When the demanding and intense triathlon season comes to an end, the athlete reaches a state of physical and mental saturation. If you ask him, he may answer that he doesn't want to hear about segments or transitions. It is obvious that the triathlete, like any other athlete, needs to rest and put aside the competition, and even training, at least for a few weeks.
However, at this point, the question that arises is to stop or continue active, what is more advisable to start the preseason? To try to clarify the question nothing better than to turn to an expert in triathlon events. Our man is Alberto Cebollada Kremer, our particular senior runner and experienced triathlete who gives us the keys to know how to disconnect and activate in order to prepare for the coming season.
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This professor of Cycling of the Government of Navarra of 'Sports Technicians' emphasizes that every triathlete "needs to do a 'reset' to be able to regenerate body and mind, and thus start the next season with more strength and more desire".
With the season over and no competitions in sight on the calendar, do I dry brake or continue to maintain a training program?
In general terms, scientific studies on the planning of a competitive season suggest that the athlete should not stop completely, and that at the end of the competition season he should continue doing other activities in a different way for a few weeks, other sports with the aim of disconnecting, activities that are not physically or mentally demanding. The organism needs to regenerate, the body needs to recover and the mind needs to "reset", to get away for a while from the stress and psychophysical tension of the competition season. So it is recommended to practice sport in a recreational way, preferably in contact with the natural environment, with family, friends and/or partner, with the aim of having fun, to disconnect. In short, to do other activities that allow regeneration in order to start the next season with more strength and more desire.
The fact of not stopping completely and continue exercising, practicing other sports such as mountain biking, skating, cross-country skiing, Nordic walking or simply walking in the mountains allows to maintain an optimal degree of cardiovascular and muscular activation with which the loss of physical form or "mismatch" of the improvements obtained during months of training and competitions will not be so important, that if on the contrary a total stop is made for several weeks.
The time of "necessary rest" or psycho-physical regeneration depends on the level of demand of the season, the sporting level of the triathlete and also on his needs.
What activities should be developed outside of triathlon training?
Practice other sports and other aerobic activities and especially those that have a good transfer, as in the case of triathletes who only do road cycling, take up mountain biking, with which, in addition to having fun, you gain skill and technique. Skating and, in winter, cross-country skiing, or simply walking in the mountains, preferably using poles, an activity known as "Nordic walking", which has a magnificent transfer in triathlon due to several aspects. On the one hand, walking is a very healthy and beneficial cardiovascular exercise, but especially so for the back if poles are used. The involvement of the arms in the impulsion raises the posture, strengthening the dorsal and brachial extensor muscles, which has a positive effect on the care of the back and in an optimal transfer of the strength of the extensor muscles of the shoulder and elbow to the pull and push of swimming crawl. Practicing other sports, those that are to the triathlete's taste or preference such as surfing, volleyball or any other that involves movement and fun, will allow maintaining an optimal degree of cardiovascular and muscular activation with which the loss of physical form or maladaptation will not be so important.
What is the optimal time of rest before starting the preseason?
In my opinion the time of "necessary rest" or psycho-physical regeneration depends on the level of demand of the season, the sporting level of the triathlete and also his needs. There are professionals who stop completely for a couple of weeks, they go to the Caribbean to achieve a total disconnection, others who do it for 1 month but maintain some sport-recreational activity, and others who for 6 weeks simply dedicate themselves to practice other different activities. In this subject the experience of what is best in each case, according to the characteristics and particular situations, as well as personal knowledge is decisive to know what type of post-competitive rest is the most appropriate for each of us. Both to optimize training and to be able to compare methods and types of rest performed during the different seasons, it is crucial to write down as much information as possible about the training and activities performed in the training logbook.
The so-called PREHABILITATION consists of that necessary physical preparation aimed at correcting imbalances, stabilizing key joints and reinforcing weaknesses by means of mainly strength work.
When programming the preseason, what are the important factors that I cannot overlook in order to try to get the preparation right?
Something crucial and that has to do with the health of the triathlete is the physical preparation prior to the most demanding training season, which will allow to face with guarantees the hard, long and intense sessions throughout the season, avoiding the probability of injury and ensuring the optimal functioning of the locomotor system and other organs and systems. This concept is known as PREHABILITATION. Necessary physical preparation aimed at correcting imbalances, stabilizing key joints and reinforcing weaknesses through mainly strength work.
Another important aspect is to focus attention on improving the technique of the three disciplines, time to perform a stress test and a blood test to assess possible deficits or deficiencies, go to the podiatrist, perform a bike fitting, etc...
This time of the year, and without the urgencies of the competition, is a good time to try new material and try to adapt it to my training routines.
With the arrival of Christmas is a good time to give us or to ask for that complement, that new material that will allow us an extra motivation in training and face the season with more desire to improve performance and exceed the results of the previous season. It is a good time to ride and thoroughly test the material innovations, to test the changes made in the bike fitting, to apply the advice of the biomechanist, to test those new shoes, to correct that swimming failure, to improve muscle elasticity, to extend the ROM (range of motion) of the joints, etc...
Photos: Koldo Larrea (Skoda Triathlon Series Getxo 2015)
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