Dear Athletes,
The 2020 season is a season like no other.
This year, everything has been turned on its head, as the Covid-19 Pandemic has changed our lifestyles.
Triathlon is a sport which throws all sorts of adversities at you. Admittedly, a world-wide pandemic is an extraordinary adversity, but it is important to remember mental strength – which the sport of triathlon requires in an athlete - can only be practiced and improved in times of adversity. Now is the time to work on remaining disciplined, committed and positive while also looking after yourself and others.
As athletes and coaches, we like routine, and we need to have a planned season of racing to focus and train for. As this time is unprecedented, it is easier to look at what is normally done, and how it can be altered to fit the unique 2020 season. In doing this you create structure, minimise uncertainty and have a focus.
Easy to say maybe, but with the racing season in limbo and no real certainty to when it will commence, what can you do to prepare yourself?
Some things you need to do now –
Look after yourself
Make sure you rely on your government body in your Country responsible for health combined with the information of the World Health Organisation. Your training must meet these requirements.
The World Triathlon Covid19 document can be found here.
Create a new routine
Keep yourself training to a plan that resembles your usual training routine as best you can. Having a routine will provide motivation and purpose to what you are doing each day as well as maintaining fitness. If you set out what you are doing for training, you don’t need to constantly think about what you are doing, rather focus on how you are going to do it.
While you may be adapting outdoor sessions to indoor sessions and creating alternatives like stretch cord sessions rather than a swimming pool or skipping with a rope off the bike rather than running… you are still effectively training that discipline.
Work on your Self Development
There are always areas we can all work on to improve ourselves. An athlete may need to work on their flexibility or strength. Coaches may improve their skills by furthering their reading on a discipline they are not strong in. Plan these into your daily routine. Improve your warm up (these are often required to be done in confined spaces pre-race), research recovery methods – there is so much to learn in the sport of Triathlon.
Review your racing skills by watching TriathlonLIVE.tv (which has a discounted membership in 2020), to dissect the races, look at the skills of the athletes and see areas you can improve yourself in.
You can only do what you can only do
With the season in limbo, there are things that will take place that you cannot influence of control right now, so let them go. There is no point worrying about losing your fitness. In this time, you just need to maintain fitness. This can be done indoors. A regular training routine will keep you in shape, and when the races recommence you will know you have done your best to prepare you.
Let’s now look at the changes that need to be made this year with regard to season planning. Your long term goals won’t change, just the short term plan.
Let’s have a look at how we can do this…
In a normal year, planning your race season would come down to 5 main considerations.
1 - Targeted Specific Races
At the start of 2020, most athletes and coaches would have planned the season. Key performance races (or A races) would have been set according to your own National Federations Selection requirements and other less important races added to build your performances to this key race.
In 2020, the World Triathlon events which may still go ahead are still on the events page. Still plan your season, as if they are to go ahead, that way you are prepared as best you can. It is better to be ready than not.
2 - Establish your Training Cycles
Triathlon is a tough sport, and you cannot always train hard. Your training should involve periods of load, specificity, adaptation and recovery, with specific race tapers and key performance races set.
Coaches and athletes, must consider level of fitness, age and experience, you can put together a periodised training plan moving from base work, specific training and taper blocks so you can perform on race day. The general length of training cycles are 6-8 weeks, but younger athletes may need shorter training cycles with more frequent rest added. Along with planning your training cycles, and additional races will need to be added to this plan over and above your priority races, to help you 'practice' the race situation.
With the disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic, all coach and athlete planning would need adjusting. In 2020, athletes should set a program aimed at remaining physically active which has some sessions with intensity. This will keep some form for when the race season starts. With home based training higher volumes are difficult in lockdown. Do as best you can, 30 minutes practice a day as a minimum of each discipline type training will maintain some level of fitness.
3 - Preparation (Tune Up) Races
In a ‘normal’ season, tune-up races are very important to add to your key race preparation to provide practice under the pressure of a race situation. How often you race depends on your age and experience, but generally I would not recommend racing more than 2 weekends in a row; tiredness and overload will reduce your ability to perform and the benefit of racing will be lost. It is important to race a shorter triathlon 2-3 weeks prior to your priority race to give yourself a last practice before taper. Don’t forget to look at other sports, sometimes an athletic track race (from 800m up to 5km) are very useful to fine tune your running speed. Check the race calendar here.
In 2020, racing tune ups are not possible. What is possible are some key efforts timed at regular intervals in your program. A very good way of adding these to your training with balance is to have a timed effort in your training on those days you had previously scheduled to race. That way your original racing program planned prior to the pandemic retains some of its structure. Be aware though, with the many restrictions to training outdoors, you may need to be creative in the timed efforts you do.
4 - Organisation
Normally, a well-structured plan that is well organised will allow your season to focus on your main goals. This requires planning your travel, preparing your equipment, looking at the races you have selected and make a race plan with regard to the specifics of the course. A well planned athlete will be able to prepare well.
In 2020 organisation is vital. Keep a routine, plan adjusted workouts, mix exercises up and be creative with your indoor adapted sessions. This is all very important in maintaining motivation, discipline and structure.
5- Allow Recovery
The one thing that remains is recovery. In a normal year, it is important you allow yourself to recover from races. Usually, taking it easy for 3 days following a race, you will allow your body to recover adequately and allow you to prepare for the next racing block.
In 2020, you may not be able to maintain the volume indoors on a restricted program during. Nevertheless, recovery remains vital. You cannot push yourself every day. Younger athletes should have at least 1 day off a week and older athletes at least one day a fortnight. You cannot always train hard, especially indoors. Take some easy days too.
The 2020 season is challenging. The uncertainty around races is unsettling and with a loss of focus of races can lead to a lack of motivation. It is important to remember that you are not alone in this.
Next week some indoor training ideas and exercises will be discussed so you can put them together with your restructured season plan from this week.
Take care
Emma
