I would suggest taking a month completely unstructured. Work out if you want. Don't if you want to sleep in. Go out for drinks. Try something different like yoga or a class at the gym. Or do NOTHING for a few days and don't stress about it. You need a mention and a physical break.

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

For the past several years, from now through the holidays - what is consistently the busiest period work-wise for my husband and myself - we approach working out on a "will it make us happy" basis. If we don't have time and it'll just make us more stressed then we don't do it. If we have time and we WANT to workout then we do. And we just do whatever we feel like on any given day. Hike with the dogs if the weather is good...trainer ride in front of a movie...crossfit...in addition to trying out new things like indoor rock climbing (which we both used to do before getting into tris), taking new classes at the gym...really whatever interests us. Plus this keeps us from feeling guilty if work keeps us from working out one day.

After the holidays through February we focus on trying to get back in tri shape which means more focus on swim/bike/run but since we've generally kept up a good aerobic base we're fine. Not to mention, that by then we're usually chomping at the bit to get focused on a race and start training again.

I can't recommend enough the time off. I'm never going to win any serious money in triathlon so it won't trump my career and I honestly don't give a rats ass if I come in first or last at a race as long as I do well personally. So I structure my off-season training such that it is a 'complement' to my life and not 'my life.' Big difference between the two.

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http://smallfoodbiz.com
</blatent self-marketing>

I think it is absolutely critical for you to step away from all-things-triathlon if you are feeling burnt out. Now is the time. Give yourself the month of October to do anything you feel like doing. This doesn't mean you shouldn't Excercise at all. However, it should be exercise and not training. You shouldn't wake up in the morning and say to yourself, "Today, I NEED to ride XX / minutes." For Example. If you have an urge to go for a run, go for a run. But leave the garmin at home and just run until you feel like stopping. Skip the hill repeats and avoid all intervals. We Can't keep the pace of heavy training all year long. Our bodies need a rest. The goal is to avoid a certain # hours/ week or a certain volume of swim/bike/run. Just enjoy the day.

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Angela Bancroft

I was in that same mode of swim/bike/run... But after my first Half Ironman Sept. 19th I promised myself a week off because I had a bad sinus infection that I was trying to fend off before Branson Ironman which sucked. Once I took my week off I ended up finding out I'm pretty screwed up in my neck and shoulder from having a bad tri bike setup which basically forced me to quit training hard due to the migraines I get from working out to hard or to long. Now I just do whatever I feel like doing this weekend I took my dog out and hiked the trails and had a lot of fun. I would have never taken time off and relaxed if I hadn't realized how much pain I was in. I completely agree that you need to take some time to yourself for a couple of weeks and not be structured since everyone is so use to having a very structured workout plan. You might find that you enjoy. I've been off 2.5 weeks now and I can feel myself starting to want to train again (which two weeks ago I didn't think would come back) but due to a bad bike fit I'm not allowed on a bike for another four weeks and ez running and swimming with no weight strength training. I'm actually enjoying spending the extra time i have with my boyfriend who also does triathlon but suffered a sever case of bronchitis and a sinus infection right after finishing Branson with me.

fall is for off-road. trail running, trail cycling, cyclocross. i'm trying to get some rollerblading in as well.

when the snow flies, there's cross country skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing...even just going hiking!

i can also get some of the non sport specific stuff in that i don't have time for in summer - tai chi and yoga, maybe some kickboxing or whatever i feel like doing.

i use this time to create circumstances that reinforce my enjoyment of activity, apart from any other benefits it may have :)

cheers!

-mistress k

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__________________________________________________________
ill advised racing inc.

[I've been training 6 days/week (avg. 20 hrs/week) since February.]

Wow that is a lot and I used to "train a lot" but 20h week was more a peak week for me (now may you are a pro working part-time so that is a different story).

Fred.

+1.

Take a month off and go TRY other activities.

AP

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS

Thanks for your responses! Baby steps for me... I've cut my workouts down to 5 days a week. :-)

My biggest problem: guilt. Any tips for how to cope mentally with feeling like I'm not doing anything/enough?

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mllyswny
http://molly-sweeney.com
The elusive F-spot, finally discovered.

Oh - and I do other things (cross-training and such): hikes with my dog, mountain biking, yoga, Pilates, etc...

It's the DOING NOTHING that I struggle with the most. Or feeling like a hike with my dog "doesn't count." Am I nuts??

Thanks!

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mllyswny
http://molly-sweeney.com
The elusive F-spot, finally discovered.

2 weeks off
2 weeks unstructured stuff - can be s/b/r or roller blading, hiking cx, beating the neighbor, rowing

during that 4 weeks you should plan out your next season, where you rank relative to your peers, where you think you need to improve, where you actually need to improve and can improve, then you can figure out when you need to ramp up and what needs to be done.
after that it's a great time to spend a few months focusing on your weakness.

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

Do you have friends who swim/bike/run but at slower paces than you? Perhaps go for a light jog with a friend who isn't as fast as you. You probably don't train with these people throughout the year, but now it's a great chance to catch up and have a conversational run. Same for bike.

Otherwise, just do other stuff! For me the cold and darkness helps me feel less bad if I skip working out.

I think there's a lot of us that are addicted to sport... training... feeling the fatigue. It's all good. I'm not a believer that you have to take a bunch of time completely off every fall/winter. If you need to, great. Take time off. If you don't need to, then just pick a different focus but continue to exercise/train enough to satisfy your mental state. No use driving yourself insane forcing yourself to stop doing something you love. :)

I am exactly 1 month post my last HIM. I have had a few weeks where I have just exercised 4 days a week and have tried to keep it easy with some weights and doing what I feel like when I feel like it. But...I'm getting antsy too! I think the working out thing without a goal will drive me crazy which usually leads to me signing up for a marathon or half marathon some time soon. I agree that this time would probably be best used to set some real goals for the next season but it is hard not to worry about weight creeping on and losing fitness. Addiction probably!

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COtrimom