How much should I reduce my training by during the triathlon off-season?

Most triathletes know you need to take their foot off the gas in winter, but working out how much to reduce your off-season triathlon training is another matter.

In this article, co-founder and CEO of Precision Fuel and Hydration Andy Blow explains how to recover from a tough racing season without losing too much fitness.

Why you should reduce your training during the triathlon off-season

Taking it easier is particularly beneficial in the first couple of weeks straight after your last race.

At this time you should be chilling out and recovering from the season before you start preparing for the next.

The body and mind have a finite capacity for hard work and if you keep too much pressure on for too long you can become stale and over-trained.

Usually the only way back from this is to take a lot of time off and then start over again when you’re fully recovered – something that isn’t helpful in the long run.

This is one of the reasons why a period of lower-intensity training over the winter is often a sound recommendation.

But don’t take things too easy

That said, just because you’re in the off-season, it doesn’t mean all of your training has to be really, really easy.

When people talk about ‘base training’ they’re generally referring to the accumulation of lots of mileage at a relatively steady pace to build an aerobic fitness base.

There are sound theories stating why base training in the winter is a good idea.

But you have to remember it’s most effective when you gradually increase the number of hours spent doing it each week.

However, if you only have limited time to train after work, increasing training volume can be difficult or impossible.

If you drop volume, maintain some intensity

If this is the case then you’ll likely derive more overall fitness benefit from maintaining some higher intensity efforts through the winter in your shorter midweek sessions.

As a rule of thumb, most winter triathlon training plans prescribe a drop in volume of 15-20%.

If you average 12 hours a week in the season, you might decrease to 10 hours, for example.

Likewise, as your volume is lower, you should have more hours available for a time-efficient strength training plan.

You can still focus on getting longer, lower-intensity sessions, like long bike rides, in when you have the time available (on days off work for instance).

But if you only train using short and easy sessions during the week you’ll find your fitness eroding away as the winter progresses.

At the end of the day it’s all about finding a balance that works for you and the time you have available.

When you only have a short amount of time to train, a harder session gives more returns than an easy one.

It’ll also release more endorphins in the brain, which are the chemical signals that make you ‘feel like you’ve done something’.

On the flip side, you have to ensure that over the course of the winter you don’t overdo it and risk starting the next season worn out.

Sometimes employing a strategy (known as training periodisation) where one week in every four is very light works well and acts as an insurance policy against over training, without making it necessary to train easy all of the time.

Use one of our off-season triathlon training plans to get this right.