Posted: October 28, 2005

Multisport: Training shouldn't stop when the leaves change

By Jeb D. Stewart MS, CSCS, Coach

Seasons are made or broken by what we do or don't do in the off-season. Athletes commonly make two mistakes: Waiting until the racing season is upon them to hire a coach and then expect them to work miracles; and firing their coach when racing season concludes and then rehiring them in the spring.

These approaches are short sighted, and often mean you'll reach sub-optimal fitness and miss hitting your goals. What you do in the off-season determines the heights you can reach during the next year. Those who do it correctly meet and exceed their goals, while those who don't end up falling short and wondering why.

If you wait until spring, many coaches may not have availability or may require you to pay another start-up fee for the additional work necessary to get you back into condition (which wouldn't have been necessary if you'd been working together continuously).

How a season goes wrong

How can a season go wrong? The most common answer: Doing too much or too little.

Doing too much might mean working too hard, when developing base fitness is really what's needed; doing too much or the wrong exercise in the gym; or gaining too much weight.

Even more athletes fall into the doing too little category. Examples include: not taking enough recovery time; not doing enough miles; skipping cross-training or gym work; not doing enough base training or doing it at too low an intensity; or not attending to goals and long-term fitness.

A coach can help you stay on track and make sure you're doing the right things to reach your goals. I see too many athletes making all of the above mistakes. Having a coach prescribe the correct power or heart rate training zones can ensure you're doing what's necessary to meet your goals. One of the worst feelings is to learn that all that hard work you put in didn't get you where you needed to be; a coach can ensure that your training time is used well and is geared specifically to your goals.

Many athletes want to be ready overnight, but it doesn't happen that way. Those who are patient and diligent in their preparation have the greatest success. For example, I started working an athlete in November, for her goal races in July. Her patience and hard work paid off when she was on the podium 13 out of 14 races, won her state championships and two stage races. She believed in herself, her coach and the process.

Why work with a coach

Here are just a few of the many things your coach can help you with during the off-season:

Nutritional guidance and analysis 
Body composition goals 
Cross-training 
Periodized training 
Creating a proper strength and conditioning program 
Yoga and flexibility training 
Mental and physical skills training 
Year-end training review and analysis 
Goal development for the upcoming season and annual planning

Whether you're a recreational racer or a full-time athlete, what you do in the off-season is extremely important, and quite often will determine whether you meet your goals. Create your best season ever by working with a coach who can help you optimize the time you spend training in the off-season and make sure you're on track for the upcoming year.

For more information on subjects related to endurance training or for any of your coaching and training needs check out Jeb and the rest of the coaches from the Peaks Coaching Group at www.peakscoachinggroup.com.

Jeb Stewart is a USA Cycling Expert Level Coach and has a Master’s degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion. He is certified by the ACSM, the NSCA, the NASM, is a co-owner of the Peaks Coaching Group and co-creator of The Next Level, Strength Training for Endurance Athletes, the most comprehensive training DVD of its kind. He has a long history of competing in a variety of athletic endeavors at the national level and currently races on the road around the country annually. He specializes in coaching athletes of all walks of life using a holistic approach and is on the forefront of coaching cyclists with power. Jeb’s passion for helping people go to the next level in all of their endeavors has led him to become a national presenter, writer, and consultant on anything related to training, performance, and wellness. You can contact Jeb directly at jeb@peakscoachinggroup.com or at (813) 230-2900.

The Peaks Coaching Group - "We Care About Your Success!" www.peakscoachinggroup.com.

Endurofit - "Home of the Next Level"