Training without a race goal

As a result of the spread of COVID-19, most of the US and the rest of the world have seen restrictions put in place that drastically limit the average triahtlete's ability to train effectively. Group runs and rides have been declared unsafe and unless you have your own endless pool, which I'm sure many of you don't, swimming has become impossible. In addition, any chance of racing in the near future is looking slim. So what are we supposed to do as athletes? Continue to train? Stop training altogether? Here are my thoughts and recommendations for my athletes:

1) Don't worry about not swimming. That shouldn't be hard for most triathletes, as swimming is commonly the most dreaded of the three sports. But if you're like 99% of athletes who don't have any pool access the worst thing to do is worry about your swim fitness. If you have access to open water, great, get out there when you can. But if not, see the glass half full and use this time to focus on the bike and run. But make sure to maintain some upper body strength through resistance training, as it will make the transition back a lot smoother.

2) Embrace "just getting better." Since nobody is training for a race at the moment you need to find some other motivation. Look at this time as a stress-free training period to improve your overall fitness and get better as an athlete. This doesn't mean staring at your watch and stressing about splits during training. It means doing what you can to train your weaknesses so when the time comes to prepare for a race, your starting point is elevated.

3) If you were training at a high level, continue to train at a high level. Don't give up on your early season base because your "A" race was cancelled. Continue to increase your aerobic capacity and train hard if you want a solid second half of 2020 (assuming we see races later in the season). Training isn't worthless if there isn't a race on the horizon. It's money in the bank and will help you in the future. This does mean staying away from race-specific work and over training yourself for no reason. Instead, continue to emphasize training as much as you would if your race was still on the calendar. Better yet, perform an individual mock race as if nothing has changed.

4) Don't get injured. Don't double your run mileage because you can't swim. Just don't.

Bonus:

- Double down on core work. Might as well if you have the extra time.

- Assess any body work that needs to be done or muscle strength imbalances.

- Put on some weight. Nobody cares if you're lean right now. It's good for you physically and mentally to indulge here and there. But maintain overall good nutrition habits.

- Catch up on sleep.