I woke up today and for the first time in a long time, there was a slight chill in the air!
56 degrees F to start the day here in Southern California.
Although we are expecting warm weather again over the next week, seasons are changing, days are getting shorter, and things are shifting.
What does that mean for you?
We still have the Kona Ironman coming up in less than 2 weeks, which is kind of the last hurrah for triathlon racing in the northern hemisphere for a few months.
The content we will put out for the next couple of months will be geared mainly towards two things:
1. Fitness
2. Stroke technique
Even though this is traditionally “off season” stuff, anyone in any part of the world can benefit! If you are in the southern hemisphere, perhaps your season is just starting.
This is still a great time to focus on technique and general fitness!
So as the seasons change, your body also has different needs.
Moving into Fall and Winter means we need more sleep. It means we need to back off on hardcore tri workouts, and mix things up a bit.
The easiest way to continue to stay healthy and fit is simple consistency. We are all for rest days and taking breaks, but keeping the momentum up will be the most important aspect right now.
General ideas to keep in mind as you shift into this new phase of training and fitness:
1. Do something every day. “Something” might be very small, even 10 minutes of walking. You may still miss a day or two. The idea here is to not be tempted to think “I’ve already slacked Monday and Tuesday, might as well skip Wednesday instead!” You slacked off, just know that you are well-rested, and jump back on the wagon!
2. Mix it up. I mentioned walking, which I personally love doing. Instead of thinking you are getting behind on swimming, biking, and running, just do things in a less structured way that will help you to be generally fit. That may involve biking, running or swimming, but here’s a chance to “step outside the box”, and try some other fun activities.
3. Let it go. No not your health or fitness level! Let go of the mindset that says you “have to” do anything. Going back to idea #1, consistency is the key- so bring this idea out to the rest of your life. The key to healthy eating is not “dieting” but consistency.
Are you eating enough vegetables? Enough healthy fat? Because you are exercising less does not mean you need to eat fewer calories. You just need to continue to do your best to gravitate towards the foods that don’t leave you hungry all the time and help you burn fat rather than add fat. You can do this with 0 exercise, so you can really let go of this idea that you “have to” do anything.
Fell off the wagon and had pizza and donuts yesterday? No problem! Today you can easily get back into the zone you were in before the carb bomb. The more times you can do that (bounce back from a set back), the stronger you will be mentally, and the more solid your new habit will be implanted.
We’ll be giving you more ideas that can help with whatever your goals are, including stroke technique.
In the mean time… befriend the water (and yourself)!
