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DECEMBER 2009
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TRIATHLON CLUB OF SAN DIEGO
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TriNews
COACHES CORNER: DECEMBER CLUB MEETING Friday 18th - 6:00 pm Ironman 2009 World Championship Viewing Party La Poloma Theater, Encinitas Cost: $10.00 per seat
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CONGRATULATIONS TCSD! 25 years and growing stronger & faster then ever. The largest and best triathlon club in the world.
Almost Offseason... Now What?
By Sergio Borges
We’re approaching that time of the year where athletes start to wonder: what should I do now? My season is almost over so what can I do to race faster next year? Here are our thoughts on the offseason: Take a bit of a break after your last race to recharge and freshen things up a bit. We also recommend a training program concentrating on aspects often forgotten by most athletes during the racing season. Take a Physical and Mental Break Once you finish your last race of the season it is time to take a little break. It is important to let your body recover and, perhaps even more importantly, to let your mind rest from all the training and racing stress. Play a team sport, go hiking with your loved ones or go on a skiing trip. You can still do some running, swimming or biking. Just keep it fun and unstructured. New activities will invigorate you, while your non-triathlete friends and loved ones will be glad to see you. Concentrate on Motor Skills Once you resume triathlon-specific training, keep the volume low and work on your motor skills. The best time of the year to do extra work on your motor skills is the offseason. During the racing season many athletes are so worried about split times and distance that
they forget about the importance of motor skills. Get your coach to film your stroke when you're swimming. If your bike is uncomfortable this is the best time of the year to get a new bike or get a professional bike fit on your old bike. Your body will have the time to adjust to any bike changes. For the run we recommend working on efficiency to improve leg turnover and minimize the time your foot is on the ground. Most top runners can maintain 96 steps per minute or better. Count the steps on one leg only, or double to 192, and count both legs over a minute. Don't be a (January) National Champion I am not sure where I heard this quote but I like it. Every time someone tells me about a great set of repeats or some crazy ride done at an incredible pace during the offseason I use the quote. The likelihood that this athlete can maintain this type of effort throughout the entire year is not very good. Training takes effort, it causes pain and it wears on you. Save that energy for when it counts later in the season. Being fit in January does not mean that you will be that much fitter by summer. The more likely scenario is that of low performance during the summer due to overtraining and getting mentally drained from all the high intensity. continued on page 3