The road to your success in the new training seasone could start with a rest. If you are in the final stages of the competition phase or you are already in the rest period, think about how you will make the transition between the two macrocyclus.
1. Too short or inadequate rest period
A complete rest after the marathon and Ironman should last 4 to 5 weeks. Even if you haven’t finished the season with such a demanding race, my recommendation is that these 30 days be a period in which you will rest, analyze what has been done and think about new challenges. The experience I have in coaching hobby athletes shows me that it is better to double than to shorten the planned rest period.
I consider an inadequate rest to be one in which we replace the primary sport discipline with another sport: for example, a marathoner starts competing in trail races during the “recovery phase” or a triathlete runs a PB in a marathon.
2. Dropping out from balance
Sport success of the hobby athletes greatly depends on the success of balancing between work, family / friends and sports (hobby). We will all feel certain problems and discomfort after the end of competition/traning period. It seems that the most difficult mission is to stay committed to a healthy and balanced diet in weeks (even months) without training. It is important to work on healthy training habits (diet, relaxation techniques, improving the flexibility of mind and body) when we are not training. Training habits makes positive changes in our body but the most important ones may have happened in the environment that supports you – Do not forget to thank your family or friend, possible your team at work or your employer. Take care of them, you will know how:). Spend time on them will make you feel better and you will be able to race even faster in the new seasone.
3. Not planning or neglecting the importance of the new training process
Once we recover our body well, it will give us the opportunity to upgrade it in a very intelligent way, but this does not come by itself. Experienced coaches know that the initial period, when we gradually load our training, is the best for learning the new skills, such as improving the running cadence or getting efficient swim/pedal stroke. Athletes who “rush into new challenges” decrease their potential for those immprovement and overall well-being and very offten they do not have long-term strategy /plan.
