10 Tips for Off-Season Training
Is there really an off season any more?
When I think of an “off-season” I usually think of winter track.
It’s when we had long bus rides and late nights.
But since most of us no longer are on the indoor circuit (racing indoors), we should still talk about the season when we aren’t racing. For the majority of us, racing starts sometime in late March or early April and goes until maybe mid-June. We take a break and then pick up again around September and go until November.
If that sounds roughly like your calendar, then there’s still some solid non-racing time where we have to fill with some kind of training.
Today’s post is going to look at that downtime and fill it with useful and practical activities that’ll have you ready to rock and roll when you get back to racing.
The 10 Best Tips for Off-Season Training
Try new things: Get off the roads; get on the track. Try trails. Run by heart rate. Run by feel. Run higher mileage. Run lower mileage. Get comfortable being uncomfortable.
Find what works for you. There is no better time to try things and see what works and what doesn’t. The off-season, when you aren’t racing, is great for doing the stuff that you wouldn’t want to test when your specific training picks up.
Take calculated risks. Again - when you’re not seriously training for a race, that’s the best time to try.
Set fitness goals. It’s good to stay on top of your training with goals. They can be time goals (run for 200 minutes a week) or number-related (keep the scale within 10 pounds of peak race weight).
Practice, practice. When you’re in your training cycle, you’ll want to have training and racing skills at your disposal. Your peak race isn’t the time to “remember how to race” and the 3-4 months of your training shouldn’t be spent figuring out what training you like to do.
Cross-training. No one really likes to cross-train, but it’s really good to get more minutes working out without the extra pounding.
Base building. If you want the biggest base you can, you’ll need to run a lot (obviously), but mixing in biking, swimming, strength work, yoga, and whatever else is out there is only going to make you better.
Racing + tactics. You can’t get used to racing if you don’t race. I think it’s a great idea to race when you are not at your best. Race off distances, race on different surfaces. The goal is to get used to racing - how to warm up and cool down, when to push and when to settle. These are skills that need to be harnessed.
Stay motivated. When you don’t have peak races to train for, you can, on occasion, let your guard down and get lazy for a second. It’s natural and you can’t be on 365 - so do what you can to turn a nothing day into a something day.
Routines + habits. When you’re getting back into running and you have extra time and a bit more energy than usual, that’s the best time to solidify the habits you want to have when you are in “serious training mode”.
Friday’s Action Plan:
Your off-season is the best time to take your training to the next level by trying new things.
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Marc is a middle school teacher and coach but also works with distance runners online. I help distance runners around the globe by providing support, writing customized training plans, and designing workouts to help them reach their racing goals. I write for my blog every Wednesday morning and newsletter every Friday morning.