Triathlon training and taking a day off

Don’t plan a day off, take it when you need it.

Like we’ve mentioned in several tips, consistency is your best friend when it comes to improvement in triathlon.  A great way to ensure consistent training is to avoid planning a regular day off.  Let your motivation and fatigue decide that day, not a planned schedule.

There is no reason you can’t train 10 days in a row if you feel like training 10 days in a row.  Why settle on Monday as your day off when that day could be a perfect day for a bike ride?  This is especially true in the winter or rainy season when weather can interfere with your plans.  Don’t pass up the nice day because you have a planned day off (unless you have a coach and he/she says so).  If your coach is planning a weekly schedule, then stick to the plan – or at least or be sure to communicate if you simply MUST ride because it’s the first sunny day in a month.  If you’re doing your own thing, and feeling good, then it is just fine to train all the time until you really need that day off. Learn to listen to your body and don’t ignore it when you are feeling run down.

Often other parts of our lives can contribute to symptoms of over-training. If you haven’t been putting in big volume but feel exhausted, aren’t sleeping well, are feeling moody/melancholy then perhaps other factors like extra stress at work are wearing you down. You may need a rest day, just as badly, to recover from life in general. Don’t let egocentric, weekly mileage goals get in the way of proper recovery. Good health is more than just great training.