The Off Season

by Jannette Finch, CTC member

In past years, the triathlon off-season has caught me by surprise. Suddenly free from scheduled workouts, I gain weight and sink into depression as I heal from the past season's injuries. I wander aimlessly around the house, the much-maligned TV remote dangling from my flabby fingers. I neglect to hydrate.

This year, knowing my pattern, I made a list of activities I wanted to do. I need a definite break from swim, bike and run to feel fresh next season but I wanted to keep moving. Here's my list:

• yoga
• backpacking
• horseback riding
• dog training
• a friend looked at my list and penciled in: kayak/canoe
• park volunteer (a gardening thing I don't have time to do in tri season)

I'm not dumping run-bike-swim entirely. I need to maintain some sort of fitness for the start of next season. I'm running, but I think it must be normal person kind of running, like only 3 or 4 times a week for about 30 minutes! I haven't been swimming, but that's due to circumstances beyond my control. Our masters team does not have a pool anymore. I've been biking just a couple of times a week, either about 30 miles on the road or on the trainer for a tape. Sometimes I skip it! I try to weight train twice a week. It's casual.

I guess my focus has been on unstructured exercise and ìfreeî weekends. My first run without my heart rate monitor was exhilarating. It's crazy! Running without a HR monitor or a watch was like a snow day at school. What freedom!

My pace? It's dogtrot pace. Both Bailey, a mixed breed with short, short legs and Mabry, a black Lab, can do about 1.5 miles. They'll probably be able to do 3 miles each at the end of winter. I take each dog separately to get my total run. We stop lots to practice heeling and sitting. Then warm up or cool down consists of a ìWilbur Walkî with the 11 year old yellow Lab.

We incorporate at least three bend and lift exercises for poop pick up.

I run in my race t-shirts. A vacation from CoolMax! I'm not working hard enough to worry about wicking.

One day, I had a stressful day at work and I actually came home and cracked open a beer. Just like regular people, right? I've also noticed my waist is growing and my knees are creaking louder when I go up the stairs. Just like regular people. I hope I don't fall apart before next season.

I went backpacking in the Smoky Mountains a couple of weeks ago. I have no idea how many calories I burned in the three days I hiked over the balds with a 38-pound pack. I know I burned some, because I can still fit in my pants and I'm not through with the Halloween candy yet.

I briefly thought, ìIf I had to equate this trip with triathlon, what would it be?î The only thing I could come up with is that layers and layers of mountain tops turning to purple in the distance reminds me of multiple waves on the ocean. But that imagery is really stretching it. Other than that, I made no connections with triathlon. Thank goodness.

This weekend, I'm going for a black water paddle, kayaking in Francis Marion National Forest. I don't have to show up until 10:00.

Next weekend, I'm gardening at a city park. Sometime around 9:00.

That's sleeping in, compared to the early hours of tri season.

This year, I'm enjoying myself. I haven't done any horseback riding yet, but I still have time. I go to yoga when I feel like it and I'm going to pick up a Pilates class, too. I'm not sinking into off-season depression and I'm still moving. I feel pretty good and I'm having fun. Most importantly, I'm experiencing the other things I like to do outside of swimming, biking and running. I highly recommend it.