By Monica:

The days are getting colder, it’s dark by 5pm, and a few of our crew are finding their bodies worn down as they finish off a big year of riding and/or triathlon. What’s happening? We’re heading into the off season !

The Science behind having an Off Season
I’m the first to admit: I’ve trained with an old-school coach and find it difficult adapting to these crazy, new aged notions of having an “off season”. My years in Australia consisted of cross country /marathon season, followed by triathlon season. But I have read a lot of books & articles, listened to a lot of podcasts, and done a lot of training in a more “new school” manner this year – and I’m coming around!

We need to give our bodies time to rest and recover. Our bodies have been working really hard all year. Many training programs recommend a three weeks hard/one week recovery approach – and it’s during the week of recovery that our bodies are able to adapt to the training we have done, recharge, and make those tremendous leaps forward in our fitness.

Similarly, taking a few weeks off at the end of the season allows our bodies and minds to have a break from the rigour and stress of training. Our bodies recover. Our minds are refreshed. And we are ready to hit the next season hard.

Plus it’s Cold!!!
Yeah, it’s clearly the Aussie writing this one. It is getting much, much colder. I even heard it might snow! And riding in snow would require a whole new skill set…

So let’s not get cold & miserable riding outside. While you’re taking time off – enjoy the warmth!

So what are Cyclodam’s off season plans?
1. Some easier rides
We will still be posting a number of rides, but many will include an easy spin option. If you still want to hammer it, go for it! But easy options are definitely there. Maybe a good time to bring along newbies, introduce your friends to road cycling … ?

2. Finding ways to deal with winte
Cycling in the dead of winter sounds pretty miserable to this Aussie – and the ice factor makes it seem a bit dangerous. So we’re looking at other ways to stay fit – including Thomas’ introduction to crossfit- a resistance programme which cuts down time needs for training, but gets serious results. Come along to that one!

3. Enjoying time off
A week or two of not cycling may do you more good than you might think. So in that busy Christmas – New Year period, don’t stress if you can’t fit training in. If you’re going skiing or snowboarding – enjoy! Go enjoy après ski instead of tying yourself to the gym.

4. Socials!
Finally, we want to do something really important: celebrate the successes of 2011. Cyclodam has grown from a relatively ad hoc cycling meetup group, to a cohesive team, growing in strength. Let’s celebrate that with an end of season/Christmas social event! Details will follow:)