Not Sure What To Do Now That It's Dark by 5:30?

Here are a few suggestions on off-season training:

Weight Training

Now is the time to hit the weight room. Endurance athletes burn muscle with all the long training and need a way to build it back up. Strength training is the way to go. Even if you have never lifted a weight before, its never to late to start. Get with a friend, or a certified trainer and get to the gym.

Here are some guidelines for Strength Training for Endurance Athletes:

• Strengthen your "Core"! Core strength training is a must for swimmers, bikers and runners. Get a Swiss Ball and have a certified trainer show you some good "core" strengthening exercises. At the very least you should be doing abdominal exercises and low back strengthening exercises. Do more repetitions as you develope more strength. Adjust the exercises every 3-4 weeks to keep the muscles guessing and avoiding a plateau.
• Train your bigger muscle groups first. If you plan on going to the gym 2-3 days a week, then you will have to train both upper and lower body on the same day. Always give yourself 24 hours between strength training sessions. This gives the muscle time to repair and rebuild (when the strength and size gains happen). Train your lower body first, then move to the upper body. Start with the bigger muscles, then work down to the smaller muscles. (If you train the smaller muscles first, you won't have the energy for the bigger ones).
• Endurance athletes want to build muscle endurance, not necessarily muscle size. A good routine includes performing 2-3 sets of each exercise, and doing 10-15 repetitions. I like to start you at a lower weight and do 15-20 reps, then add weight and do a 2nd set of 12-15 reps, then on bigger muscles add a 3rd set and add more weight and do 10-12 reps. After 4-6 weeks you should add some heavier weight and do a set of 6-8, or 8-10 reps. Always go through a full range of motion and keep it slow and controlled. You may not be able to lift as much weight when you slow down, but you will get better results! This may be the only time you here me say, "Slow down"! Don't rest too long between sets, only :45 seconds to a minute between, for the true muscle endurance workout.

Strength Training exercises for the Triathlete: After doing your "core" strength exercises, here are a few good exercises for the endurance athlete:

1. Lower Body - Squats, lunges, step-ups, leg press, calf raise, seated and standing. Other exercises if time permits: ad/adductor, leg curl, leg extension if no knee problems.
2. Upper Body - Lat. Pulldown, Seated Row, Chest Press, Chest Fly's, Lateral Raise, Tricep Extension, Bicep Curl. Other exercises if time: Incline/decline chest, Shoulder press, Rotator cuff exercises, Chin/dip assist machine and swim bench if available.

If you need help setting up a strength training plan, go see a certified trainer at your gym, or come see either Shari or Pete.

Train your weakest event! The off-season is the best time to work on your weakest event. If you really need help with your swim stroke, then you really need to see a swim coach and have them check out your stroke. Don't waste time slugging out yards with an inefficient stroke, work on technique now! You have plenty of time to slug out yards during the peak training months.

The same goes for the run and bike. If you feel you are weak on the bike, then put in a few extra days on the bike, or in a spin class and get stronger. The best way to get strong on the bike is to ride hills. Be sure you spin a good high cadence, or you will hurt your knees. A great way to get strong on the bike and improve your technical skills at the same time is to go Mountain Biking. The mountain bike is a great off-season workout that allows you to have the fun of training outdoors, doing something different, and getting in a great workout. It takes a while to get the technical skills down, so have someone who is a good rider show you how. You never know, an XTERRA could be in your future!

- Call Shari for a one on one MTB session and ride like a PRO!

Do something completely different! The off-season is a time to re-charge the batteries, but not get completely out of shape! Try different things to stay active. Mountain Biking is just one great off season activity, but here are a few more:

• X-Country Skiing - the best aerobic exercise for both upper and lower body! Lot's of fun too!
• Snowshoeing - another winter aerobic workout to get the blood pumping!
• Surfing - The funnest time you will ever have in the water! Be careful, winter time the surf can be pretty big! Try Cowell's Beach in Santa Cruz for a great beginner's wave!
• Chess - Ha Ha Ha, just seeing if you are paying attention!! But hey, cold nights, warm drink, go for it! Test your minds!
• Spin class - A great workout anytime of year, but nice during the cold winters. Works on a nice fluid pedal stroke too! Like the name says, SPIN!!!
• Trail running - Slip slide away in the mud! A fun workout with good hills! Just go at endurance pace and work some good hills into the run. Get strong during the off-season! Pump the arms and shorten the stride on the way up, let it go on the way down!
• Wine tasting - Yahoo! Get out of the house, head to Napa Valley, or even right here in the Bay Area and hit some wineries you ride by all the time! Have fun!
• Bungee Jumping - Yahooo! Well, at least the New Zealand crew got to go for it! Thanks to Coach Pete and a couple glasses of wine! Just ask Becky...

Well, that's all for now! We hope you all have a great Holiday Season! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of the KP Team! We can't wait to get going again next year, but until then, have some fun! Stay healthy, Eat, Drink and be Merry! Then go out and burn it off doing some fun activities!