Shifting Into Off Season

As the road racing seasons begins to wrap up, the fall months will soon be upon us. This brings an abundance of time to reflect, plan for next year, and tackle goals that got lost in the busyness of the season. Extra rest is also a key component, but that comes with a big caveat.

When is the Off Season? This varies depending on the athlete and their dominant discipline but generally speaking, you could think of it as the time period beginning after your last high priority event up until the start of your Base Season.

It is a great opportunity to look back on the previous season and think about the highs and lows. Assess the wins and the losses. Think about why things went good or bad. It can be beneficial to take a scroll through old ride files and comments, to help jog your memory. Evert time we toe the start line, win or lose, there will be learning opportunities to be taken from each.

With these reflections, you can come up with more tangible goals for the upcoming season. Look at the race calendar and circle the ones you know you want to do well at. Write them down or schedule them on your Training Peaks calendar. This can change as the season gets closer but I think it is healthy to start thinking about them now. It can help keep you focused during a time when it could be easy to potentially let yourself go.

Once you have considered the previous and upcoming season, I think a great thing to do is come up with off season goals, or "side quests" is what I like to call them. Preparing for your races during the season was the main mission, and now that it has passed, you can tackle goals that might have been lost in the hustle of the year. You can get really specific with this! For example, improving your sprint or getting more confident cornering. You can also be more broad with your off season goals, like doing more of a different discipline than you typically do! Going for KOM/QOM segments is also a really fun way to stay engaged and productive.

Lastly, comes the rest and recovery component of the Off Season. I mention this point last because I believe that most amateur athletes Take too much rest outside of the racing season. You need to train A LOT to warrant a full 2-4 weeks off the bike. If you aren't doing this for a living, then chances are, you don't train enough to need that type of reset. Most athletes would be fine with taking 5-10 consecutive days off! This time off can be just as much, if not more, a mental reset as it is physical. If you don't feel like you need a mental or physical reset, then don't take one! It won't be necessary for everyone.

Being present in the now is a key principal for all of life, but with training it is also so important to think about your next move! All of your actions now, will affect your next season. How will YOU spend your off season?