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Holiday Training Options...

Monday, 24 December 2012 01:10

runner By Patrick McCrann (Endurance Nation)

There are few darker / harder times of the year than when the average, endorphin-obsessed athlete can't exercise. Somehow having time off but not being able to exercise is almost worse than being injured

The most important thing for Team Endurance Nation athletes is deconflicting the holiday season with relevant training. Some of our Members are already into a re-testing phase, and we absolutely want to capture our fitness gains before significant downtime. Other's are only about to get started, so this final week before the January OutSeason Start is a last-minute chance to get back into a slight training groove.

The most important thing to be aware of is over-doing it. There's no need to pile on extra work before or after the holiday week. Or rather, an extra bike before you leave for seven days is okay; five extra bike workouts, or five extra hours of cycling in one week is not.

Okay, on to those holiday options!

#1 - Zero Training Option

Let's assume that for whatever reason, you have a solid block of holiday time that involves zero activity - aka Training Jail. We all have to accumulate Spousal Approval Units (SAUs), consider this a bonus opportunity - family time AND a holiday wrapped into one.

"Make peace with your training self that what's about to happen, while not great for your fitness now, is a great investment in your overall year."

Instead of training your cardiovascular system, you can make use of this down time to work on other areas critical to your fitness: flexibility and core strength. Both options can be completed in less than 30 minutes in any given day.

Combine either (or both!) of these elements into your holiday cycle and you'll be more than rested when you return to your regularly scheduled training cycle. READ MORE