North vs South by John Josephs, MS
Filed under: Workouts & Training Plans
It's Fall and for the most part, the triathlon and cycling season is winding down. Except for a few of you that are still preparing for some late-season, hard-earned, glamour event, for most of us, the season is finished and we are entering the annual training abyss. We are faced with uncertainty as the days shorten and winter is on the horizon. Allow me offer some words of training wisdom as we get prepared to shift training gears. INSERT: I just returned from a cycling clinic in Tampa presented by Jeb Stewart. Jeb is one of the premier cycling coaches in the U.S. His clients come from all over the U.S. and he has observed that cyclist from the North outperform cyclist from the South. His reason was in the North, the weather makes the athletes shorten their cycling season forcing them to take a break and train indoors. This makes them decrease the volume and intensity of their workouts (e.g. recovery). Whereas, in the South, the weather has the opposite effect on its athletes. It permits us to continue training, thus, enabling us to lengthen our cycling season and disallows us a much-needed break. This "longer" season deprives us of vital rest and recovery. Because of this, the cyclist in the South peaks earlier in the season but is unable to sustain performance. However, the cyclist from the North peaks later, higher and longer than their southern counterpart. Hummmmmm. As your season draws to an end, revel in your fitness and accomplishments. Prepare to make a training transition and prepare for 2007. Your transition should be top heavy with rest, recovery and cross-training. Workout should be short and FUN. Do not stop training completely, just ramp it down several notches and enjoy your fitness. Reflect on the season past and take inventory of what mistakes were made and lessons learned. Project ahead and pencil in tentative goals for 2007. This transition period should last for one month and then it's time to start your BASE building. The coaching staff at KONA Multisport Training is ready to help you build an awesome base and prepare for the 2007 season. Stay tuned for more information about the merits of base building. Until then, kick back and enjoy your family, friends and a healthy lifestyle.