Some of you may be thinking, “Next season? I’m not even done racing this year.” Or you may be saying to yourself, “I love triathlons, I want to keep racing through the whole winter.”
Or maybe just the opposite and you’re tired of training and you’re looking forward to the break and you don’t even want to think about a triathlon for at least four months!
No matter what category you fall into, you really do need to start thinking and planning for next year’s triathlon season in some ways and here’s why.
Your triathlon season is like a big puzzle with lots of pieces that need to fit together. The more races and types of races you compete in, the more pieces there are to fit into your “puzzle” to turn it into the perfect training and racing season – a season where you improve, avoid injuries and reach all your goals.
In order to complete this perfect puzzle, there are things that you can do now to be sure to have your best training and racing season ever:
Reflect
Look back at this year and ask yourself if you achieved your goals. Spend time reflecting on your previous triathlon season and ask yourself what worked well, what didn’t, why it worked (or didn’t), and what you would do differently.
Then ask yourself what are your goals for the upcoming year. From there, you can determine how to get to that next level. Write down your goals and place them somewhere you can see them every day. Perhaps also write down why you want to complete in your first (or another) triathlon. The reminder will get you through tough training days during the season.
Choosing Races
There are a lot of things to consider when you choose a race. Not only consider if it will meet your goals, fit your strengths and budget; but will you be able to fit it into your schedule, travel to get there and have the time to train? Usually you need a bigger budget for a longer race and more time to train.
Time of year plays a big part in when you race as well. An early April race is hard if you live in the Midwest where there is snow and ice on the ground in February and March unless you are able to train indoors.
Location is important for nearly everything – including triathlons. International and long distance races sound wonderful, but they can get expensive and time consuming. You need time to recover from traveling before racing and time to let your body get acclimated with the time change, atmosphere, and different foods, if necessary.
Work on the Weakest Link
No one likes doing things they’re not good at, but the only way to improve is to give some attention to your weakness. The off season is the perfect time to spend working on your weakness. This means instead of spreading your training time equally between the three legs, you will spend an extra 2 or 3 days on the area you want to improve. The other two activities will be put in “maintenance mode”.
By thinking forward to next season using the above tips you are setting the stage for your best triathlon season ever. Take the time now to reflect and plan. It will make all the difference in the world later. Need help training for next year’s triathlon season, or just want more tips? Contact me today so I can help you reach your training goals!
