by Sarah Alexander

Photo credit: Wright Creative, Inc. 

As a professional triathlete, I have been able to “chase summer” in order to continue training outside year-round. Luckily, it’s possible to integrate indoor and outdoor training in Asheville throughout the winter!

Regardless, the focus of training certainly shifts a bit in the “off-season” as compared to racing season. Here are three pro tips to take your winter multisport training to the next level:

1. Get Strong!The winter training season is a great time to focus on foundational strength, which tends to take lower priority during the racing season. When the weather outside is frightful, the gym can be so delightful! There are a lot of posts about the benefits of strength training for endurance sport — both from an injury prevention and performance enhancement standpoint — that you can link to. Here are a couple “triathlon strength routine” posts:

Team USA

Mark Allen’s 12 Best Strength Exercises

2. Work your Weakness— Did you grow up swimming but have always struggled through the run? Or, like many, perhaps the two land disciplines are where you shine …. as long as you can actually make it out of the water! One of the big challenges with triathlon, especially during the racing season, is training all three disciplines (swim, bike and run). Winter is a great time to put in a dedicated block of training to develop a weakness and take your performance to the next level next season.
3. Keep it Diverse— The off-season is a great time to mix it up. While it’s great to set goals for next season and seize the off-season to start working towards those, don’t make the mistake of digging yourself into a physical or mental hole before racing even begins! Cross-country skiing, mountain biking, hiking, and even cardio exercise programs at your local gym are great ways to get a workout in without overdoing the classic swim, bike, run.

About Sarah
Sarah Alexander is a professional triathlete who participated in the 2019 Asheville Triathlon and was the overall winner! Since the Asheville Triathlon, Sarah won the Lake Logan International Triathlon on the women’s side (6th overall including men) and has continued to progress on the international stage, with a 7th place finish at IM 70.3 Santa Rosa and, most recently, 5th place at IM 70.3 Traverse City. She has been working hard in the hills and lakes of Asheville and hopes to continue her consistent progression in her final races of the season: IM 70.3 Cozumel (9/29), IM 70.3 Coquimbo (10/19), and IM 70.3 Los Cabos (11/3).

You can follow Sarah’s races on the IRONMAN results tracker, and she will continue to share her journey via social media (Instagram, Facebook).