OK, we’re post-Thanksgiving and flowing into the real Holiday Season. For many, this means work parties, neighborhood parties, family celebrations, football/basketball/hockey watching, kids home from school, travel, shorter and colder days…Wow - it’s a lot! So how can we make it through from a fitness and mental aspect as it applies to endurance sports? Here are a few of my suggestions:
Choose some events in 2019. These can be big events or small. They can be your main sport or a new one. Get something on the calendar!
Look for a timely camp in 2019 - a tri camp, MTB camp, running camp, etc. - find one and commit. This will be something to look forward to! (Full disclosure - we’d love for you to sign up for our camps including the Triathlon Training Camp and MTB Camp)
FREQUENCY is KING during the holidays. By this I mean it’s not about how long you trainer for, but rather how often. The body loves frequency, and when your schedule is booked and the day is short, even a 20min run COUNTS. So lower your expectations on volume and focus on frequency. (See Coach Mandi's winter training hacks.)
Groups are Fun! Connect with a friend, neighbor, relative - anyone - and join them for a training session. Nothing is more powerful than training with others. They key is finding “others” who are a POSITIVE influence on you and whom you enjoy being with. They are out there!
Recover from “those” meals. It’s OK to let yourself go off the deep end with some meals…BUT, you have to rebound and eat well again as soon as possible. Keep hydrated and stay away from excess sugar on days you don’t train. Be realistic about nutrition during the holidays, but temper that with being SMART. (See Coach Maria's article for tips on this.)
NOW is the time to chart your course for the next six weeks, so go do it!