Tell Me Your Off Season Plans/Goals...

[Jon]

OK, so its stupid late, I'm a tad board, and I've had training on my brain lately.  I am tossing around some plans for my next phase of training/racing, and thought it would be fun to hear from others! So, tell me what you have in mind for your off-season?  Are you working on a specific discipline/weakness, or targeting an improvement on speed or endurance (I know those don't have to be exclusive)?  Anyone doing any winter destination races?  What do you hope to improve on between now and March and how are you planning on doing it!?  You could have other goals your shooting for that aren't even tri/run specific, but if you want to share them, go for it!  

Jon

Note - I'm just coming off night shifts, so my clock is messed up kinda good tonight, hence the late night post.  Also, when I posted this, it showed it happening an hour earlier, so the forum clock is an hour behind....

[Newt]

Interesting that you've just noticed that but the forum clock has been an hour behind for a LOoooong time. :)

My training goals are usually generally the same year to year anymore. Since I don't have really any big goal races, it's usually about just getting out and doing something, and generally enjoying myself. I think that is the key for training longevity/consistency. Finding ACTIVE things you like doing, and then try to do them as much as possible.

If I had a big goal or race coming up I'd usually spend the winter focussing on 2 main goals, technique/skills and top end speed. Most people understand the technique/skills side of it, as being efficient, smooth and relaxed as possible in any sport translates to better overall performance. But most people don't understand why I'd work on speed/power in the winter. For me it's mainly because I find it harder to do long runs and rides in the shorter, colder days. So instead I do shorter harder workouts, i.e. computrainer rides get mentally tough after 2hrs. and it's hard to get out in the frigid temperatures over 3hrs on the bike. Similarily I don't enjoy running on the treadmill, so again I focus on form and speed. So in my racing days it was a bit of a reverse pyramid style of training speed and power in the winter and then laying that speed on Endurance training in the summer.

So lately it's as much time MTBing, and trail running as I can fit in until the trails get snowed in with a smattering of road rides here and there. Then easier runs outside in the ice and snow and some tempo runs on the treadmill. The occasional mtb ride with studded tires through the winter with a fair bit of trainer time. Snow shoeing when the proper conditions occur, and rowing on the C2. I haven't done much swimming the past few years but even when I was in the thick of tri training I wouldn't swim much in the winter.

Peace
Peter

[Jon]

Pete, I guess my observation skills sharpen as my sleep deprivation increases - its a learned on-the-job skill   (hopefully I have noticed before, but just never said anything... I can't remember, so I guess my memory needs sharpening too!)

EDIT: I thought about this some more, and I am quite certain I did mention it a looooong time ago, but being that it remains behind, I guess I felt the urge to point it out again... and forgot that I mentioned it before.  Oh well 

[Sandy]

I haven't decided yet so I will have to get back to you.

[Jane]

There's an off season??     I don't do ALOT of biking (so my weekly cyclefit class suits me just fine for the winter) and no swimming, so I just keep running all winter.  I prefer it to summer.  The only change is, lots more trail running, until the snow gets too deep.  Love that there are no bugs or poison ivy.  

I thought you could adjust your time in your profile.  I know on other forums I have been on, you adjust it from Zulu time or GMT.  I just always have to play around with it because I can never remember how many hours we are behind at any given time.

Edited to add:  Yup - just go into your profile on the blue strip right below where Sandy is currently advertising the Fat Ass.  On the left menu under Modify Profile, choose Look and Layout Preferences.  Under time offset, put a 1 in the box.  This will probably change when we change the clocks and then I will have to experiment again to see what I have to put in to get it to the current time.