So, everyone should be heavy into training, Triathlon season is here! Many of our first races could be weeks away. How are you feeling? I had a day this week where I just had to hit snooze and restructure my weekly plan to have a day off. Most Triathletes would be considered a type “A” personality. We set our goals and do not let anything get in our way. We watch and document almost everything we do from what we eat, how we felt during our workout, how many miles we put in, and time splits. However, many of us will push through the tired feeling we might have from time to time. We simply say to ourselves “push through it, I’m a triathlete”. Some of us might think that missing a day is a sign of weakness. I have heard people say, “I would never miss a workout”.
Sometimes a day off in the middle of the week is just what the athlete ordered! If you feel overly tired, low motivation, or are not hitting normal times, just take a day off! Pushing through these things might actually hurt the rest of your week’s workouts. Not to mention you most likely will not be getting in the quality work out you need to keep improving your fitness, and the possibility of injury could rise also. There is nothing wrong with needing to take a day to just sit and relax, read a book, work on the yard, or even just go to bed an hour earlier than you normally would. I bet you will feel stronger the next day and have a better quality workout than pushing through that “ZOMBIE” feeling!
Listen to your body; it is the best coach any of us could have. If you feel that “ZOMBIE” feeling coming on, take a break, restructure your workouts for the week. You will not lose anything and most likely will gain more from doing a bit less!
-Frank Malott
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