we want to do: 

1. Take an emotional, mental, and physical break. I generally tell athletes that ‘one day a week, one week a month, one month a year’ are key to the recovery process. And of course, this can vary greatly among athletes, but this off season is the ‘month of the year’ where we take a few weeks or so and do some less structured training. It’s a change that our bodies and minds need after so many months of being beholden to a very regimented training plan. It's an excuse to enjoy the outdoors a little bit differently- going hiking with the family, maybe trail running or mountain biking with some friends. Some athletes really love the indoor environment and use it as an opportunity to take spin or strength training classes, or catch up with friends and training partners on Zwift or other indoor cycling platforms. I have one athlete who loves using the elliptical and the stairmaster so I have those in her training during this time of year. And while the body welcomes a break from regimented training, our minds also need a change in pace. We are so focused most of the year on specific race goals and training metrics, on numbers and data, we need a chance to hit pause on the constant assessing of performance. We can give ourselves ‘permission’ to unwind a bit so that when we resume hard training again we are ready to become mentally reengaged as well as physically rested. 
   
2. Get strong. Endurance sports are catabolic in nature, meaning our bodies break down the longer we train. The anabolic stimulus of strength training allows for muscle growth, creating a stronger, more stable frame to prevent injury. Taking some time off from running to focus on strength training, for example, can ensure that we are able to run harder and longer during the season as we are more resistant to injuries. Sacrificing a little bit of the outdoor time during the fall and early winter, and putting that time into the gym instead pays big dividends. While there, we want to work on mobility and stability, as well as strength. (Too many of us just run to the machines, do a circuit or two, and call it good). Incorporating corrective exercise into our routine can help us mitigate muscle imbalances caused by the repetitive nature of endurance sports. Having a trusted physical therapist, trainer, or coach who works with endurance athletes can help us develop a specific plan to address areas in which we may need work. A gym session of 2 to 3 times a week for 30 to 45 minutes is usually sufficient. We might be grumbling now as we trade the sound of leaves crunching quietly underfoot for the harsh fluorescent lights of the local gym, but athletes will be way better off next season. Let’s be grateful for those hours put in the gym in the Fall, as we run by fellow competitors walking during next Summer’s running races and triathlons.
   
3. Work on our weaknesses. The offseason provides all athletes a significant block of time to improve on weaknesses. Most athletes have a few deficiencies in their race that they want to improve upon. It could be swim form, or aerobic conditioning, maybe it’s run technique, or any other limiter that may be compromising their race performance. This is a chance to hone in on that aspect of the race and improve it. Many of my athletes can improve in multiple areas, so it’s important to avoid trying to do too much. It can be helpful to select one particular aspect- either cycling or running  for example- and focus specifically for a 6 to 8 week block improving a certain aspect of that discipline. It might be a focus on increasing our FTP on the bike or improving our turnover or speed on the run. By concentrating and focusing on one aspect, we can improve it without sacrificing valuable training time mid season that might compromise an upcoming race.
   
4. Intentional training for fitness. As I alluded to before, we need to be intentional about how we structure our off-season building of our fitness. Depending on the athlete, I encourage approaching this in one of two ways:  1) Adopt the traditional approach of improving our base aerobic conditioning, typically called long slow distance (or LSD). This approach calls for longer, easier endurance efforts over time which builds up our aerobic capacity and sets us up for high intensity training later in the year. 2) Another approach is to utilize the “fast before far” methodology, where the goal is to first improve speed, power, and intensity initially. Then, throughout the season, we allow for a slow influx of volume over the course of the season. Both approaches are proven and have advantages and drawbacks that can be used to fit the individual needs of each athlete (if you’re wondering which to use, ask me and I’ll shed some light). The takeaway here is to have a plan on how you approach intensity and volume during the off season. It really does make a tremendous difference. 
   
5. Navigate necessary changes. Lastly, the off season is a great time to make a change. These changes could be sizable such as major changes in diet, such as becoming a vegan or Paleo athlete. They could be sports specific such as shifting this year to ultra running instead of marathons. It could be a technical change, such as getting a new bike, adopting a new bike fit, or changing your swim stroke to become more efficient. The off-season is a great time to experiment with changes which may or may not work well so using this time where we are not as focused on performance is the perfect time to go through a trial and error process.
   

So, with the off-season upon us, let’s try to make it as productive as possible. These five objectives will help guide our efforts and optimize these precious few weeks where we are not meticulously following Training Peaks or whatever training plan we are beholden to. Taking a break, getting strong, focusing on our weaknesses, becoming intentional about our training, and using this time to make changes, allows us to maximize this lull in our season. By doing so, we can almost guarantee that our next season will see the benefits of our off season work!