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what to do with 3 weeks "off"
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 2016-05-31 12:41 AM |
 1 Secret Harbour, Western Australia |  Subject: what to do with 3 weeks "off"Hi all, my first attempt at a post on this site! i was just curious as to what i could be doing while on a three week holiday overseas? i will be heading over to the inlaws in Germany in August and am not 100% sure i will able to borrow a bike/find a pool in this time. so worst case scenario,i am thinking a lot of running is to be had! i was just curious if; a) anyone had some tips for using this trip to really improve my running? b) can i expect to see a bit of a drop in my swim and ride when i get home? c) is 3 weeks really that big of a time off? i may be able to borrow a bike once or twice a week, and weather permitting, could drive to a lake on the weekends, but am just assuming for now it may not happen. and the end of the day, i am not really at panic stations about this, i would just like a bit of info from others and there past experiences. Oh and I will be in lovely Oberhausen, a small town near the Bavarian Alps, so maybe some high altitude training! Cheers  |
| 2016-05-31 6:53 AM in reply to: R0Y |
Elite 7783     PEI, Canada | Subject: RE: what to do with 3 weeks "off" Sounds like a great opportunity to get lots of running in! For me, 3 weeks off swimming would mean I need 2 weeks to get back up to snuff (but I'm a swimmer). The bike would probably only take a few good rides to shake the rust off and then another week or two to be good. I think it depends on where you are at in your training prior to this. Enjoy the vacation! |
| 2016-05-31 7:01 AM in reply to: axteraa |
Expert 4620 Middle River, Maryland Silver member | Subject: RE: what to do with 3 weeks "off" Yeah, like Arend said, lots of running to be had. Unlike Arend, I'm NOT a swimmer, so I find that I lose swim fitness pretty quickly so after three weeks I'd need at least that long to get back. I think if you could swim at least a couple of times that would help keep your feel for the water at least. Cycling would be similar to Arend, unless I put a hard week in with a bike focus. Enjoy!! |
| 2016-05-31 7:15 AM in reply to: 0 |
Master 8247 Eugene, Oregon Bronze member | Subject: RE: what to do with 3 weeks "off" There will definitely be some awesome runs to look forward to. I would plan on it being a run focus, and get in bike and swim if/when you can. Even something is better than nothing, especially when it comes to swimming. Even if you can find a small pool and just do some easy laps, it will help you keep your swim form and "feel" for the water, which I think is the bigger issue than fitness in getting back to it after a short layoff. If you are comfortable swimming in a lake, I'm pretty sure there are some great lakes in that region. Might want to bring a wetsuit if you think the water temps will be cold. I used my sleeveless shorty for the lakes on our last trip (bike tour with my 70 year old mom from the Dolomites to Trieste, winding between Austria, Italy, and Slovenia). Might not be needed in August, though, unless maybe you're in an alpine lake. For what it's worth, I did one of my fastest sprint tris just after a four week trip to Europe (the one above) where I ran and swam maybe five times each. I had a normal swim and bike leg, and a really strong run (compared to other races I'd done that season), despite the lack of race-specific training for several weeks. I was pretty fit going into the trip, but really didn't do any "training" on vacation with that race in mind--it was just a convenient local event for my family. Edited by Hot Runner 2016-05-31 7:23 AM |
| 2016-05-31 8:25 AM in reply to: R0Y |
Veteran 1677 Houston, Texas | Subject: RE: what to do with 3 weeks "off" I'm not sure what your run background is like, but I'd caution you not to ramp up too quickly. If you were to do something like, say, double your weekly volume, you could be setting yourself up for injury. Same goes for increasing intensity too much. Or, as I found out the hard way on a long weekend last year, going from running completely flat terrain to running hilly terrain resulted in a stress fracture in my foot. Do you have access to a gym with a spin class? While not a perfect substitute for riding your own bike, it's better than nothing and gives you the opportunity to do some non-impact training. |
| 2016-05-31 1:54 PM in reply to: R0Y |
Regular 694 Tucson, AZ | Subject: RE: what to do with 3 weeks "off" To give you an idea of how much time off hurts, I took nearly all of August and part of September off from biking last year due to an injury. I tried to force it and toed the line at Ironman Mt Trem but it didn't work. Spent the next few weeks really doing nothing and getting healthy. I got entered into Ironman Wisconsin on the Friday before the race, I didn't know if I could finish. Ended up riding 4:43 and winning the race. As triathletes we often do too much and don't give ourselves a chance to recover. Vacation likes this can be a blessing in disguise. With that being said, triathlon is huge in germany. I bet you ended up biking, swimming, and heck maybe even doing a triathlon. All the best |
| 2016-05-31 10:00 PM in reply to: ThomasGerlach ProTri |
Member 228 Lenexa, KS | Subject: RE: what to do with 3 weeks "off" Originally posted by ThomasGerlach ProTri As triathletes we often do too much and don't give ourselves a chance to recover. Vacation likes this can be a blessing in disguise. With that being said, triathlon is huge in germany. I bet you ended up biking, swimming, and heck maybe even doing a triathlon. All the best I'd definitely echo this sentiment from Thomas. I hadn't take over 2 weeks off (in a row, generally I train 50 weeks a year) from training aside from one injury (out a month a few years ago) in about a decade. My new coach convinced me to take 3-4 weeks off before building back again last October. Yes, I lost some fitness, but I gained it back quickly and then some with a refreshed body. So it depends on if you have a race coming up, etc., but if you don't have anything pressing... I'd say enjoy yourself. Get out and run as much as you feel comfortable and give your mind a bit of a rest while you're on holiday. |
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