November Nutrition - Eating in the Off Season for Triathletes

OFF Season Eating

You hang around triathletes long enough and you begin to hear the off season song, “its off season and time to get fat”.  Why is it that as soon as we cross that last finish line all the discipline and nutritional knowledge goes right out the door.  We may have spent the last 4 months analyzing every morsel that crosses our lips or counting our calories for each workout but now it is easy to go through that drive through or snack on impulse.  Becoming familiar with the pitfalls of off season weight gain and avoiding them can help you successfully set up your next race season. 

Now is the time to put the energy bars, gels and sports drinks in the back of the pantry for a while.  These sources of energy are dense in calories and you aren’t in need of them for the most part. Your training intensities have lightened and this is one way to lighten the caloric load.  Often, we get in the habit of going to these quick source of calories when we are in the rush if life mixed with training.  Now you have a bit more time, so use that to get in clean calories. 

Going back to a diet of whole foods of all the food groups will help you feel satisfied quicker than the “energy candy”.  Creating a nutrition plan and taking the time to implement it will also aid in keeping those off season pound from packing on.  Since your volume and training will be a bit “un structured”,  use that energy to create exciting menus full of real and whole foods. 

Finally, don’t forget about your environment.  The holidays are approaching as well as the daylight is fading.  This is a common time to eat more comfort foods and party foods that are high in calories and tend to increase body fat.  Remember to take care of yourself and chose to eat a large meal of veggies prior to hitting the party scene and then snack while on the circuit. 

This time of year is excited as you begin to think about your goals for the next season.  Take some time to decide not only how you want to improve, but also how you want your body to be able to respond the training as well as the fun of racing.