Off-Season Training for Triathletes: Building Your Base

The off-season is the perfect time to focus on building a solid foundation for the next race season. It’s not just about maintaining fitness but setting the stage for improved performance. Adopting the principle of “strong before long, fast before far” can transform how you approach this phase of training.

What Does “Strong Before Long, Fast Before Far” Mean?

This principle emphasizes prioritizing strength and speed over volume in your training. Instead of logging endless miles, the off-season is a time to:

• Develop Strength: Build muscular endurance and resilience to handle the demands of triathlon training.

• Cultivate Speed: Focus on shorter, high-intensity sessions to improve efficiency and power.

By tackling these areas first, you’ll have a more robust foundation to handle the longer, high-volume training as your race season approaches.

Key Components of Off-Season Training

1. Strength Training

   Incorporating strength training into your routine helps address muscular imbalances, prevent injuries, and build power.

   • Focus on compound movements like squats, deadlifts, and lunges to target major muscle groups.

   • Add functional exercises such as single-leg drills, core work, and stability exercises.

2. Short and Intense Workouts

   The off-season is an excellent time to work on speed without the fatigue of high training volumes.

   • Swim: Incorporate interval sets like 10x50m at a challenging pace with short rests.

   • Bike: Use your turbo trainer for high-intensity intervals (e.g., 5x3 minutes at 90–95% FTP with equal recovery).

   • Run: Add strides or short hill sprints to build turnover and strength.

3. Focus on Technique

   With fewer race pressures, you can fine-tune your form in all three disciplines.

   • Swim: Spend time on drills to improve stroke efficiency (e.g., catch, pull, and streamline).

   • Bike: Optimize your pedaling technique and position on the bike.

   • Run: Work on cadence and foot strike to enhance economy.

4. Flexibility and Mobility

   Incorporate yoga, stretching, or dynamic mobility exercises to improve flexibility and range of motion, reducing the risk of injury.

5. Plan for the Long Term

   Use this time to reassess your goals, address weaknesses, and experiment with new training strategies. Think of it as the foundation that will carry you through your peak training and race phases.

   
   

How This Helps You Progress

By focusing on strength and speed before adding distance, you:

• Build durability and efficiency.

• Reduce the risk of overtraining and injury.

• Lay the groundwork for sustainable progress as volume increases during race prep.

By embracing “strong before long, fast before far,” you’ll make the most of your off-season and step into the new race season stronger, faster, and more prepared than ever. Start building your base now—your future self will thank you at the finish line!