Off-season?

I think most triathletes struggle with the concept of taking time off, at least taking time off from meticulously structured training. I am without a doubt guilty of this. Knowing that my next real build is going to be focused on Ironman Coeur d’Alene – I’m determined to define an offseason, to spend more time with my Wife, and to be completely OK with skipping a workout or eating an extra piece of pizza.
With that said, I know I’m going to keep training, and I know that I’m not going to let myself gain more than a couple of pounds – so what is going to be different about ‘offseason’ compared to ‘in-season’?

1. I am going to spend more time with my beautiful bride. This is going to be a great chance to spend extra time with her, take care of some house projects, and to enjoy dating each other.
2. I am going to prioritize family, and practice flexibility with training. If I want to get my typical 2 workouts in for the day, but we have plans to meet up with family for dinner – I’m going to need to be running/swimming/biking before This is going to be good practice; I know I’ll have more than my share of morning workouts come January.
3. I’m going to focus on my weaknesses. I have proven that I’m able to run competitively in distances up to 70.3, I’ve also demonstrated a lot of opportunity on both the swim and the bike. Upping the swim volume is going to be easy once the rainy weather returns to Portland. I have also joined Trainerroad and will begin my first bike training block at the beginning of October. I am going to be spending a lot of time in the pain cave this winter, and am so motivated to make big gains on the bike.
4. I’m going to read. I’ve purchased books by Matt Dixon as well as Joe Friel – I’ve already read one and have made a big dent in the 2^nd.
5. I’m going to have fun! I LOVE to run and there are days where I’d rather run than swim/bike but the schedule says to swim/bike so that’s what I do. For the next couple of months, if I want to run, or if I want to lift weights – that’s what I’m going to do.
6. I’m going to write more. I really enjoy having this blog, even though I only have a few people that read it. I’m going to make it a point to write on a more routine cadence – about a lot of the things I’ve mentioned above, and surely other content as well.

This list will continue to evolve, but this is how I’m viewing the ‘offseason’ today.