Why you should take an end of season break

Why you should take an end of season break

by Emma Carney (AUS) -
Number of replies: 0

Dear Athletes,

It has been an odd year, with races few and far between. While the year may be different, there are still some routines you should stick to, and one of them is taking an end of season break – even if the season didn’t really start for you. Here is why.

Re-set, Re-focus and Re-evaluate

The rigors of an athlete’s life is set around a structured training program that requires very specific time management around getting this training done. The training / life balance is very much swayed to the training side of things. There comes a time in every triathlete’s schedule when a break is required to allow something else to control daily activities. Sometimes, ‘taking a break’ seems to be a daunting task. No one wants to lose fitness, because there has been so much hard work to get to where you are now. Taking a break however, isn’t about ‘losing fitness’ it is about refreshing the body and mind, re-evaluating your goals and planning the year ahead.

How do you take an effective break?

An effective break will allow you to step away from your daily routine and fill your days with an alternative focus. Time away itself should allow you to rejuvenate and therefore maintain motivation for the year ahead. If you're concerned about a loss of fitness during a break, don’t forget training adaptations also require recovery. To keep your mind at rest, there are ways to take a productive break and come back better than before.

Some things that will allow you to enjoy your break are

  1. Plan the length of time you will take off training.

Before you start your break, work out how long it will be for. This can be quite a personal choice, with some athletes wanting just 2 weeks away from structured training, while others may like 6 weeks. Whatever your decision is, make sure you stick to it, and if you are planning a short break, make sure you are giving yourself enough time to re-invigorate your enthusiasm for training hard.

  1. Organise your extra time.

The extra time you may find you have on your hands you can put to good use getting things done that you put off while juggling a full training load. You may have wanted to learn something new and can do this online during your break. You may also do something a little more strenuous like fixing something arounds the house or garden…

You could stick with triathlon and plan your personal brand (see earlier emails) and set out a sponsorship plan - write some letters/emails to sponsors and thank your current sponsors. You may also do something a little more strenuous like fixing something arounds the house or garden…

  1. Take care of any problems.

At the end of the season (even an interrupted one like 2020) you may have some niggles or injuries hanging around. Time away from structured training is a good chance to ensure your treatment is interrupted.

  1. Plan the season ahead

Sit down with your coach and plan 2021. Despite the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, you still need to plan your approach to the year. Analyse past workout data and pinpoint the areas you can improve. A properly planned training program will ensure you are preparing well for the new year ahead.

While a mental and physical training break may seem like a worrying concept it can be one of the most important and rewarding parts of your training cycle. However you decide to spend this time (try to spend at least one week triathlon free), your focus should remain on enjoyment over everything else, because it will all be over and you will be training hard again!

Enjoy your well-earned break.

Emma