Why Coaching in the Off-Season is Important
As a new triathlete many years ago and before I started working with a coach, I committed to taking a break from training for a few months after the last race of the season. My reason for this was because of lingering physical and mental fatigue after a season of hard training and racing. Little did I know, how wrong I was.
When I finally started working with a coach and we had a great season of training and racing, I told my coach that I was ready for my off-season break. My coach looked at me and said, “Jim, the off-season is one of the most important times of the year to work with a coach.”
Since that conversation many years ago and now as a coach myself with Playtri, which has over 20 years of coaching history, I have shared with whomever will listen how incredibly important working with a coach during the off-season truly is. Here are my top reasons for working with a coach during the off-season.
Maintain health and fitness. The traditional off-season for US based endurance athletes falls during the time of year that has some of the biggest food related holidays: Thanksgiving, numerous end of the year religious holidays, New Year’s Eve, Super Bowl Sunday. Working with a coach during this time helps to stay on track with health and fitness goals during this busy time of year when many people over consume.
Strengthen weaknesses. The off-season provides a time to work on improving specific aspects of our athletic performance. Small changes—like working on swim stroke, run cadence, core strength, nutrition, mental strength, mobility, or bike handling—made in the off-season can drastically improve our racing and our enjoyment during the next season. At Playtri we offer swim foundations courses and one-on-one sessions to help athletes address their weaknesses.
Prevent overtraining and injury. Although rest and recovery is an important part of athletic improvement and adaptation, an extended break is not. Far too often, I have seen athletes rush back into training after an extended break and ultimately end up injured or overtrained from doing too much too soon. Taking a short, coach-guided break and then working on weaknesses in a low stress environment during the off-season prevents the overtraining/injury cycle.
Improves athletic happiness. The off season is an excellent time to enjoy some different ways of being athletic. Many of my triathletes participate in bike rallies and run races, cyclocross, or strength training. Participating in sports that are adjacent to our favorite sport gives us an opportunity develop new skills, have fun, and build fitness for the coming season.
Attend a triathlon camp. Camps are one of THE best ways to improve your fitness in a short amount of time. Our internal research at Playtri over the past 20+ years has shown that athletes see anywhere from a 15-20% increase in fitness for a weekend camp and a 35-40% increase in fitness for a week long camp! That is huge! Not only do you see a huge increase in your fitness, you also reap the benefits of focused training with other like-minded athletes, less distractions, and hands-on training with excellent coach. These camps are catered to YOUR fitness and YOUR goals. Whether you are training for health or sprint triathlons or full Ironmans, these camps are adapted to suit your goals. And if you really want to have fun getting healthy and fit, you can join us for our Hawaii camp in January!
If you have any questions about anything in this article or want to learn more about our different coaching options, please feel free to contact met at jim.rowe@playtri.com. Happy training and racing!
Jim Rowe is a Playtri Level 4 Coach and Coach Education Lead, a USAT LI Certified Coach, an NASM Certified Personal Trainer, and an Ironman and 70.3 World Championship Qualifier who works with adult athletes of all abilities from beginners to IRONMAN World Championship qualifiers. Learn more about Jim at www.playtri.com/jim-rowe
When I finally started working with a coach and we had a great season of training and racing, I told my coach that I was ready for my off-season break. My coach looked at me and said, “Jim, the off-season is one of the most important times of the year to work with a coach.”
Since that conversation many years ago and now as a coach myself with Playtri, which has over 20 years of coaching history, I have shared with whomever will listen how incredibly important working with a coach during the off-season truly is. Here are my top reasons for working with a coach during the off-season.
Maintain health and fitness. The traditional off-season for US based endurance athletes falls during the time of year that has some of the biggest food related holidays: Thanksgiving, numerous end of the year religious holidays, New Year’s Eve, Super Bowl Sunday. Working with a coach during this time helps to stay on track with health and fitness goals during this busy time of year when many people over consume.
Strengthen weaknesses. The off-season provides a time to work on improving specific aspects of our athletic performance. Small changes—like working on swim stroke, run cadence, core strength, nutrition, mental strength, mobility, or bike handling—made in the off-season can drastically improve our racing and our enjoyment during the next season. At Playtri we offer swim foundations courses and one-on-one sessions to help athletes address their weaknesses.
Prevent overtraining and injury. Although rest and recovery is an important part of athletic improvement and adaptation, an extended break is not. Far too often, I have seen athletes rush back into training after an extended break and ultimately end up injured or overtrained from doing too much too soon. Taking a short, coach-guided break and then working on weaknesses in a low stress environment during the off-season prevents the overtraining/injury cycle.
Improves athletic happiness. The off season is an excellent time to enjoy some different ways of being athletic. Many of my triathletes participate in bike rallies and run races, cyclocross, or strength training. Participating in sports that are adjacent to our favorite sport gives us an opportunity develop new skills, have fun, and build fitness for the coming season.
Attend a triathlon camp. Camps are one of THE best ways to improve your fitness in a short amount of time. Our internal research at Playtri over the past 20+ years has shown that athletes see anywhere from a 15-20% increase in fitness for a weekend camp and a 35-40% increase in fitness for a week long camp! That is huge! Not only do you see a huge increase in your fitness, you also reap the benefits of focused training with other like-minded athletes, less distractions, and hands-on training with excellent coach. These camps are catered to YOUR fitness and YOUR goals. Whether you are training for health or sprint triathlons or full Ironmans, these camps are adapted to suit your goals. And if you really want to have fun getting healthy and fit, you can join us for our Hawaii camp in January!
If you have any questions about anything in this article or want to learn more about our different coaching options, please feel free to contact met at jim.rowe@playtri.com. Happy training and racing!
Jim Rowe is a Playtri Level 4 Coach and Coach Education Lead, a USAT LI Certified Coach, an NASM Certified Personal Trainer, and an Ironman and 70.3 World Championship Qualifier who works with adult athletes of all abilities from beginners to IRONMAN World Championship qualifiers. Learn more about Jim at www.playtri.com/jim-rowe