The holidays are upon us, which means festive cheer, time with family, and probably a little too much food and drink.
For triathletes though, it can seem tough to keep up with training over the holidays.
Between parties, travel, and other commitments, your normal routine gets disrupted, and it can feel like you’re going backwards.
But there’s good news…
Because not only is it the season for lights, tinsel and all-you-can-eat pigs in blankets…
It’s the season for making progress too!
With a little tinkering to your plan, you can keep moving forward with your goals, and actually get fitter and stronger over the holidays.
How?
Well, first, you need to be strategic with your training times.
Early morning and lunchtime workouts can help you avoid holiday commitments, which usually happen later in the day. (Plus, who wants to train after a full roast dinner, anyway?)
Shorten sessions if needed to fit them in.
And don't be afraid to get creative - could you turn a family walk into a brisk run? Or knock out some bodyweight strength moves during holiday travel?
Next, focus on consistency over volume. Even if you can only fit in 45 mins rather than your usual 2 hours, do something.
A little training is better than nothing. Especially when it comes to keeping those fitness adaptations going.
The holidays are also a prime time to focus on active recovery.
So if you’re training less, off work, and enjoying a bit more downtime, then get a head start on muscle repair with plenty of foam rolling, stretching, compression gear, and self-massage.
Don't skip the strength work either - holiday travel is when imbalances creep in, so if you can get in a couple of short S&C sessions each week, that’s even better.
Then there’s nutrition…
Fuel wisely when you can, and make good choices.
But also don't stress over every meal. Big feasts can actually be great if you’re recovering from a heavy session or just coming off a big training block.
One final thing - Listen to your body.
If you're feeling run down with a winter cold, take an extra rest day. You'll bounce back stronger.
All that said, let’s remember what’s really important - enjoying yourself.
Training hard is great, but family and fun matter more. Be present and engaged in the festivities, and give yourself permission to relax.
If you’ve trained hard for the last 11 and-a-half months, you can afford a little downtime.
We hope you have a great festive season.
Team Brownlee Fitness
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